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Special call: Racial literacy courses for AY 2024-25

by Andrew Arroyo

Dear Council of Deans (copy Associates Forum) and Faculty Senate Leadership:

The University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UUCC), consistent with its responsibility for facilitating implementation of strategic initiatives related to undergraduate curricula, including responsibility for general education requirements, is issuing a call for courses to fill the racial literacy requirement.

The need is urgent and it is important to begin getting the word out now.

Criteria
The UUCC previously approved the following criteria, which continue to apply:

Racial Literacy courses must demonstrate the following criteria through a lens of analysis and application specific to the United States:

  • the social construction of race and racism, along with their origin, evolution, and maintenance (i.e., political, social, and cultural invention).
  • key theoretical concepts about race and racism. 
  • the operation of interdependent types and levels of racism (i.e., individual, interpersonal, intergroup, institutional, structural, and systemic).
  • the historical and current structures of racialized power and privilege, including whiteness.
  • social institutions, policies, and practices that contribute to and enable racism.
  • approaches and strategies to disrupt and dismantle systemic racism as well as ways to engender and institutionalize equitable alternatives. 

Submission process
Course concepts should be emailed to gened@vcu.edu. The concept can be well-developed or an early-stage idea. Modality, frequency of offering and anticipated seat capacity by semester should also be included.

A curriculum committee representative will be in touch with next steps.

Timeline
VCU academic affairs will hold open the bulletin to allow course development to take place after the normal December deadline. However, course concepts should be submitted as soon as possible for planning purposes.

Thank you for your partnership.

Best Regards,

Andrew T. Arroyo, Ed.D.
Interim senior vice provost for academic affairs           
Faye Oliff Prichard
Chair, UUCC
Director of Writing, Honors College
Categories Academic Affairs, Racial Literacy

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