Diversity Curriculum Requirement Committee
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The New Requirement

As you probably know the 6-credit Diversity Curriculum Requirement (DCR) will be replacing the current 1-credit E. Pluribus Unum (EPU) requirement.  The new diversity requirement will be effective for incoming students beginning in the 2011-12 academic year.  Here are a few important points to consider while advising our incoming freshmen class and transfer students.

  • The new requirement only impacts students who enter the university in the Fall of 2011 or later.  Requirements for current students have not changed and these students will need to take a 1-credit EPU course as they have in the past.
  • The new 6-credit hour DCR requirement must be taken from at least two different disciplines. For example, a student taking two DCR approved history courses would be able to count both of them towards the core curriculum history requirement but only one would fulfill the DCR requirement.  In this case, the second DCR course would need to be taken from another discipline.
  • DCR is a new attribute designation.  In order for a course to count towards the DCR requirement the faculty member teaching the course must apply through the DCR committee.  If approved the course will be given a DCR attribute.  No courses have been “grandfathered-in”. 
  • DCR, EPU and GDST course attributes are not interchangeable.  Current students cannot take a course with a DCR attribute to satisfy their EPU requirement.  Further, courses that satisfy the Gender and Diversity Studies (GDST) minor do not automatically count as DCR courses (unless they have successfully gone through the DCR approval process).
  • As with any other core requirement, students have their entire tenure while at Xavier to complete the DCR requirement.   There is no reason why a student must complete this requirement during their freshman year.

While we realize that transitions are never fun, the DCR committee does hope to make this one as smooth as possible.  Please share this information with advisors in your departments/programs and let us know of any questions or concerns you may have.