Miami University strives to be a community that values the contributions of all groups of people. It seeks to support a challenging intellectual environment that embraces a variety of diverse experiences. With the understanding that inter-group relations in both formal and informal settings are necessary to accomplish this goal, the University is committed to developing a Center for American and World Cultures to assist in its efforts to foster a more understanding and inclusive campus environment.

The Center will implement programs and activities, which as its highest priority, will celebrate and value racial, ethnic, religious, social, and lifestyle differences. The objectives of the programming at the Center will be to celebrate the richness of diversity, to complement the students' liberal arts education, to support faculty efforts to create a richer educational experience for students, and to foster the value of continuous learning about cultures and diverse ideas through opportunities for cultural expression and support. It will offer still another point of connection in the effort to link the academic mission and co-curricular activities.

Our Mission

The mission of the Center for American and World Cultures is to promote positive inter-group relations among students, faculty, and staff on the campus and ultimately to improve the climate for diversity at Miami University. This will be accomplished through a variety of initiatives and activities intended to stimulate thoughtful discourse about diversity within local, national, and international contexts.

Goals and Objectives

The Center will have three primary goals:

• Education and Development
• Resources and Central Clearinghouse
• Curriculum Development and Research

I. Education and Development

• Coordinate IDS courses (151, 153, 159)
• Develop and organize symposia, workshops, seminars, retreats, and institutes for faculty, students, and staff
• Coordinate cultural activities with existing campus organizations.

II. Resources and Central Clearinghouse

• Collect, develop, and distribute educational resources related to diversity and inter-group relations
• Collaborate and work with existing programs and units on campus engaged in inter-group relations or diversity efforts
• Develop a central clearinghouse for diversity initiatives, programs, and events across campus.

III. Curriculum Development and Research

• Work closely with the AAC&U Project Team to devise strategies for including a multicultural perspective across the curriculum, where appropriate.
• Encourage inter-group relations research
• Complement the work and collaborate with the Office for the Advancement of Scholarship and Teaching, the Liberal Education Council, the Committee for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching, the Honors Program, academic departments, and the interdisciplinary programs in American Studies, Black World Studies, International Studies, Latin American Studies, European Studies, Jewish Studies, and Women's Studies.