The IDEA course requirement provides undergraduate students the opportunity to explore concepts in social justice, broadly defined. The IDEA acronym encapsulates the core concepts of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility. These concepts are integral to models of social justice, and through their examination students can learn about important values, voices, and lives that have been marginalized and erased, along with strategies to create stronger and more just communities.

IDEA courses may be taught in any of the schools and colleges at the university. They vary greatly in topic area and content, but they all incorporate the following learning objectives:

• Students will be able to identify ways by which they are shaped by socialization.
• Students will learn about structures, systems and impacts of oppression, as well as cultures and practices of resistance.
• Students will learn about historical and ideological perspectives, using theoretical framework(s), and incorporating US and/or global contexts.
• Students will explore and analyze strategies and tools for developing inclusive, equitable and accessible communities.

In addition to satisfying the IDEA requirement in the student’s program of study, IDEA courses may also satisfy other distributional, major or minor requirements. The IDEA requirement may be completed at any time, but students are encouraged to do so early in their curriculum if possible.

*Crosslisted courses - Students can take any one course within a crosslisted set of courses and it will fulfill the IDEA requirement.