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Mission
The mission of the African and African American Studies Program at Iowa State University is to produce an informed, educated and culturally aware citizenry that is prepared to meet the challenges of an increasingly diverse and global society. The focus of the program therefore is not solely on filling the missing pages of African and African American history and experiences, and correcting the misrepresentations of past and contemporary scholarship. It is equally grounded in a philosophy that acknowledges the wealth, diversity and complexity of the human experience, one that represents the human experience as the product of cross-cultural interactions and exchanges. It is a broad humanistic curriculum designed for the education of the whole person, one that allows students to explore, within a challenging but stimulating academic context, a wide range of issues pertaining to race, class, identity, gender, family, ethnicity, social justice and inequality.
Why African and African American Studies?
Many have wondered "What can I do with a Minor/Degree in African and African American Studies?"This is a legitimate question to ask. Below are some of the myriad of opportunities that a concentration in African and African American Studies offers.
- The African American experience has historically been maligned, caricatured, misrepresented and neglected. So much of it remains shrouded in myths and misinformation. African and African American Studies is the key to unraveling and deconstructing these myths, and acquiring an informed knowledge and understanding of the role, place and accomplishments of blacks in history
- African and African American Studies is fundamental to acquiring a fuller and informed understanding of the broader American experience.
- For many students, African and African American Studies is the key to acquiring the requisite knowledge and skills with which to function effectively and productively in an increasingly complex and global world.
- African and African American Studies is a gateway to meaningful, productive and rewarding careers in both the private and public sectors.
- It is a foundation for a solid, broad-based, humanistic education that prepares students for success in the professions—Law, Law Enforcement, Medicine, Education, Social Work, Psychology, Criminology, Business, Music, Telecommunications, Government and the Diplomatic Service.
- It empowers students with the knowledge and skills to function as productive members of, and critical agents of change in, society
How is Our Program Unique?
As a land-grant institution, Iowa State University emphasizes education that prepares students to impact the larger society. Our goal is to help students develop the skills that would enable them overcome the "practical challenges of day-to-day existence."We emphasize the practical implication and application of knowledge, and integrate the advancement of knowledge with the transformation of society. Put succinctly, we prepare students to apply their skills to make society better. The focus and breadth of our program is to educate students on the complexities of African American history and its relations to the broader human experience.
Points of Pride
- Our Program is designed to prepare students to function and live effectively and productively in an increasingly complex and global world.
- We educate our students to understand, appreciate and respect diversity
- We have a dedicated, distinguished, and approachable faculty committed to helping students excel and realize their full potentials
- Iowa State University nurtures a climate and environment that acknowledges, encourages and respects diversity and differences
- As part of the larger Center for American Intercultural Studies, students in African and African American Studies have the opportunity to engage other students in critical intercultural discourses that illuminate and underscore convergences and differences in minority ethnic experiences. This broadens their understanding of comparative racial and ethnic experiences. They also acquire critical knowledge of interdisciplinary research methodology and scholarship
- We have a dedicated Steering Committee drawn from departments and colleges across the campus that works with the director to administer the Program
- Ours is a students-focused/-oriented Program dedicated to helping students succeed by encouraging them to seek after, and expect, the absolute best
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