Equity Diversity Inclusion Competency

The purpose of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Competency Transcript Designation is to identify students who have focused their coursework in areas that promote multicultural awareness, knowledge, and competencies in relation to living within the U.S.

Multicultural education is “a method that celebrates differences between cultures while challenging all forms of discrimination” (Study.com, 2022, Mar 7). “At its core, multicultural education fosters . . . justice, and equity” (American University, 2020, May 19).

Students who complete this designation will be able to build on their multicultural foundation at ECC and showcase the transcript designation to better place themselves into careers and fields of study that value multicultural knowledge and experience. The EDI Competency will better equip students to make positive changes toward peace and justice in their communities.

The EDI Competency prepares students for the complex and evolving U.S. society in which we live by providing them with knowledge of diverse cultures and an understanding of themselves and their relationships within the context of U.S. workplaces, public institutions, and society as a whole. The EDI Competency is intended for students looking to increase their knowledge and awareness of multicultural issues within the U.S. through a specialized selection of courses. The majority of our EDI courses fulfill general education requirements and have IAI transfer codes, allowing students to prioritize transfer goals and degree completion while remaining focused on the work of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Although this designation is not a credential nor a certificate, the EDI Competency provides clear parameters that will be indicated on the student’s transcript. The EDI Competency is designed to offer students an interdisciplinary approach as they explore the cultural, political, social, and historical issues around race within the U.S.

This study of equity, diversity, inclusion, and multiculturalism includes courses in the behavioral sciences, communication, fine arts, humanities, and social sciences. This designation establishes a foundation for the pursuit of various majors, including business; counseling and social work; English; health and human services; history; law; multicultural and equity, diversity, and inclusion studies; philosophy; psychology; sociology; and teaching. Also, this EDI Competency can help students pursuing degrees in the sciences, health sciences, or mathematics connect their fields and work to the goals of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Students should work closely with their academic advisors to ensure that they are taking the needed courses for both their major areas of study and the EDI Competency in each group.

Through the successful completion of the EDI Competency, students will demonstrate a deep knowledge of cultural competence and civic responsibility by being able to

1. Critically examine cultural knowledge and its function in U.S. society.
2. Analyze their own self-awareness in relation to living within a diverse U.S. society.
3. Practice skills for effective and ethical diverse relationships within their chosen careers, their personal lives, and society as a whole. 

Students interested in the EDI Competency Designation can select from the available classes below. The selected courses incorporate one or more of the Multicultural Literacy general education learning outcomes and provide students with advanced skills and knowledge to develop a sense of cultural competence.

To earn EDI Competency designation, students must complete four courses (12 credit hours) from the following lists:

          Two (2) courses from Group A: Required Courses

and

Two (2) courses selected from Group B: Multicultural Courses

OR

Two (2) courses from Group A: Required Courses

          and

One (1) course selected from Group B: Multicultural Courses

and

One (1) course selected from Group C: Additional Courses