Course Development Guidelines & Process

About

The American Cultures (AC) requirement is a part of the campus' signature undergraduate curriculum at UC Berkeley, ensuring that all undergraduate students engage deeply and critically with race, ethnicity, and culture—past, present, and future—as these are created and contested in the meanings and experiences of the U.S. To ensure that instructors maintain this approach and integrative course content, new and revised AC course proposals, as well as instructors teaching an AC course for the first time, undergo a careful endorsement process with the Academic Senate's Subcommittee on the American Cultures Requirement.

One of the primary purposes of the American Cultures Center is to support instructors through this process and beyond, providing guidance and resources to help them successfully meet the guidelines for approval and enrich their courses.


Submission Guidelines

Please read the AC Subcommittee Senate's AC Curriculum guidelines(link is external) if you will be submitting an American Cultures course proposal. 

On This Page

This page provides an overview of the AC course approval process and support, including:

Who Needs to Undergo the Course Approval Process?

All instructors whether proposing:

  • a new AC course,
  • substantially modifying an existing one,
  • teaching an approved AC course for the first time, or

must submit their syllabus and a cover letter for review by the AC Subcommittee. This process ensures that every offering of an AC course meets the requirement’s guidelines for integrative and comparative content on race, culture, and ethnicity. Learn more

Even if an instructor has previously taught an AC course, formal approval is required before teaching the course again. This step is sometimes missed, so instructors may be surprised to learn they need to undergo the process. The American Cultures Center is available to support instructors through every stage, from initial consultation to final submission.

Course Approval Process

Overview:
When a course holds American Cultures (AC) status, it means that the first instructor to offer that course developed course content and assignments towards a critical engagement with race, ethnicity, and culture, past, present, and future, and as it is created/contested in the meanings and experiences in the U.S.

To ensure this approach is maintained, course proposals are first reviewed by the Academic Senate's Subcommittee on the American Cultures Breadth Requirement, a Senate body responsible for ensuring courses meet the AC requirement standards.

Evaluation Criteria:
The subcommittee evalutes: 

  1. "Does the course address theoretical and analytical issues relevant to understanding race, culture, and ethnicity?" How?
  2. "Is the course integrative and comparative within the larger context of American society, history, culture, economy, or environment?" How?
  3. "Does the course take substantial account of groups drawn from at least three of the following: African Americans, indigenous peoples of the United States, Asian Americans, Chicanos/Latinos, and European Americans?" How is each group incorporated into the course?

Submission Process

Submission Guidelines

Please read the AC Subcommittee Senate's AC Curriculum guidelines(link is external)(link is external) if you will be submitting an American Cultures course proposal. 

Required Materials:
The subcommitee asks that you send them:

  1. A copy of your detailed course syllabus.
  2. To assist them in reviewing it, the subcommittee also requests a cover letter that addresses how the course meets the AC requirement in a long narrative.

Semester Submission Deadlines:
(Effective Fall 2022) – American Cultures Proposals (New Courses and Instructor Changes) must be submitted by the Friday prior to the Subcommittee meeting in November for the Spring Semester, March for Summer Sessions, and April for the Fall Semester.  

Review Sessions and Submission Deadlines:
Review meetings occur monthly and proposal are due by 5 p.m. on the Friday before the Subcommitee monthly meeting. Review current AMCULT submission deadlines and meeting schedule. Final COCI review follow shortly after the AC Subcommittee meeting.

Where to Submit:
All materials should be emailed to the Academic Senate Analyst Rachel Marias Dezendora (rmariasdezendorf@berkeley.edu) or uploaded directly to CCMS. For a list of meeting dates for the current academic year, please visit the Academic Senate's Meeting Dates page. 

However, the Subcommittee strongly suggests that instructors consult with Dr. Victoria Robinson prior to submitting their final materials at victoriarobbi@berkeley.edu.  

Resources & Personalized Support

Essential Guidelines:
The essence of the requirement is expressed in the following three questions:

  1. "Does the course address theoretical and analytical issues relevant to understanding race, culture, and ethnicity?" How?
  2. "Is the course integrative and comparative within the larger context of American society, history, culture, economy, or environment?" How?
  3. "Does the course take substantial account of groups drawn from at least three of the following: African Americans, indigenous peoples of the United States, Asian Americans, Chicanos/Latinos, and European Americans?" How is each group incorporated into the course?


One-on-one support:
While the guidelines are designed to be clear, we recognize that instructors may interpret or apply them in different ways. For personalized guidance or to discuss how the guidelines relate to your course, we highly encourage you to meet with AC Center Director Victoria Robinson to share your ideas for the course, review materials, or get your questions answered. Meeting with her beforehand will increase the likelihood of the subcommittee endorsing your course materials. To schedule a meeting, please email victoriarobbi@berkeley.edu with your drafted course materials and/or dates and times you'd like to meet. 


Introductory Video:
Finally, the Introduction to the American Cultures Requirement is a video we have created which summarizes the history of AC and what AC courses are expected to deliver. AC courses are among the most critical components of Berkeley's efforts to teach a diverse undergraduate student body about the diversity of American society, history, and culture.

Grant & Course Enrichment Opportunities

The American Cultures Center offers a range of grant opportunities to support faculty in developing, revising, and enriching AC courses. These include:

For more detailed information about the approval process, please visit the Academic Senate’s American Cultures Subcommittee.

We greatly appreciate your contribution to the AC curriculum. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at americancultures@berkeley.edu.