The Intercultural Studies program at Saint Mary's has been offering new cultural perspectives to students; and the College has approved a general education course called an Introduction to Intercultural Studies. According to Vincente Berdayes, Intercultural Studies coordinator and associate professor of communication at Saint Mary's, the introductory course offers students valuable information that is often not found in their majors.

"The proposal was forwarded by the ICS [Intercultural Studies] steering committee and the Curriculum Committee of the College felt the course merits being included in the general education requirements in terms of enabling students to develop a breadth of knowledge beyond exposure to the content areas of their majors," Berdayes said.

Saint Mary's currently offers a student-designed major and minor in Intercultural Studies. The 15-hour minor, which was founded in 1999, explores the "theme of intercultural contact and inter-group dynamics," according to the program's Web site. It exposes students to how different social and cultural groups come into contact, historically and contemporarily and the results of that contact. Students enrolled in the minor must select courses that examine the intercultural dynamics in the United States and in global contexts.

The courses in the Intercultural Studies program incorporate a myriad of disciplines, including English literature, sociology and business. Since the offering is so diverse, the program's mission statement ensures that the minor is compatible with many majors.

Berdayes said, "Because this program encourages analysis and reflection upon the dynamics of intercultural interaction in many contexts, students will find that Intercultural Studies complements work within their major area of study and is relevant to their professional interests."

Although there has been an increased demand for Intercultural Studies courses, according to Berdayes, there are no formal plans to expand the program into a major.

"So far, there have only been informal discussions about this possibility," said Berdayes.

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