The Minor in Africana Studies explores the cultures, histories, philosophies, experiences, and multiple ways of knowing engaged in by people of African descent globally. The term ‘Africana’ encompasses Africa and the Global Diaspora that are the focus of the minor. In order for a course to be cross-listed with Africana Studies (AFS), it must adhere to the central mission of the program. Africana Studies is an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach to studying and understanding the experiences of African and African-descended people. Moreover, the central mission in Africana Studies will support the development of critical consciousness, intellectual curiosity, and principles among our students by facilitating and rewarding sustained interdisciplinary study of the people and cultures of Africa and of African descent. In doing so, it will uphold CI’s mission pillar of integrative studies, building an interdisciplinary community of students and faculty working on multiple questions about Africa and its Diaspora.
Through its study of Africa and its Diaspora, the subject matter offers critical insights for students and contributes to CSUCI’s mission of developing international perspectives and multicultural frameworks. As a result, students and faculty may conduct research that develops new or builds upon existing concepts, theories, and approaches to the study of the evolving experiences and contributions of Africa and its Diaspora. In so doing, Africana Studies prepares students to competently participate in diverse and competitive global societies where they may contribute viable practical solutions to critical challenges on multiple levels.
Potential cross-listed courses must meet at least one of the following criteria to qualify for cross-listing, and will be reviewed as follows:
- Presupposes Black history, society, and culture as central and analytical concepts
- Incorporates critical race theory and/or the critical/cultural study of race/ethnicity as a primary approach to understanding a topic, an idea, a set of texts, an historical event, a social or political phenomenon, etc.
- Reflects the diversity of experiences of Africa and the African Diaspora
- Is informed by contemporary scholarship in the field of Africana Studies and/or Black Diasporic scholarship within the instructor’s particular discipline
- Provides students with an understanding of African and Africana Diasporic perspectives
In addition to the above criteria, the submitting instructor must have expertise in Black and/or Africana Studies to match our Minor’s mission and course outcomes
Please submit the following information in your application to our Faculty Advisor:
- Course name
- Course number
- Cross-listed department of course
- Course syllabus (Word or PDF attachment preferred).
- Indicate if you are the professor of record
- Faculty C.V. (Word or PDF attachment preferred)
- Statement for cross-listing course with Africana Studies (750 words or less)
- Special Topics and UNIV courses will not be cross-listed but can be considered for course substitution for the Minor. If the topic(s) in your class are dependent upon the instructor teaching it, you will need to provide an updated syllabus that privileges the African Diaspora, when the course shifts.
Application Deadlines: for initial review (bear in mind that following initial review, normal approval schedules apply).
- Fall Semester—October
- Spring Semester—February
If the course is approved for cross-listing, the professor must agree to:
- Provide at least 5 seats designated for Africana Studies students in the course, the number of seats may be adjusted based on course numbers (e.g., courses with larger than 30 enrollment numbers should allow at least 20% of their seats for Africana Studies students)
- Ideally, Africana Studies cross-listing process grants approval to courses and instructors as a unit. If the instructor is to change on a previously approved course the new instructor need not re-apply using this application, but will be required to submit a syllabus, CV, and revised rationale to Africana Studies for review.