An examination of the process of multicultural curriculum reform in higher education and faculty development models that support this reform

While much has been written about the reform of general education in the past decade, relatively little research has been done that examines the process of multicultural curriculum reform. Despite a substantial body of literature both for and against multiculturalism in the curriculum, we know little about the conditions that give rise to multicultural curriculum change and even less about the outcomes or the effectiveness of such curricula.;The telephone survey and case studies presented here contribute to an understanding of the process of multicultural curriculum reform They explore the distinct ways in which multiculturalism is defined on different campuses and examine the environmental and institutional conditions that support the emergence of a multicultural curriculum. The survey and case study research examine the leadership of a reform process, the actions taken to mount a curriculum reform, and the results seen over the long term. Special attention is paid to the varied curricular models for multicultural reform and to models of faculty development that support such reform initiatives. In addition, the case studies present a brief overview of changes in pedagogy and course content resulting from faculty development programs. While this research does not evaluate the content or the effectiveness of multicultural curricula, it lays the groundwork that may ultimately lead to such a study.