The University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources’ (CAFNR) Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (IDE) Curricula Team has been working to develop a core set of learning objectives focused on IDE and cultural competence for all CAFNR students.

The 12-person committee, which includes representatives from each of CAFNR’s six divisions as well as four CAFNR students, has proposed eight learning objectives that track Bloom’s Taxomony, a set of models used to classify educational learning objectives into levels of complexity and specificity. Those objectives include: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate and create.

“Our committee members have devised example activities for each learning objective relevant to a particular degree program,” said Jon Simonsen, an associate professor of agricultural education and leadership and chair of the committee. “Our goal is to provide examples so that faculty in each program will have illustrations for how these objectives could be incorporated into their curriculum.”

The committee’s proposals will next go to the CAFNR Courses and Curricula committee for review and action and then to the CAFNR Policy Committee. The goal is to have the divisions work together to implement the objectives beginning in Fall 2021 for new admitted students.

“The committee strongly recommends that these learning objectives be embedded throughout a degree program’s curriculum and not limited to a single course that meets all objectives,” Simonsen said. “The committee also encourages CAFNR to consider events, such as Fall Welcome, as an outlet for awareness of the objectives to large groups.”

“Cultivating a Diverse and Inclusive Community” is a priority of CAFNR’s Strategic Plan. One of the primary goals of this priority area is to establish a culture of acceptance and inclusivity among everyone in the CAFNR community, which includes introducing diversity and inclusivity experiences into curricula with the objective of personal growth and development.