Faculty and multicultural education: An analysis of the levels of curricular integration within a community college system

The composition of the United States population and its workforce is changing rapidly with a projected increase from 249 million in 1990 to 355 million by the year 2040. The majority white population is projected to only grow by 25 percent during this time period while the Latino, and Hispanic populations in the United States are projected to increase by 187 percent. Consequently, the current minorities will constitute more than half of the nation\u27s total population by mid century and comprise a disproportionately large segment of the workforce. as a result of these changing demographics and increasing economic globalization, America\u27s educational institutions will be confronted with reforming their curricula to meet new societal needs by promoting knowledge and understanding of different cultures.;The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of multicultural education integrated into the general education courses that are requirements for completion of AAS degree programs. Further, it was designed to identify the factors that influenced faculty members to include multicultural education into their courses.;Levels of integration of multicultural education were determined by personal interviews of faculty and supported by evidence presented in their syllabi, tests, and handouts. Analysis of the interviews provided the factors that motivate faculty members to infuse or not to infuse their classes with multicultural perspectives.;It was concluded that the amount of multicultural concepts infused into the courses vary from none to considerable and is determined by the faculty member\u27s commitment to achieving pluralism. Factors that motivate inclusion are the disciplines, institutional atmosphere, and personal values of faculty.;Further study is needed to determine how much of the multicultural perspective students retain from the general education courses. A comparison between two and four-year colleges is needed to help determine whether only community college instructors are deficient in the amount of multicultural education they infuse into their disciplines