American Commitments: Diversity, Democracy,
and Liberal Learning
American Commitments, an ambitious, multi-project initiative from 1993-2001, set out to to address fundamental questions
about higher education in a diverse democracy and to provide
resources for colleges and universities willing to engage
those questions as dimensions of institutional mission, campus
climate, and curricular focus.
What distinguished AAC&U's leadership on diversity was
the conviction that democracy could not fulfill its aspirations
without acknowledging diversity and that diversity finds a
moral compass in democratic values and principles.
Higher
education, we believe, can nurture Americans' commitment and
capacity to create a society in which democratic aspirations
become democratic justice. Diversity proves a means of
forging a deeper civic unity.
The American Commitments initiative juxtaposed the
egalitarian creeds and aspirations of democracy with the persistent
and structural inequalities experienced by people of color
and other marginalized groups in the United States.
Against
this background the initiative emphasized the need for greater
justice and new forms of intercultural community throughout
all of United States society. Through their public leadership,
concern for campus life, and, commitment to excellence in
undergraduate learning, educators were challenged to foster
the human capacities needed to build and sustain an egalitarian,
multicultural democracy.
American Commitments passed through many phases
and projects throughout its duration. Through this initiative,
AAC&U established a national network of colleges and
universities seeking to increase diversity on their campuses
and in their curricula and to connect with a broader community.
Over 160 institutions were
involved with the American Commitments initiative.
It supported faculty learning about cultural diversity
and democratic pluralism. A primary goal of American Commitments was to graduate students who were prepared and inspired to contribute
to the success of a just and diverse democracy.
The initiative was made possible by generous grants from the Ford Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Hewlett Foundation.
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