Robby Soave of Reason has reported that the name of the course requiring a group project on microaggressions that Ohio State’s Stabby Somali, Abdul Razak Ali Artan, was taking was named “Crossing Identity Boundaries.”

This would appear to be the class’s website. Here are excerpts:

Multicultural Center The Ohio State University Crossing Identity Boundaries (ES HESA 2577) Crossing Identity Boundaries: A Journey Towards Intercultural Leadership is a three-credit course designed to bring together students from different cultural and social identity groups in a facilitated learning environment. Interactive dialogues engage students in exploring issues of diversity and inequality as well as their personal and social responsibility for building a more just university and society. Students gain valuable leadership skills that they can effectively utilize long beyond the classroom. … ES HESA 2577 courses are carefully structured to explore social group identity, conflict, community, and social justice. Overall, the course will be guided throughout by the following questions: How have you come to learn about race/gender/sexuality/religion? How has this shaped your world view? In what ways can you use the information gained in this course to become an actively engaged, socially just global citizen within the Buckeye, Columbus, and greater communities? At the conclusion of the course, students will be able to: – Identify micro-aggressions within their daily lives and within society as a whole.

– Define power, privilege, value systems and difference and be able to identify their different forms.

– Recognize the commonalities and differences that exist among people and cultures and how these factors influence their relationship with others.

– Demonstrate a personal ethic geared towards civic responsibility.

– Identify ways in which they can challenge or address systems of power and privilege.

– Demonstrate an appreciation for other points of view and other cultures…

– Discuss how they will be socially just global citizenship as part of their lifelong learning. Why is racism always a black/white thing? Am I expected to represent everyone in my group? Are guys always expected to pay on a date? Spend the semester exploring these and many other questions in the Multicultural Center’s three credit hour course. Classes meet twice a week and aim to expand self-awareness and develop valuable dialogue skills. Receive credit for the Leadership Minor and/or the Social Diversity in the U.S. GE while examining and discussing issues and experiences relevant to Ohio State and society.

And here are excerpts from this course’s syllabus:

The Ohio State University College of Education and Human Ecology Department of Educational Studies ES HESA 2577 Crossing Identity Boundaries: A Journal Towards Intercultural Leadership 3 credits, Undergraduate … I. Course Description This course is built on intellectual and experiential engagement with issues of difference, diversity, social justice, and alliance building. In a multicultural society that is culturally diverse yet socially stratified, discussions about difference, community and conflict are important to facilitate understanding among different social and cultural groups. … The course is focused on all aspects of social identity, including but not limited to race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, and national origin. We will explore the topics of identity, social justice, and diversity through these various lenses. Overall, the course will be guided by the following questions: How have you come to learn about race/gender/sexual orientation/religion/nationality? How has this shaped your worldview? In what ways can you use the information gained in this course to become an actively engaged, socially just global citizen/leader within the Buckeye, Columbus, and greater communities? This course will meet a General Education (GE) requirement for Diversity: Social Diversity in the United States. This course also fulfills the requirement for the leadership minor. II. Course Objectives: … Students will begin to develop an understanding of major social justice concepts (e.g., power, privilege, difference, microaggressions). Through writing as well as individual and group reflections based on readings assignments and class discussions, students will able to: Identify microaggressions within their daily lives and within society as a whole.

Identify ways in which they can challenge or address systems of power and privilege.

Define power, privilege, value systems and difference and be able to identify their different forms. … Students will grasp their role within greater society and how they can work to create social justice. … III. Course Readings Adams, M., Blumenfied, W. J., Castañeda, C., Hackman, H. W., Peters, M. L., & Zuñiga, X. (Eds.). (2013). Readings for diversity and social justice (3rd ed.). New York: Routledge.

$152 in hard cover, but only $59.35 in paperback.

I’m going to put in a page break here, but the course readings below it are pretty funny.

Warning: What follows is not a parody.

Here are a few excerpts from below the fold:

… You will be graded on the following criteria: Quality of microaggressions chosen (Do you clearly articulate why they are microaggressions and which group is targeted?) Quality of response (Do you address the microaggression in an appropriate and meaningful way?) …

Remember, kids, it’s not just the quantity of microaggressions, it’s the quality.