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Department Mission and Goals

The faculty and staff of the Bilingual/Multicultural Education Department view our mission as synonymous to the mission of the California State University at Sacramento, which is providing and facilitating access and equity for an ethnically diverse student population that is reflective of the state’s diverse population. Our primary goals are to prepare outstanding teachers of bilingual and multicultural education who in turn prepare their students to fully participate in a democratic, pluralistic society. Outstanding bilingual and multicultural teachers give their students the means to:

  • Advocate a social justice perspective across schools, communities and political contexts.
  • Use and further develop students' cultural funds of knowledge, bilingualism and biliteracy.
  • Lead students to achieve at academically high standards across the core curriculum.
  • Guide students to explore issues of prejudice towards people of different races; socioeconomic classes; language and language varieties; abilities and disabilities; and sexual orientation.
  • Promote school transformation toward equity and social justice on multiple levels.

The faculty’s role in the preparation of teachers and Masters’ students mirrors what we want to happen in the public schools. Specifically, we strive to encourage among our credential and graduate students the use of languages and language varieties other than English across university and classroom settings. We attempt to provide an encouraging network of instructors and University supervisors whose backgrounds include expertise and experience in the areas of bilingual and multicultural education. This same faculty seeks to work with students towards academic excellence at the university level.

Further, we strive to support our students in the examination of educational theories and methods from a multicultural perspective that openly analyzes the issues taking into account gender race, language, social class, and disability. Finally, we work towards preparing students to take an active role in the reconstruction of the education system into one that is equitable for students from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds. (1996 Departmental Self-Study).