This curriculum was designed to provide Sikh college students with a better framework and understanding of Gurbani. The majority of Sikhs born and raised here in the United States do not possess a solid understanding of core Gurbani concepts or principles. Often times, this lack of knowledge is not due to the individuals themselves, but due to circumstances and environment. There is currently no organized curriculum or course available to Sikh college students on campus that can provide Gurbani Veechar (learning) sessions. While Christian students are blessed with various Bible study classes on campus, Sikh students do not have any such opportunity to study Gurbani. United Sikh Movement (USM) has taken the first step to fill the void through creating this course. We are providing this course on various college campuses in order for the college Sikh community to benefit, learn, and grow. This course is the first of its kind in the Sikh community, and we hope it provides students with a better understanding of Gurbani.

No, this curriculum does not have a point of view or “agenda” to promote. The only “agenda” that we have is to provide students with a better understanding of Gurbani and attempt to create a greater sense of love for the Guru. We do not subscribe to one particular school of thought, but instead try to incorporate multiple opinions (when necessary) in order to provide students with diversity of thought and interpretation. However, all opinions discussed are well-accepted in the Sikh community and are not controversial in any way.

Approximately 30 university SSAs across North America are hosting this course on their campus.

United Sikh Movement overlooks college Sikh Student Associations and helps student members further their Sikhi through naam and seva, while also helping develop crucial leadership skills through various Sikhi-oriented conferences, events, and trainings.

The booklet is the workbook for the course, and students must bring it with them during every session. Students should use the empty space after each line of Gurbani to write in the translation and other notes provided by the facilitator. There are 18 lessons for the entire course spread out evenly over three quarters (or two semesters). Each lesson will last for approximately an hour, but some may be shorter or longer than the prescribed hour.

Due to the complexity and depth of the Mool Mantr, it is necessary to understand additional Baani that helps explains certain words of the Mool Mantr. The facilitators and videos will help explain the additional Baani and connect it back to the Mool Mantr.

No, you do not need to know how to read Gurmukhi, as we have transliterated the Baani into the English alphabet. However, we encourage you to learn Gurmukhi because reading the transliterated Baani normally leads to wrong pronunciation.

Facilitators are chosen based on the following elements: Interest and passion for Gurbani Willingness to learn during intensive mandatory summer training sessions Background knowledge in Gurbani Availability during the quarter/semester Good communication and public speaking skills

While we cannot force anyone to attend, we strongly encourage students to attend as many sessions as possible. The more lessons students attend, the more they will learn and gain from the course. However, students that miss a session can still easily attend the next one and not feel like they have fallen behind. We have also taken into account students’ busy schedule during finals and midterms. We only require six weekly sessions out of the ten-week quarter (or nine weekly sessions per semester). As a result, there will be no Gurbani Study sessions scheduled the week before finals and during midterm season. Each SSA is free to schedule sessions on any day that works for the majority of its members, as long as six sessions are scheduled by the end of the quarter.