Taking a Knee: Sport and Social Change
Faculty member teaching this course: Kris Sloan, PhD

Students in this seminar will examine the many ways that professional sport and its players, both in the U.S. and abroad, have been agents of social change, many times challenging norms and assumptions concerning gender, race, sexuality and social justice. Drawing on critical cultural studies approaches, students in this seminar will critically assess the use of sports and sporing events as a public stage to culturally perform social change dramas that connect to — and sometime take the lead in — larger social, political, cultural and economic movements. Students will apply critical cultural analyses to mediated sports events to understand their impact and gain perspectives on the ways sports may be exploited to enact social change.  

School, Education and Society
Faculty member teaching this course: Arcelia Hernandez, PhD

The American experience has varied with the gender, race, ethnicity and social class of the person. The purpose of this course is to examine this diversity in experience throughout the country’s education history, examining the struggles, achievements and perspectives of marginalized groups in the U.S. history with a focus on the historical, philosophical and sociological foundations of public and private schooling. Individual and group experiences will be placed within the social, economic and political context of various eras. The course will also examine the role in these histories of the ideals and values of traditional U.S. civic culture, such as liberty, equality, and human rights. The overall goal of this course is to develop historical understanding of the problems and strengths inherent in our pluralistic society, particularly as these relate to education. 

Chicana Feminist Activism
Faculty member teaching this course: Justine Hernandez

Mexican American women, Chicanas, write and theorize about their experiences in the United States. The course will explore Chicana feminist writing, film, art, and online activism as a way of understanding the intersectionality of race, class, gender and sexualities. Students will learn how people work from within their own lives to enact social change and improve the world. Students will continue developing their own understanding of systems that affect women’s lives by completing class assignments and participating in experiential learning. This course will also introduce students to Women’s Studies and Chicanx Studies topics.

Latinx Immigration in the U.S.
Faculty member teaching this course: Perla Delgado

This course will examine US immigration policy and its deep roots in racism while also learning of the economic, cultural and social contributions of Latinx immigrant communities in the U.S. By utilizing various educational modalities (video, class discussions, field trips, guest speakers, etc.), students will develop an understanding that Latinx immigrants are not a monolithic community. Learners will be exposed to unique immigration stories while critically looking at the structures within the U.S that have led them to leave their loved ones, the places they love, and the communities they call home. Students will embark on a journey of understanding and awareness of the history of Latinx immigration to the U.S. while analyzing migratory patterns utilizing film, personal narratives, field trips, etc.