2018-2019 Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Women’s and Ethnic Studies (WEST)


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Faculty

  • Professors: Abby Ferber and Andrea Herrera (Director)
  • Associate Professor: Janice Gould, Stephany Rose, and Carole Woodall
  • Assistant Professors: Dena Samuels and Stephen Suh
  • Instructor:  Kimberly Holcomb

Mission Statement

Our mission is to think critically about the intersections of race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, disability, and other constructed social categories; to understand history, culture and society from a range of perspectives, including those emanating from communities whose stories and lives have been marginalized or silenced; and to develop consciousness about multi-ethnic and gender issue locally, domestically, globally and transnationally. Ultimately, our vision is to develop skills to shape our collective future in ways that foster diversity and equity.

The Women’s and Ethnic Studies Program (WEST) is an interdisciplinary course of study that includes a major and a minor. Both the major and minor–as well as our certificate programs in Gender and Sexuality Studies, Global Studies, Latina/o Studies, and Native American and Indigenous Studies–center on the experiences and cultural expressions of women and/or racial and ethnic groups both in the United States and across the world. Our theoretical framework focuses on how race/ethnicity, gender, class, nationality, sexuality, disability, and other constructed hierarchies influence people’s life chances and alliances. The WEST program emphasizes analytical sophistication, cross-disciplinary thinking, creative and innovative teaching, and community engagement. WEST promotes curricular and faculty development and sponsors a variety of cultural programming, including the Rosa Parks and Cesar Chavez Scholarship competitions, in collaboration with the Multicultural Office for Student Access, Inclusiveness, and Community (MOSAIC), and the Matrix Center for the Advancement of Social Equity and Inclusion.

By teaching and modeling ways to work effectively with individuals and groups from various backgrounds and experiences, WEST provides students with the knowledge and skills that are applicable to a wide range of graduate or professional programs and career opportunities, including:

  • Human Resource Management
  • Human Relations
  • Administration
  • Politics and Government
  • Teaching
  • Law and Law Enforcement
  • International Relations
  • Healthcare and Counseling
  • Community Organizing, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), and Non-profits
  • Urban Planning
  • Public Relations
  • Ethnography and Social Work

 Programs of Study

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