Students empowered to turn values into action

Social Justice Learning Community students connect classes with social issues

The School of Cultural and Critical Studies has established a learning community to support underrepresented groups and first-generation college students. In 2018, the Finding Your Voice in Social Justice Learning Community was created and after two years has an impressive record of retention and academic achievement. The College of Arts and Sciences supports the learning community to allow it to be a no-cost entry point to join.

According to Dr. Jessica Birch, director of the learning community and an assistant teaching professor in the school, their mission “to empower students to turn values into action and to transform their communities for better” resonated with students - 48 of them to be exact in the first two years. The first year included 75 percent students of color, 69 percent first-generation college students and 25 percent identified as LGBTQ+. The students in this learning community had an outstanding retention rate of 94 percent after the first year and an average GPA of 3.10.

Part of the program’s success is that students learn to connect their classes with social issues, said Dr. Susana Peña, director of the school. Because the classes they take for the learning community fulfill general education and college requirements, the students make progress toward their degrees. They also explore the intersections of identities including race, ethnicity and gender, and meet others who share social justice interests.

Details about the learning community, the activities, experiences and classes involved are found on the school’s website.