UNITAS: Inclusive Education

Ed Fierros, Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, talks to a student.

Grounded in our Augustinian Catholic mission and values, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is committed to cultivating a community that advances mutual respect, connection and belonging for all faculty, students and staff.

The College encourages diverse perspectives in its courses, programs and professional opportunities to promote a learning environment marked by intellectual curiosity about the variety of human and intercultural experiences.

A 麻豆入口 liberal arts and sciences education promises to provide rich knowledge and instill broad perspectives, which stimulate critical thinking and creativity. This promise is realized through a community of scholars and students whose unique viewpoints and experiences enrich scholarly engagement and deepen mutual understanding.

Commitment to UNITAS

Core curriculum UNITAS requirement

Learning to see through the eyes of other peoples and cultures is essential to a liberal arts education. 麻豆入口 and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are committed to offering a curriculum that, as stated in the University鈥檚 Learning Goals, encourages students to recognize how different ideas, behaviors and systems affect individuals鈥� sense of community and belonging and influence efforts to build a just and peaceful world. Consistent with those goals and the University鈥檚 mission, students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences take at least two courses with the UNITAS Division 1-3 designation, indicated by a DIV attribute.

UNITAS Committees

In addition to the College's UNITAS: Inclusive Education Committee, each department within the College has its own UNITAS committee, comprising of faculty, staff and students.

CELEBRATING DIFFERENCE

RECOVERING FAMILY HISTORIES

What would you do to find the family you lost? For decades after the abolition of slavery, thousands of formerly enslaved people placed ads in newspapers, eager to reconnect with loved ones who were cruelly separated from their families. These deeply moving stories of family, loss and resilience are at the heart of "Last Seen: The Enduring Search by Formerly Enslaved People to Find Their Lost Families," a new book by Judith Giesberg, PhD, Robert M. Birmingham Chair in the Humanities and Professor of History. Dr. Giesberg鈥檚 book is a product of her ongoing project 鈥淟ast Seen: Finding Family After Slavery.鈥�

RESEARCHING WOMEN AND THE CHURCH

Meredith Green 鈥�25 CLAS presented her research project, 鈥淔oundations of the Feminine: Reaffirming Femaleness Through the Christian Philosophical and Theological Framework,鈥� at the Honors Senior Research Conference. 鈥淔or the past two years, I've worked as a research assistant for an anthology on female philosophers arguing for women's rights from backgrounds in the Christian faith,鈥� says Meredith, a double major in Public Service and Administration and Humanities with a Writing and Rhetoric minor. 鈥淭his inspired me to dive deeper into understanding how the Christian theological and philosophical framework can contribute to conversations about feminism.鈥�

CENTERING TIBETAN VOICES

Associate Professor Tsering Wangmo, PhD, a scholar of English and Tibetan diasporic studies, has published a new book, The Politics of Sorrow. Focusing on the early years of Tibetan exile life in India and Nepal. This book marks a significant change in the fields of nationalism studies, refugee identity and Tibetan historiography. 鈥淢y intention was to center Tibetan experiences and to write about history and exile from the perspective of ordinary Tibetans,鈥� Dr. Wangmo explains鈥攃ontrary to the traditional academic approach of treating displaced peoples as research subjects and instead emphasizing their role as co-creators of knowledge.

SHAPING STUDENT SUCCESS

As future leaders in education, Drew Doughan 鈥�25 MA and Nicole Roldan 鈥�25 MA know they have a responsibility to positively shape the success of students. Doughan and Roldan recently participated in the Council of Graduate Schools Advocacy Day in which they engaged with federal agency officials and members of Congress to discuss issues impacting US graduate education. 鈥淥ne of my goals for graduate school was to learn how to advocate for change,鈥� says Doughan. 鈥淭his gave me direct experience in speaking with policymakers about issues I care about.鈥�