Who ‘belongs’ in college, and who feels like they belong? In this course, we examine the ways U.S. colleges and universities -- through their policies, programs, curricula, cultures, architecture, and more -- have included and excluded various groups of students along lines of gender, race, class, sexuality, ability, and other systems of power and difference. Our readings and discussions focus in particular on the ways a broad range of women and gender minority students have navigated higher education and worked to create more inclusive and equitable institutions. Ultimately, this course aims to prepare students to critically reflect upon your own place in the world of higher education, navigate the all-too-common inequities of college life with self-awareness and intention, and participate in informed ways in cultivating educational environments that foster a sense of belonging for an ever-broader range of people. Our interdisciplinary mix of course materials includes some classic feminist analyses of higher ed (e.g., bell hooks, Adrienne Rich) as well as selections from recent sociological studies (The Privileged Poor, Trans* in College), memoirs (e.g., Michelle Obama, Chanel Miller), films (e.g., In the Heights), and histories (e.g., Yale Needs Women). 

Course Requirements:

Requirements include regular reading and participation in discussion, collaborative reading quizzes, several short reflective writing assignments (with lots of choice around topics and due dates), and a project of the student’s design focused on synthesizing and extending the learning of the class.