Ethnic Studies Spotlights
We, the faculty and staff of the Department of Ethnic Studies, declare our resolute endorsement of DACA and our unconditional support for Dreamer students and everyone threatened by the current climate of white supremacy, transphobia xenophobia. We condemn the unwarranted criminalization of migrants, the poor, people of color, members and allies of the LGBTQI communities, and Indigenous peoples. We in the Department of Ethnic Studies remain unwavering in our commitment to provide a climate of safety and respect to all those who feel threatened and betrayed by the racist, sexist and homophobic fear mongering, and lies. We also know that the timing of this shortsighted and violent decision, delivered as it was on the heels of a new semester, has left many valued members of our campus community and their families and communities reeling. We stand with you. We support you.
Here is a University link to resources for DACA/ Dreamer students and to ODECE who can do presentations and help provide access to resources and support.
http://www.colorado.edu/undocumentedstudentresources/
http://www.colorado.edu/odece/
The Meyer Law Firm created this helpful document on how to protect yourself and family members if you have DACA.
Statement on Principles of Free Speech, Tolerance, and Respect
The 2016 presidential campaign season and the subsequent election results have enabled forms of speech and actions that are positioned directly against our core values of respect, compassion, and social justice for all people. By this measure, we emphasize that freedom of speech does not extend to speech that seeks or condones harm upon others. Thus, we must reaffirm that the Department of Ethnic Studies does not tolerate hate speech, bigotry, or violence of any kind (including micro-aggressions, vandalism, and assault) in the classroom, in our office spaces, and among the campus community. Further, we will support efforts to make CU Boulder and the outlying communities “sanctuary zones,” where cities, counties, and schools seek to offer refuge for those facing deportation or detainment. We pledge to assist in providing services and resources necessary for vulnerable students to continue their education despite potential threats of arrest, imprisonment, or deportation. In doing so, we add our collective voice to the individuals and institutions across the country who have proactively adopted similarly supportive measures. We remain committed to creating socially just and equitable spaces in our classes, communities, and the world at large.
In Solidarity,
The Faculty of the Department of Ethnic Studies
Message from the Chair
Welcome to the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Colorado’s premier academic unit dedicated to the interdisciplinary study and teaching of race, gender, class, sexuality, ethnicity, and decoloniality, among others. Boasting a faculty that specializes in African American Studies, Asian American Studies, Chicana and Chicano Studies, and Native American and Indigenous Studies, Ethnic Studies at CU-Boulder is bristling with intellectual excitement and innovation, often critically coupling the foregoing areas of study with Critical Race Studies, Feminist Studies, Queer Studies, Decolonial Studies, Transnational Studies, and Popular Culture Studies, among others. Read more...
Announcing the New BA/MA Program!
We are excited to announce the new 4+1 Ethnic Studies and Education Concurrent Degree Program, which offers students an efficient and rigorous path toward earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Ethnic Studies and a Master’s Degree in Education in five years. The program invites highly focused ethnic studies students who are interested in applying their critical thinking skills and dedication to social justice to transformative careers in education. This program is the result of a partnership between the School of Education and the Department of Ethnic Studies, reflecting each unit’s commitment to educational opportunity, diversity, and engaged scholarship. Learn more by clicking here.
Spring 2017 Courses
Please check out our fantastic selection of courses for Spring 2017. With the variety of exciting and critical topics available, you'll be sure to find courses that fit your unique intellectual path.
Rivera Scholarship
The Dr. George Rivera Social Justice Scholarship will be awarded annually to an Ethnic Studies major or minor who demonstrates a commitment to justice, community, and diversity. It honors the long and inspiring legacy of advocacy on behalf of faculty and students of color established by Professor Rivera over many years at CU Boulder. The scholarship was kickstarted by a generous gift from Ethnic Studies Professor Joanne Belknap, whose dedication to social justice was sparked when she took a class with Professor Rivera! We hope that the Rivera Scholarship will grow to endowed status, so please consider honoring Dr. Rivera and supporting worthy students with a donation, no matter how larger or small! Your donation can be made with a single click here.
Our New Space
The Department of Ethnic Studies has moved back into a new and improved Ketchum! Our building has received a total renovation that includes a new floorplan, brighter lumination, energy efficiency, climate control, and modern technology. Please drop by our department office suite in Ketchum 184 and say hello.
Ph.D. Program
Our Ph.D. program in Comparative Ethnic Studies is entering its fourth year. This innovative and streamlined program is designed to provide students with broad training that enables them to research and analyze the intersectional and relational workings of race, ethnicity, gender, class, and sexuality in national and transnational contexts. It provides flexibility for students to pursue their individual research interests, while ensuring that they are grounded in both the foundational and cutting-edge theories in ethnic studies.
Our department envisions ethnic studies as a field of study that prioritizes transnational, decolonial, indigenous and queer frameworks that interrogate the relational nature of race and its attendant categories, particularly gender, sexuality and nation. However, we believe that rigorous comparative and relational analyses can only grow out of deep groundings in the particular areas of Africana, Asian American, Chicana and Chicano, and Native American/Indigenous studies. Methodologically and theoretically, our faculty members possess training and expertise in interdisciplinary fields including ethnic studies, women’s and gender studies, cultural studies, literary and film studies, border studies, American studies, criminology, and environmental studies, as well as traditional disciplines including anthropology, history, philosophy, and sociology.
We seek students who are driven to pursue projects that advance the field of ethnic studies, are motivated to map out individualized courses of study, and have demonstrated abilities to comprehend and apply theories, conduct original research, analyze data, and write effectively. Financial support will be available in the form of teaching assistantships and fellowships for especially qualified applicants. The deadline to apply is December 15, 2017 for students who wish to enroll in Fall 2018.
Ketchum 184