Consortium for Social Transformation (CST)
Dr. Marie Miranda, Interim Associate Dean for the Consortium for Social Transformation
The Consortium for Social Transformation (CST) is an administrative unit within the College of Education and Human Development (COEHD), at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). The CST is a leader in preparing culturally responsible citizens who are active collaborators and agents of positive change through scholarship, teaching and service that supports the existence of equitable and just communities.
The (CST) facilitates scholarship, teaching and learning about social identities that influence the success of individuals and communities locally, nationally and internationally. This is accomplished through an approach that engages multiple disciplines in the creation of knowledge and outcomes that promote increased equity among people throughout the state, nation and world.
As a part of the College of Education and Human Development at UTSA, the Consortium for Social Transformation addresses the commitments of the mission and core values of COEHD. In doing so, the CST supports UTSA’s future growth and leadership as a minority-serving public research university. The Consortium is comprised of three areas of study that continue to grow – African American Studies (AAS), Mexican American Studies (MAS), and Women’s Studies. Each of these programs has faced challenges to their growth and development across different academic units and scholarly disciplines. The Consortium for Social Transformation seeks to act as an “incubator” for the expansion of these programs which are of critical value to the College, University and society and to become a leading model for creating social change through scholarship.
As the Consortium for Social Transformation comes into existence, it is important to recognize that its vision, mission and administration are intricately tied to the tenets of intellectual interdisciplinarity, social inquiry and justice as well as community engagement and transformation. In its evolution, the administrative structure and mindset will emphasize a clear commitment to faculty and student development that is vital to attracting and consistently educating individuals who will graduate to affect social transformation. The CST will continue to maximize the strengths of: student participation; advising and outreach associated with the current programs while ensuring that the emerging programs of study experience the same level of support as they grow. These values undergird the scholarship, teaching and service that embody our shared vision of UTSA becoming a premier public research university.
The Consortium for Social Transformation currently houses:
- B.A. in Mexican American Studies (degree requirements)
- B.A. in Women's Studies (degree requirements)
- Minor in Women's Studies (minor requirements)
- Minor in African-American Studies (minor requirements)
For more information please contact:
Carly Liu (Administrative Associate I)
dongdong.liu@utsa.edu
Mexican American Studies
In 1993 UTSA was the first institution in Texas to offer a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mexican American Studies (MAS). Currently, there are six full-time MAS faculty members, and over 100 majors and 80 double majors. The program has graduated close to 100 students.
The MAS program offers students the opportunity to learn about the Mexican American experience, while focusing on a discipline of their choice, including, but not limited to the following discipline areas:
- Anthropology
- Communities, families and children (BBL)
- Cultural (literary, media, music) studies
- History
- Nonprofit management
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Spanish
Mexican American Studies Director: Dr. Marco Cervantes
Mexican American Studies Website: http://education.utsa.edu/mas/
Women's Studies
Women's Studies is a field dedicated to scholarship and research that creates critical dialogue on the production of knowledge about and related to all women on the application of such knowledge to social and political practices and processes. It is an academic field that incorporates disciplinary, interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, multicultural and/or global perspectives to advance the study and knowledge of all women. Women's Studies recognizes the integral connection among scholarship, activism and teaching.
Students pursuing a major in Women's Studies must complete a minimum of 120 semester credit hours, a total of 39 hours must be at the upper-division level. Students earning a minor in Women's Studies are required to complete 18 semester credit hours, a total of 6 must be upper-division level. Internships and other experiential learning projects are also an integral part of the Women's Studies Program.
Women's Studies Director: Dr. Sonia Saldivar-Hull
Women's Studies Website: http://education.utsa.edu/womens-studies/
African-American Studies
The African American Studies Minor provides a unique insight into the political, cultural, historical and social experiences of African Americans, with a variety of courses that include an emphasis in a broad range of subject areas. Today, the African American Studies program continues its commitment to adequately representing the multiple facets of the African American experience and the African diaspora through its academic course offerings and its support of cultural programming for both UTSA and the broader San Antonio community.
To earn an African American Studies minor you must complete 18 semester credit hours, at least 12 hours of which must be at the upper-division level.
African American Studies Director: Professor Karla Broadus
African American Studies Website: http://education.utsa.edu/aas/