Consortium for Social Transformation

Associate Dean of the Consortium for Social Transformation (CST)
Dr. Michael E. Jennings

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 newly formed 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:
Leah Valdez (Administrative Associate I)
Leah.valdez@utsa.edu

Mexican American Studies
More information coming soon!
Mexican American Studies Director: Dr. Marie “Keta” Miranda

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.
Women's Studies Director: Dr. Sonia Saldivar-Hull

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. To see an overview of the required courses needed to obtain a minor in African American Studies, click here to view the 2010-2012 undergraduate catalog.
African-American Studies Director: Dr. Mark Giles

African-American Studies Faculty:

Dorinda Rolle

Laura Varela

Anthony Jackson

Savannah Carroll