Learning Communities View
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Communities of Care in Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies
The Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies Program (GSW) learning community aims to provide a supportive, inclusive, and structured environment that fosters the growth of Wayne State's diverse students as learners and individuals. Connected to GSW 3200: Introduction to Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies, the learning community will focus on "communities of care." Through our academic work, we will expand our understandings of gender and sexuality as they intersect with racism, capitalism, dis/ability, illness/health, violence, nationality, justice, and power, and we will evaluate how our readings provide alternative modes of collective care and imagine social transformation. With the support of our peer mentors, we will extend this work to campus activities, developing the contours of our own communities of care through active participation in GSW-related campus events, including lecture series, a local film festival, art shows, study groups, and monthly social events where students can relax, share their experiences, and get to know each other better. Peer mentors will also host informational gatherings where student organizations introduce students to other aspects of campus life and share ways GSW coursework enhances personal and professional goals. The term will end with a creative, public-facing showcase of each student’s vision of collective care. This LC is linked to GSW 3200: Introduction to Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies.
Michael Schmidt (313) 577-6331 m.schmidt@wayne.edu