American University Creates the Department of Critical Race, Gender, and Cultural Studies

American University in Washington, D.C., has announced the establishment of the department of critical race, gender, and culture studies. The new department grew out of the former Critical Race, Gender, and Culture Studies Collaborative, formed in 2015.

The interdisciplinary department will continue the work of the collaborative, producing scholarship and programming in traditional scholarly venues and in creative venues across the metropolitan area. The new department will focus on six areas of study: African and African American diaspora studies, American studies, Arab world studies, Asian studies, Latinx studies, and women, gender, and sexuality studies.

“The transformation of the CRGC into a department is the fruit of many years of hard work from selfless faculty and staff who have labored on behalf of under-represented groups and have modeled interdisciplinary teaching and scholarship on this campus,” said Eileen Findlay, professor of history and chair of the Critical Race, Gender, and Culture Studies Collaborative. “With the institutional stability provided by departmental status, the CRGC hopes to serve as a hub for cutting-edge, wide-ranging intellectual, pedagogical, and programmatic diversity and equity work at AU. We look forward to collaborating with like-minded colleagues and students in building a truly equitable, visionary university.”

American University hopes that creating an interdisciplinary department with a central mission to advance equity, inclusion, and diversity in its pedagogy, scholarship, and community building will give students and faculty an intellectual and social home where they can produce knowledge and build relationships beyond the boundaries of traditional academic disciplines.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs