About Women's & Ethnic Studies
Working today for a more equitable tomorrowAbout the Department
UCCS Women's and Ethnic Studies (WEST) faculty and students work together to understand how inequalities impact individuals and communities, and to advocate for changes that will improve all our lives. We aim to create an equitable and sustainable world by analyzing structural inequality from historical and cultural perspectives, and exploring practical strategies for change.
WEST offers one-on-one mentoring, small classes, travel courses, and a range of scholarship and internship opportunities.
Academic Focus
WEST courses teach critical analysis of societal systems, and our programs offer majors and minors the opportunity to engage in social justice research and service projects.
WEST graduates possess broadly interdisciplinary skills, scholarly sophistication, familiarity with developing knowledge, exposure to engaged teaching and learning, a sense of community, an understanding of theory and practice, and skills that promote positive social change.
Faculty & Research
Our faculty are an incredibly engaged, dedicated group of scholar-teacher activists. Integrating approaches from multiple academic fields, we look at the intersectionality of social identities and critically analyze the persistence of structural inequities both in the United States and around the world.
Beyond research, we also collaborate with affected communities to work toward change and elevate community voices.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to think critically about the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, disability, nationality, and other hierarchies; to understand history, culture, and society from a range of perspectives, including those emanating from individuals and communities whose stories and lives have been marginalized; to advocate for human rights and social and environmental justice; and to develop consciousness about multiethnic and gender issues locally, domestically, globally and transnationally.
Vision Statement
Working together, we develop skills to shape our collective future in ways that foster diversity and equity.