ALERT:In response to the CSU budget cuts,the Action for a Viable Future program is undergoing revision.We hope to have the restructuring completed by mid-November;please e-mail Beth Warner at warnere@sonoma.eduto be put on the list to receive updates. |
About the Program
The Hutchins School of Liberal Studies at Sonoma State University has been experimenting with new approaches to learning for the past 40 years. Its founding principles are active learning through the seminar and an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge.
We do not believe that being educated consists of "knowing things." Rather, we believe that it consists of being able to think about the "things" that you know. And involves being challenged, being confronted with other viewpoints, and being able to articulate your own changing understandings.
As people become aware of the magnitude of dilemmas and issues in the world they inhabit, they often express the desire and need to go beyond studying these problems; they want to know what they can do about them. This program is a response to that question. We emphasize the interrelationship between three themes: economic/social justice issues, ecological issues, and the psychological and moral dimensions of change.
A Vibrant Learning Community
A cohort of 8—12 students will work collaboratively on issues related to these themes, focusing on the relationship between the personal and the political. Individual students might focus on environmental issues such as renewable energy or sustainability; or perhaps issues related to the global economy: the growing power of multinational corporations, or the increasing disparity between the haves and have-nots. The program’s format allows students to work together in a learning community but also to explore individual interests. Students are encouraged to work in pairs or small groups. Throughout, there are opportunities to pool resources with current students, graduates, and the community.Information Meetings:
No information meetings are scheduled at this time. When the restructuring has been accomplished, we will post the dates in time for the Fall 2010 application cycle.
Resident ITDS Master's Program
The Interdisciplinary Master’s program at SSU is meant for students who wish to design their own interdisciplinary program. The Action for a Viable Future version of this program has a specific focus on promoting societal change. If you are interested in creating your own Master of Arts or Master of Sciences program without this focus, visit the ITDS website or e-mail Ellen Carlton.Program Features
Special Features
Joining our program can be the first step in realizing the dream of making a difference. Our program features:- Flexibility in choosing your own project
- Membership in a dedicated learning community
- Opportunities to network with other activists and
- Activities and readings designed to move from intellectual understanding of issues to the imaginative and moral perspectives that lead to meaningful action in the world
Skills & Competencies
Students finishing the program will have:
- The ability to work collaboratively; the ability to listen
and build upon the ideas of others; and the ability to lead
or follow, as needed
- Information access skills
- Tools for critical assessment of information/data
- The ability to conceptualize complex issues
- The ability to express ideas cogently to varying constituencies,
both orally and in writing
- Project planning and execution skills
Program Content
The program curriculum is undergoing revision at this time.
Application and Admission
We accept up to 14 students each Fall semester. There is no Spring admission to this program.Admission is based on the following:
- A B.A. or B.S. from an accredited college or university
- A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 (C+)over the last 60 semester units of college coursework
- A seminar interview with program faculty and other prospective students demonstrating how your interests and experience relate to the program focus
Prospective students are strongly encouraged to attend an information meeting (once they are scheduled) to assure they are making an informed decision about the program and to assure there is a good fit between the applicant’s qualifications and goals and the purpose and resources of the Program.
Application Procedures
The application procedures are undergoing revision at this time. However, you will need two copies of sealed, official transcripts showing your last 60 units of coursework (whether or not related to a degree) and award of your Bachelor's degree, along with three letters of recommendation.
Course Fees
Not available at this time.
Scholarships are available to those with a high GPA; the application period runs from September 15 through January 15. The application and more information are at the Scholarship website. The site also has links to external scholarship opportunities.
Staff and Faculty
Beth Warner, Administrative Coordinator
SSU Extended Education1801 East Cotati Avenue
Rohnert Park, CA 94928-3609
Phone: 707/664-3977 Fax: 707/664-2613 email
Beth Warner, Administrative Coordinator, got her Bachelor of Arts through the Hutchins School of Liberal Studies in 1989 with a minor in Linguistics; she completed her Master of Arts in History in May 2009. As a re-entry student who worked while attending classes, she knows the challenges of juggling academic and personal concerns.
Dr. Francisco Vázquez, Faculty Advisor
Hutchins School of Liberal Studies
1801 East Cotati Avenue
Rohnert Park, CA 94928-3609
Phone: 707/664-3185 Fax: 707/664-4389 email
Dr. Vázquez was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and educated in the U.S.; he has traveled between the two countries and the two cultures since the age of five. He received a B.A. in Philosophy at Claremont Men's College (now McKenna) and continued his studies at the Claremont Graduate School where he was awarded a Doctorate in European Intellectual History.
He was Chair of the Chicano Studies Department at Loyola Marymount University and directed the World Study and Mexico Program at World College West, where he established close relationships with the P'urhepecha people of Michoacan (also known as Tarascans) as his students conducted language and field research. He came to SSU in 1989, where he taught in the Mexican-American Studies, History, and English Departments before coming to the Hutchins School. He now holds the positions of Provost of Hutchins and faculty advisor of the Student Congress.