ESSA READING AND REFLECTION SEMINAR

Seminar overview

The Reading and Reflection Seminar is a 1 credit course that offers ESSA scholars the opportunity to engage with materials that reflect our ESSA core values (centering research on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion; engaging in diverse ways of knowing; conducting solutions-oriented research). The focus of the course changes each semester, but it is always student-led and driven by the needs and interests of our learning community. 

Register for Spring 2024 

BIO 591 23742 

ELS 591 23900  

SOS 591 23894

About ESSA RRS

The reading and reflection seminar is student facilitated (teams of 2-4 students choose the readings each week and lead the discussion). We spend the 90 minute course doing an activity, sharing information, and reflecting on the material. Generally, in the ESSA community, we try to share few "traditional academic papers" and we aim to avoid selecting papers based on their impact factor. Rather, students focus more on diverse materials: non-peer-reviewed papers/articles, book chapters, videos, art,  opinion pieces, podcasts, recordings, and policy documents. In some semesters, usually the spring, we emphasize a focus on bringing in guest speakers and advisors and developing actionable practices in our research. Usually, in the fall semesters, we welcome new students, work on individual development plans, and focus on solving challenges (rooted in theory and sometimes through sharing our lived experiences). Each semester is unique!