Increase Your Global Human Rights Literacy

Each year, Human Rights Day is observed on December 10th. A global initiative, Human Rights Day reminds us all what it means to be human and encourages us to educate ourselves on and take action against universal human rights issues. Here at Chatham, we are proud to offer programs, events, areas of study, and courses that foster a global human rights-focused worldview in our students and encourage them to be change agents in their community and world alike.

Programs & Events

Global Focus Program: This program seeks to instill global competence in students by leading a campus-wide initiative focused on a specific country or region of the world over the course of an academic year through curriculum, films, lectures, performances, and cuisine.

Just Films Series: Hosted by The Women’s Institute, The Just Films Series is a series of movie screenings that tell the stories of inspiring people around the world who strive to correct injustice.

Study Abroad Programs: Our semester, year-long, summer, and short-term field experiences immerse students in other cultures where they live and learn through the environment and people around them.

Diversity Dialogues: Diversity Dialogues is a monthly series sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that brings faculty, staff and students together to discuss intersectional topics related to equity and inclusion. 

Bonner Leaders Program: This national service leadership program pairs students with a local non-profit organization to serve 8-10 hours per week at their site and meet regularly for enrichment trainings. 

Civic Engagement Trainings: The Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics offers civic engagement programming for all students, such as election watch parties, advocacy trainings, and public policy competitions.

Majors, Minors & Certificates

International Studies: A degree in International Studies allows students to develop nuanced understandings of topics and problems within a broad and relevant historical, political, and cultural context. 

Policy Studies: Students in the policy studies program gain skills in political, social, economic, and historical analysis, communication, and problem-solving. 

Political Science: A degree in political science provides students with the tools to analyze political concepts in broad perspectives and make sense of new issues as they arise, as they have been doing globally at an increasing rate. 

Criminology: Our program is based on principles of social justice and challenges students to analyze data on crime perpetration and victimization, to examine the impact of social inequality on definitions and control of human behavior, and to examine the impact of legal and social policies on criminal behavior.  

Food Studies: Food Studies prepares students for multi-faceted careers and professional engagement in a wide variety of sectors in food and agriculture, with the skill sets to address the practical, economic, community, and social justice issues that are a hallmark of contemporary food systems jobs. 

Social Work: Our Social Work program teaches students how to connect individuals, families, groups, and communities with services to help them function successfully. 

Social Services Administration: Our Social Services Administration program gives students a foundational understanding of social services and social policy to work in nonprofits, sociology, healthcare, and fundraising. 

Cultural Studies: Cultural Studies is an interdisciplinary major that examines issues of race, ethnicity, class, and culture. Drawing on social, cultural, and literary theories, this major introduces methods of interpretation for the analysis of cultural objects in their social contexts.

Courses Offered in the Spring 2021 Semester

Social Activism Institute: This course allows students to explore their ability to become change agents in their local communities and beyond through a series of classroom discussions and educational seminars.

Global Environmental Health: This course addresses the connection between health and environment while exploring the work of scientists and public health specialists to discover, assess, and reduce risk to environment health problems.  

Intergroup Dialogue Courses: Students participate in conversations and readings across social identities, discuss and explore experiences across social identities and institutional contexts, and examine historical, psychological, and sociological materials leading to understanding of self and other.  

Food Access and Policy:  This course explores the ethical basis for making citizens food secure despite global inequality. Major topics include private vs. public solutions and the relationship between food access, gender, cultural appropriateness, nutrition, sustainability, and justice.