BUTTERFLIES, WITCHES, AND SAN FRANCISCO SUPERVISORS

Taking 'college protest' to a new level this fall: S.F. school will offer a degree in activism (Joe Garofoli, August 12, 2003, San Francisco Chronicle)

San Francisco's New College of California is offering something for the socially conscious this fall that they'd never get marching in the streets: a college degree in activism.

For $5,500 to $6,000 a semester, the 32-year-old Mission District school is offering bachelor's and master's humanities degrees with a concentration in "activism and social change." While schools from Vermont to Santa Cruz boast versions of do-gooding curricula, degrees in activism are hard to come by.

"Students can shape their own (activist) program at other schools," said Michael Baer, senior vice president at the American Council on Education and former provost at Northeastern University. "But to have it all together -- the theoretical and the practical -- under one roof and labeled as such is somewhat rare."

Almost as rare is New College's eclectic lineup of activist instructors, a progressive all-star team that includes tree-sitting environmentalist Julia "Butterfly" Hill, "ecofeminist witch" and author Starhawk and San Francisco Supervisor Chris Daly.

Baer called the program instructors at the 800-student school accomplished and "as competent as any you'd see at a similar-sized school. The difference is, at at a larger school, you'd be exposed to wider array of different perspectives."

If Mr. Baer managed to say "the practical" without smiling, he's a pod person or a robot. Posted by Orrin Judd at August 25, 2003 8:36 PM