query: graduate degree in organizing

[colist at comm-org.utoledo.edu]

[ed:  thanks to Colleen, Bill, and Nathan for replies and discussion related to Nia's query.]

From: "ced" <ced at snhu.edu>

Southern New Hampshire also offers Graduate Degrees in Community
Economic Development.  We offer an MS. For practitioners, an MS. In
International CED, an MA for policy makers and researchers and a Ph.D.
for advanced researchers/Policy makers.

See attached [ed:  please contact COlleen directly for the attachment].

Colleen Sage
School of Community Economic Development
Southern New Hampshire University
2500 North River Road
Manchester, New Hampshire 03106
United States of America
Phone: 603-644-3103
Fax: 603-644-3130
ced at snhu.edu
www.snhu.edu/sced

******************************

From: "Bill Berkowitz" <Bill_Berkowitz at uml.edu>

...To add to the valuable list of graduate programs dealing with 
community organizing, readers may be interested in checking out the 
Master's program at my school, University of Massachusetts Lowell. We 
offer a Master's degree in Community Social Psychology, which 
essentially deals with the application of psychological principles to 
strengthen community and organizational life.  

    In brief, we offer small and affordable classes in an informal 
setting with nationally recognized faculty, operating within the 
context of perhaps the most ethnically diverse small city in the 
United States. We combine a strong social justice orientation together 
with an emphasis on rigorous analysis and extensive applied field 
work. And we'll be celebrating our 25th anniversary next Spring. 

     For further information, see our web site at 
www.uml.edu/dept/psychology/csp, or contact Dr. Richard Siegel, 
Graduate Program Coordinator, at Richard_Siegel at uml.edu.


                  Bill Berkowitz
                  Dept. of Psychology
                  University of Massachusetts Lowell 



*******************************

From: "Nathan Henderson-James" <nathanhj7 at hotmail.com>

Nia,

I think it is significant that almost all the replies to your message are 
from people who aren't actually organizers in the sense that I think about 
it (building an organization for the disenfrancied to use to redress the 
power imbalances in society).

I think that if you are serious about becoming an organizer you don't need a 
degree to do it. Here at ACORN almost none of our organizers have an 
advanced degree and a fair number of them don't have ANY degree at all. All 
of what you need to know in terms of practice and principles can be learned 
on the job. At least that's how it works here. And from talking with people 
at other networks, that's the way it works there as well.

None of this is to take anything away from the programs that exist out 
there, but I do want to point out that getting back into organizing is a lot 
less about knowing the theory than it is about being passionate about 
justice. If you have that, then the best thing to do is just get out and DO 
it.

I recommend internships and organizer academies either from the AFL-CIO or 
from groups like us. I mean, if you aren't going to move for "the dream job" 
(which pays you in money and the emotional satisfaction of changing people's 
lives) why should you move for a graduate program (where you pay THEM)?

Anyway, that's my $.02.

Nathan

Nathan Henderson-James
ACORN National Political Staff
Performance Poet
510-213-1970 cell
nathanhj7 at hotmail dot com
"I want to inject your blunt caustic observations between my toes so that 
some day my truth will kick someone's ass!"

********************************************