History 591UU - S-Uncovering UMass History

This research seminar examines the University of Massachusetts through the lens of the Feinberg Family Distinguished Lecture Series, titled "Oligarchy." Like most other US institutions of higher education, UMass embodies contradiction. It is a public university ostensibly geared toward serving the working class, but tuition hikes have made it less and less accessible. It aims to serve the public good, yet it also serves institutions that have undermined human welfare and the nonhuman environment. Its leaders tout the free pursuit of knowledge but sometimes repress those who express unwelcome ideas. The course explores the roots of these contradictions, with particular attention to the role of capital and capitalists. The semester will begin with several weeks of common readings that place UMass in national and global perspective. Students will then develop and carry out individual research projects on various aspects of UMass's history. Research topics may include, but are not limited to, the history of UMass's trustees, endowment, funding structure, budgetary decisions, curriculum policies, academic labor, fossil fuel use on campus, connections to business and government agencies, respect for free speech and academic freedom, policing on campus, state-level policymaking, institutional policies for addressing exclusion and oppression, campus-community relations, and the many movements of students, faculty, and staff that have promoted democratic and emancipatory visions for the institution. Assignments include a short historiographical essay, a research paper of 15-20 pages, and a public-facing translation of the research paper such as an op-ed column or a short podcast.

Open to Seniors, Juniors and Graduate students only.