05 Jun
It’s official! Residencies are back and better than ever for Labor Studies students!
After a comprehensive review of the Labor Studies curriculum, NLC is integrating two short residencies for new SLS students entering in Fall of 2012. The review consensus of students, alumni and faculty is that short residencies are an integral part of the NLC experience for SLS students.
As a result, new students in the School of Labor Studies will attend two residencies during their time with NLC. To minimize the impact on students, residencies will take place over long weekends.
How will this affect you? Check out our FAQs below.
Many NLC alumni listed the residencies as their favorite part of their time with NLC. It’s a chance to learn while building solidarity with fellow students. Thanks to the residencies, NLC alumnus Peter Kennedy established lifelong friendships:
The online program is wonderful and the residencies give you the opportunity to meet who you’re interacting with. In fact, because of the residencies, I made several friends, one of whom I visited for a week in Alaska.
Read more of Peter’s story here.
Gary Lucy, vice president of the NLC Alumni Association treasures the memories of his residencies:
When like-minds come together great things happen. By sharing experiences with other labor union members, during classroom discussions, we realized that we were not alone in the struggle for workplace democracy and fair treatment of all workers.
Read more of Gary’s story here.
Learn more about the degrees offered in the School of Labor Studies at National Labor College:
- Bachelor of Arts in Labor Education
- Bachelor of Arts in Labor Safety and Health
- Bachelor of Arts in Labor Studies
- Bachelor of Arts in Union Leadership and Administration
Residencies Frequently Asked Questions
When are the residencies?
Students in the School of Labor Studies will begin their program with a residency over a long weekend. Students should take this course in their first or second semester of study during the course Living Labor History, which describes how working people use history to build a powerful labor movement today.
New students may choose from one of two Living Labor History residencies:
- Fall 2012 – November 9 – 12 (noon Friday – noon Monday)
- Spring 2013 – January 18 – 21 (noon Friday – noon Monday)
The final residency will take place as the students are completing their programs as part of the Capstone Writing Seminar.
When do the changes to the Labor Studies curriculum take effect?
These changes take effect in Fall 2012 and will apply to all new and re-admitting students entering the School for Labor Studies at that time.
If I’m already enrolled at NLC will these changes apply to me?
No. NLC students currently enrolled in the School for Labor Studies can choose to remain in their current program or transition to the new Labor Studies program, depending upon their needs and interests. Students should consult with an advisor to help them design their degree plan.
If the campus is sold, where will the residencies be held?
Depending on the status of the sale of the campus property, NLC may continue to hold residencies in campus buildings (other than the Kirkland Conference Center) and students would stay in area hotels with catering brought in. NLC is also investigating the possibility of holding residencies in nearby union training facilities, such as those of IUPAT or the Maritime Institute of Technology & Graduate Studies (MITAGS), which is less than five miles from the Baltimore – Washington International (BWI) Thurgood Marshall Airport, the BWI Amtrak Station, and Interstate-95.
What will I do during the residencies?
The first residency will give you the opportunity to meet face-to-face with professors, school professionals, alumni and leaders in your union and the AFL-CIO. During the class sessions, students will learn how working people use history to build a powerful labor movement. You’ll learn how to access the vast resources available within the AFL-CIO archives. Most importantly, you’ll get to know your fellow classmates and build solidarity with them.
At the end of your program, you will apply the theories and practices of labor movement building that you’ve studied by critiquing and supporting each other’s academic and professional work as part of your final project. You will also have a chance to build connections with the incoming class of students to whom you’ll serve as mentors.
Why aren’t the residencies a full week like they were before?
Our research found that a long-weekend was more manageable for our students than a full week. Our students manage their coursework while maintaining fulltime jobs, family, community and union commitments. This new residency program balances the positive effects of in-person instruction with the reality of the demands on our students.