Department of Sociology & Crime, Law and Justice

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Minority opportunities through school transformation (MOST)

The goal of the MOST, Minority Opportunities through School Transformation, is to increase racial and ethnic diversity in the discipline of sociology.

The Penn State Sociology MOST Committee is a legacy of an American Sociological Association program that ran from 1994 to 2002. As part of the national MOST effort, Penn State hosted a summer research training program for talented undergraduates and collaborated with other MOST universities. After the national program ended, Penn State MOST continued. Programs developed by a committee of Penn State Sociology faculty and graduate students have focused on increasing the racial/ethnic diversity of our students and faculty, fostering an inclusive climate, and promoting professional development.

Penn State Sociology MOST has worked to:

• Encourage students of color to select the sociology major, and undergraduate majors to pursue graduate training;
• Attract students of color to our graduate program.
• Promote the recruitment of faculty of color.
• Sponsor race/ethnicity programs within the department and occasional university-wide programs, such as the series of talks on "Making It as a Scholar of Color."
• Develop international/intercultural programs in the department.
• Enhance the instructional training of graduate students, focusing on teaching about race/ethnicity or in multi-racial classrooms.
• Develop the department website so our commitment to diversity is effectively communicated.
• Sponsor the annual student/faculty Heritage Potluck.