Earn IU Labor Studies degree in Anderson
July 8, 2005
KOKOMO, Ind.—Anderson labor unions have teamed with Indiana University Kokomo so union members and other interested students can earn IU associate and bachelor's degrees in Labor Studies right in Anderson.
IU has offered non-credit labor studies courses in Anderson before, said Patrick Hill, non-credit coordinator for IU Kokomo's Division of Labor Studies. “But, now, students will be able to get an IU degree in Labor Studies without driving to another city.”
UAW Locals 662, 663, and 1963, along with Utility Workers Local 108 and the Anderson Federation of Teachers Local 519, have been part of the effort to bring the degree program classes to Anderson. “Educating their members is a big part of these unions' goals,” Hill said. “They recognize that having a college degree is more and more applicable in many jobs, especially to improve workers' chances for hiring and advancement.”
Student enrollment and registration for the fall 2005 semester will be held in Anderson on these dates:
Monday–Wednesday, July 18–20
UAW Local 663
2840 Madison Ave.
Thursday and Friday, July 21 and 22
UAW Local 662
2715 S. Rangeline Road
Hours are 9 a.m.–noon and 1–5 p.m. Applicants should bring a sealed high school or college transcript or GED scores and a nonrefundable application fee of $30. Application forms are available from the participating unions and from IU Kokomo Division of Labor Studies, (765) 455-9403.
Starting August 22, the program's first 3-credit hour course, “Contemporary Labor Problems,” will likely be offered at Local UAW 663, Hall said. “Enrolled students can attend the day or evening session. During the semester, we will also offer some 1-credit hour classes, which usually meet for two Saturdays. Students can also avail themselves of our online classes.” Tuition assistance and reimbursement programs are accepted.
All courses will be administered in Anderson by IU Division of Labor Studies faculty, including IU Kokomo Division Coordinator Bill Mello, Ph.D. Mello spent several years working as a national trade union representative in Brazil and the United States before entering labor education full time. This spring, he led a student contingent to Brazil on IU's first study abroad trip in labor studies.
IU's interdisciplinary approach to labor studies sets it apart from most universities, Mello said. “IU mixes classes in social sciences and liberal studies with practical knowledge of union and labor practices. We study union history to understand the structure of unions and how that affects what's done today. Similarly, we study economics to understand its impact on wage increases.”
Purely academic studies of labor without the functional education tend to “remove the university life from the community life,” Mello added. “What we say in IU Labor Studies is that the university has to become even more involved in the community where it's located. We need to respond to situations of work where people spend so much of their time.”
Hill agreed. “We teach things from the worker's standpoint,” he said.
For more information on labor studies at IU Kokomo, contact Patrick Hill at pahill@iuk.edu or (765) 455-9403.
