Alumni and Friends
The Need For Support
The Division of Sociology and Anthropology is part of the School of Applied Social Sciences in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. We offer two undergraduate majors within our Division: a broad major in Sociology and Anthropology and a more concentrated major in Criminology. We now have the highest total number of pre-majors and majors in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. We also offer a Master’s degree in applied Sociology. Faculty in the Division are active in teaching and researching a variety of societal issues that affect the state, region, nation, and the globe.
Some of these issues are worker health and safety, terrorism, poverty, economic development, racial segregation, hate crimes, and immigration. Our sustained commitment to systematically studying and understanding human behavior, interactions, and societies is crucial in successfully interpreting and navigating a social world filled with rapid economic transformations, globalization, radical technological innovation, and international war. At the heart of our instruction and research is a contemporary national and global focus that provides West Virginia University students with a vital, vibrant, relevant educational experience.
The value and relevance of a liberal arts degree in sociology and anthropology has not changed since many of you attended West Virginia University. What has significantly changed is the economic context for higher education. Tuition costs (in-state and out) are now four times what they were 10 years ago. The number of majors within the Division has increased by 259 percent. These changes have generated needed revenue for the University but have also placed more instructional demands on professors and financial demands on our students. We need financial support from our alumni to sustain our student-centered focus and to continue to provide high quality instruction, interaction, and mentoring to WVU students.
This spring, the Division initiated the First Annual Careers for Sociologists, Criminologists, and Anthropologists Program to assist students in identifying career choices after graduation. Ten alumni were invited to participate in the program. Each had either a degree in sociology (which includes criminology) or anthropology and their careers reflected the wide spectrum of career choices available to the majors. The alumni spoke about their career path to their current job (i.e., what they did since leaving WVU and how they acquired their current position) and what they do on a daily basis (i.e., what should students know about their job and the tasks they perform). It is important to hold this event every year for our students.
Priorities
- Funding for our annual student-alumni career symposium.
- Undergraduate scholarships to help assist with the costs of books and tuition.
- Student academic funds to support student internships, hands-on research experience with a distinguished faculty member, public service and service learning projects, field trips, and study abroad opportunities.
- Funds for a lecture series designed specifically to showcase various employment opportunities for our graduates.
- Support for student travel to academic conferences, workshops, and graduate programs.
- Summer faculty support for new course development
