The Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education (CSHPE) is proud to host experiential learning opportunities for master’s and doctoral students.  These programs allow students to apply their classroom knowledge to real-world circumstances in both international and U.S. contexts they might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience.

U-M group in South Africa at University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

Students enroll in 1.5 credits, during the Spring half term which takes place May-June.  Programs typically are 10 days in length and explore a main theme through visits to a variety of sites.  

Visits through the U.S. South to explore the role and impact of HBCUs.

Visits are not limited solely to institutions of higher education. Rather students contextualize their overall understanding through visits that consider the health, history, politics and social fabric of the area.  Some past examples include the Ubuntu Educational Fund in Port Elizabeth, South Africa; the East Bay Community Foundation in Oakland, California; and the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.  Another key ingredient of all programs is engagement with local community members.

We are particularly indebted to the many alumni of the CSHPE program who contribute their time, energy and resources to these programs and enable us to engage students in such transformative experiences.

Treasuring a quiet moment in the Badlands during our visit with colleagues at Oglala Lakota College.

The learning goals of each program is unique to its timing and location, but aspects each program has in common are: 

  • a goal to consider the circumstances and successes of underserved student populations
    • how policy–institutional, provincial, national–is informed by grassroots efforts, particularly with an eye toward student activism
      • visits to a variety of institution types–community colleges, state universities, MSIs, elites, as well as both private and public entities
2023 visit to California’s Bay Area to learn about policymaking.

We hope you will explore this site to discover more about past learning opportunities. 

Reach out to Melinda Richardson to learn more about future programs. 

To support this programming through a gift, please visit here.