Napa Valley College Expands Humanities to Create New Ethnic Studies Department

In response to a new ethnic studies requirement at California Community Colleges, Napa Valley College (NVC) has expanded its humanities program to create a new Ethnic Studies department.

Students pursuing an associate degree at Napa Valley College will need to complete an ethnic studies course before they can graduate, according to a new regulation adopted by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors. The new policy follows legislation (AB 1460) that established a similar requirement at the California State University system last year.

Ethnic Studies is an interdisciplinary and comparative study of race, ethnicity and culture in the United States, with specific emphasis on four historically defined racialized core groups—Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and Latina and Latino Americans.

As part of the general education curriculum, all students are expected to take at least one three-unit semester class that examines race and ethnicity, and that specifically covers privilege, intersectionality, structural and personal forms of discrimination and social constructions.  Napa Valley College is currently offering classes in African American studies and Filipina/x/o American Studies.

Mandisa Wood, an NVC professor in the Humanities, Ethnic Studies, Philosophy and Theater Arts departments, serves as the program coordinator for the new Ethnic Studies department, taking over for Professor Janet Stickmon, who served as program coordinator of the humanities department and is teaching several of the Ethnic Studies classes. Wood is also coordinator for the college’s Cultural Center, a vibrant hub for scholarship and dialogue about race, culture, ethnicity, immigration status, socioeconomic status, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, spirituality, ability, and the intersections thereof. 

Napa Valley College Ethnic Studies fall 2022 semester offerings include: ETHS-100 and 101 Ethnic Studies, ETHS 112 African American Studies and ETHS-160-Filipina/x/o American Studies.

ETHS-100: Ethnic Studies 1
Instructor: Janet Stickmon
Online Asynchronous
8-week course
Begins 8/22/22

ETHS-100: Ethnic Studies 1
Instructor: Mandisa Wood
Online Asynchronous
8-week course
Begins 10/24/22

ETHS-101: Ethnic Studies 2
Instructor: Janet Stickmon
Online Asynchronous
8-week course
Begins 10/24/22

ETHS-112: African American Studies
Instructor: Janet Stickmon
Online Asynchronous
12-week course
Begins 9/6/22

ETHS-112: African American Studies
Instructor: Janet Stickmon
Online Asynchronous
8-week course
Begins 10/24/22

ETHS-160: Filipina/x/o American Studies
Instructor: Magsambol-Morales
Online Asynchronous
12-week course
Begins 9/6/22

At Napa Valley College, the Ethnic Studies Department currently offers associate in arts degrees in Social Justice Studies as well as an associate of transfer degree in Ethnic Studies. All courses fulfill the Cultural Diversity requirement for the associate degree and meet the CSU GE Breadth Requirements.  Most courses also meet the Intersegmental GE Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) for CSUs and UCs.

For more information, visit Ethnic Studies.

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