You probably heard about the Upton Scholar program when John List came to campus. And maybe you’re looking for similar programming events. If you are, there’s something exciting brewing for March—the Weissberg Chair in Human Rights and Social Justice.

You must be wondering, what is the Weissberg Chair? Isn’t that the auditorium in the Powerhouse? Well, it’s more than that. The Weissberg Chair in Human Rights and Social Justice falls right under the Weissberg Program, a program that empowers students to take informed action to address complex global problems. The program is funded by an annual gift from the Weissberg Foundation in the amount of $400,000 per year. It prepares Beloit College students to engage critically with human rights as well as promote and defend them responsibly. Every year as a part of the program, a leading global figure in human rights comes to Beloit for a seven to ten-day residency program as the Weissberg Chair.

Ever since Marvin Weissberg, the founder of the program, established it, the program has helped Beloit College students, faculty, and the greater Beloit community to promote and defend human rights and social justice. The 23rd annual residency of the Weissberg Chair in Human Rights and Social Justice begins in the last week of March 2023.

Dr. Wayne Au, a professor and interim dean in the School of Educational Studies at University of Washington, is this year’s chair. His academic interests broadly encompass critical education theory and teaching for social justice. More specifically, his research focuses on educational equity, high-stakes testing, curriculum theory, educational policy studies, and social studies education. He will be engaging this year’s theme of intersectionality as it pertains to the timely topic of policies, curricula, and equity in U.S. public schools. He will be spending the week mostly with EDYS students in classes, as well as a few other disciplines.

Mark your calendars with the following events to engage in the Weissberg Program this year:

Monday, March 27th, 12 pm: Faculty Forum Luncheon with faculty and staff, Moore Lounge (add to your calendar)
Thursday, March 30th, 4:30 pm: The Teachers’ Lounge Podcast Live!, Eaton Chapel (add to your calendar)
Friday, March 31st, 7:00 pm: Keynote Lecture, Weissberg Auditorium, The Powerhouse (add to your calendar)
All week: Class visits