Program Overview

Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies

The Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies offers a range of academic programs, including interdisciplinary majors and minors.

Interdisciplinary Majors/Minors

• American Cultural Studies - in moratorium
• Audio Technology, Music & Society
• Education & Social Justice
• Human Rights Minor
• Interdisciplinary Concentration
• Interdisciplinary Concentration, Law, Diversity & Justice
• Law, Diversity & Justice
• Other WWU Majors as a Fairhaven College Student
• Upside Down Degree

Experiential Learning

The college provides opportunities for experiential learning, including:

• Center for Law, Diversity & Justice
• Interdisciplinary Concentration Senior Project
• Outback Farm

Education Abroad

Fairhaven College offers education abroad programs, including:

• Adventure Learning Grant
• Exchanges/Study Abroad

Faculty and Staff

The college has a faculty and staff dedicated to interdisciplinary studies, with information available on:

• About the Dean
• Faculty & Staff
• Student Research

Admissions and Aid

Information on admissions and aid is available, including:

• Apply
• Fairhaven Admissions
• Fairhaven Scholarships
• Fairhaven Student Grants
• Western Admissions
• Emergency Funding

Advising

The college provides academic advising services, including:

• Academic Advising
• Applying for Graduation
• Graduation Requirements
• Independent Study
• Narrative Evaluations
• Senior Project
• Student Resources

Life at Fairhaven

Fairhaven College offers a range of student life opportunities, including:

• Student Life
• Community Engagement
• Housing at Fairhaven
• Outback Farm
• Student Research
• Student Senate

News and Events

The college hosts various events and publishes news, including:

• World Issues Forum
• Social Media
• Western Today
• Fairhaven in the News

Alumni Resources

Resources are available for alumni, including:

• Narrative Evaluations/Order Transcripts
• Student and Alumni Profiles
• Alumni

Course Information

Capitalism & Schooling: Neoliberal Education & Abolitionist Alternatives

Course Details

• CRN: 23920
• Course Number: 471
• Credits: 5
• Description: This seminar explores the implications of neoliberal theories and practices on K-12 and higher education in the U.S.
• Prerequisites: None listed
• Texts: Authors include Naomi Klein, Milton Friedman, Erica Meiners, Nowile Rooks, Nancy Fraser, Pauline Lipman, and Savannah Shange, among others.
• Credit/Evaluation: S/NX grading; narrative evaluation required for credit.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

• Core learning objectives include evaluating the implications of privatization policies on public education, critically assessing the racial and economic implications of framing students as consumers, and mapping connections between corporations and educational reform strategies.
• Learning outcomes include the ability to thoughtfully evaluate evidence used in the debate on school privatization, develop writing skills based on reasoned argumentation, and develop oral critical thinking skills.

Course Details

• Core: Society & the Individual II
• Term: Spring 2026
• Course Instructor: Clayton Pierce
• Course Subject: FAIR

Tribal Lands Statement

Western Washington University's main campus is situated on the ancestral homelands of the Coast Salish Peoples, who have lived in the Salish Sea basin, all throughout the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades watershed from time immemorial. The university expresses its deepest respect and gratitude to its Indigenous neighbors for their enduring care and protection of the shared lands and waterways.