Hello from FSU Sociology!
Our faculty and students are committed to rigorously studying and teaching about the social institutions and inequalities that define our times. We also are strongly committed to sharing sociology with non-academic audiences and providing the public with unique insights that can improve policy responses and inform collective action.
As part of our mission, we take very seriously our role in educating the next generation of scholars and community leaders. We are asking you – alumni and friends of FSU Sociology – to partner with us in this work.
The proceeds from this fundraising campaign will be used to support two primary purposes:
1. Graduate Student Recruitment:
We must continue to attract the very best graduate students to our program. Excellent graduate students are crucial to the department and the university. They are the next generation of scholars and practitioners, bringing new ideas and energy to FSU and the discipline of sociology. When they graduate, they will carry the name and reputation of FSU with them as they make their own marks in the world. While here, they help perform important work for and with faculty and serve as instructors to a large number of our undergraduates. Yet, competition for the top PhD candidates is growing ever higher. Over the years, we have learned that bringing these top candidates to campus for a program of events that introduces them to the department is key to successful recruitment. Once students come to visit us, the vast majority of them want to sign on to stay!
Please help us to provide financial support to candidates who would like to travel to Tallahassee for this program in the Spring. Your funds will be used to offset some of the costs of travel for out-of-town candidates and to pay for networking activities, such as group meals and receptions.
2. Supplemental Experiences for All Students:
We strive to offer supplemental learning and networking experiences for all of our students, graduate and undergraduate. Please help us to be able to do this through funding for activities like travel to professional conferences, student-driven research projects, methodological and career-skills workshops, annual awards for student research and teaching, events with nationally-recognized speakers, and periodic departmental and student-centered networking events. These activities enrich the learning environment, help forge important professional ties with faculty and peers, and create a sense of community and engagement among our students. Ultimately, these are the types of activities that make FSU Sociology such an exciting place to be and help our students to move into outstanding careers!
“The open house provided me with information on the program overall, the curriculum, and the academic environment that just cannot be gleaned from a website. Meeting other prospective students as well as current students convinced me this was the right learning environment for me. The open house provided a forum to meet with professors, discuss prospective student research goals, and explore how these goals could be incorporated and expanded within the current program research landscape. The open house was key in my decision to join the FSU sociology program for my PhD studies.” -Mwedusasa Mtenga, doctoral student from the 2022 cohort
“I am immensely grateful for the research grant that I received, which was instrumental in the success of my research project. The financial support provided by this grant allowed me to offer participation incentives to the respondents during the recruitment process, which not only increased engagement but also boosted morale. With the support of this grant, I was able to complete my research on time and with greater depth than I initially anticipated. I wouldn’t have been able to recruit enough participants to finish my research in the time frame that I set out to, without the support of this grant. I wholeheartedly appreciate the donors’ and the department’s investment in our growth and success.” - Brianna Soulie, 2022 cohort.