Fwd: [Advising Information] Check Out These Great Spring Term Capstones!
Jeff Conn
From: Becki Hunt Ingersoll <ing...@pdx.edu>
Date: Tue, Feb 24, 2026 at 4:04 PM
Subject: [Advising Information] Check Out These Great Spring Term Capstones!
To: PSU-Advising-Community <psu-advising-c...@pdx.edu>
Refugee & Immigrant Youth
CRN: 63210, UNST 421-516
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 3:30-5:10pm (WEB)
Instructor:
George (Andrew) Haley, and...@irco.org
Course Description:
In this class, we will look at the forcibly displaced people crisis from a global and a local perspective to better understand what is happening. We will partner with the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO), a Portland-based culturally specific organization with nearly 50-years of experience serving immigrant and refugee communities, to help these populations with a variety of holistic needs. Volunteer Manager: Dila Bixby, Volu...@irco.org, 503-234-1541.
Oceania in Oregon
CRN: 63729, UNST 421-003
Mondays & Wednesdays, 11:00am-12:40pm
Instructor:
Lagipoiva Jackson, che...@pdx.edu
Course Description:
Narratives of Pacific Islanders in Oregon is a storytelling-focused Capstone that explores Pacific Islander histories, migration, cultural continuity, and contemporary presence across Oregon. Meeting twice a week, the course is designed as a hands-on learning experience grounded in Pacific cultural protocol, consent, care, and ethical representation.
Students learn directly from Pacific Islander elders, practitioners, and cultural experts through guided conversations, demonstrations, and story-sharing sessions that model relational accountability and community-based knowledge practices. The course trains students in multiple storytelling avenues and formats, including short-form oral histories (audio clips drawn from respectful interviews), portrait photography with community-approved captions, a visual heritage wall combining images and interpretive text (bilingual where possible), and a diaspora map that situates stories within place, movement, and community networks. Across the term, students draft, workshop, and revise narrative pieces and exhibition components, building skills in interviewing, audio storytelling, photography, narrative writing, and curation. The culminating project is a public-facing exhibition and digital showcase that brings these stories together in accessible formats, ensuring students leave the course with a strong portfolio and a deeper understanding of Pacific Islander narratives in Oregon.
Housing and Homelessness
CRN: 63727, UNST 421-307
Wednesdays, 9:00am-12:00pm
Instructor:
Amie Riley, amie...@pdx.edu
Course Description:
Is our region’s homelessness crisis getting worse or getting better? In this Capstone you will dive into the complex challenges of affordable housing and homelessness, confronting our country, city, and campus communities. Students will engage directly with community activists and experts to problem solve and advocate for holistic solutions within our political, economic, and healthcare systems. Course assignments and Capstone student projects will work to change narratives, implement creative actions, and advocate for effective housing policies. Additional community-based learning requirements for this course include 16 hours of in person community engagement.
Performing Arts Advocacy
CRN: 63207, UNST 421-550
Mondays & Wednesdays, 11:00am-12:40pm
Instructor:
Suzanne Savaria, sav...@pdx.edu
Course Description:
The arts play a critical role in stimulating creativity and in developing vital communities. They have a crucial impact on our economy and are an important catalyst for learning, discovery and achievement in our personal lives and for our country.
In this course we will examine what it means to advocate for the arts and define our roles as advocates. We will explore the world of arts advocacy and arts education and gain a deeper understanding of how to better sustain a healthy arts community. We will look into arts and social justice, increasing diversity of audience and programming, representation of underserved communities in the arts, the power of arts and healing, and our roles as artist and citizen.
Indigenous Education & Garden at NAYA
CRN: 63203, UNST 421-522
Wednesdays, 1:30-4:30pm
Instructor:
Anmarie Trimble, atri...@pdx.edu
Course Description:
In this Capstone we partner with the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) through hands-on community-based service. In addition to class meetings on campus, students choose one day a week to serve at NAYA.
This course fulfills PSU's RESR requirement; INST majors/minors can receive dual credit for both their INST/INNAF elective and UNST Capstone requirements for graduation. Reach out to the professor directly for updates to service options. To support our work as allies to the indigenous community, we will examine and reflect on intersections between education, land and healing, historical legacy and social inequity.
Farm Education for Youth
CRN: 63196, UNST 421-506
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 9:00-10:40am
Instructor:
Celine Fitzmaurice, cel...@pdx.edu
Course Description:
This course will combine classroom learning with community-based learning at a local farm and garden site. Our classroom learning will focus on various aspects of our national food system through an exploration of the Farm Bill. When we are not in the classroom, we will partner with the Learning Gardens Laboratory to provide garden-based field trips for elementary age youth focused on food, farming and the land. As a student in this course, you will travel to the Learning Gardens Laboratory in SE Portland on either Wednesday or Thursday each week throughout most of the term to lead field trips from 9am-2pm. You are responsible for providing your own transportation to and from the site. During field trip weeks, we will not meet in the classroom on Thursdays. Please contact the instructor at cel...@pdx.edu with any questions.
If you have questions about particular Capstone courses, please contact the instructor. With general questions, please contact the University Studies Office at 503-725-5890 or ask...@pdx.edu.
University Studies
Portland State University
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