The Society
About the Society of WCU
The Society of WCU, formerly known as The Frederick Douglass Society, is a diverse group of faculty, staff, students, and administrators of West Chester University, who seek to elevate the social consciousness of the campus, and community at large. The Society facilitates the work and service needed to promote an ideal society that encompasses social justice, genuine equity, real reform, the arts, and holistic education.
The Society of WCU aims to stimulate other groups on campus to enrich our multicultural climate. The Society fundraises annually for scholarship funds for first generation college students who demonstrate active involvement in their communities, with a focus on initiatives that promote equity, justice, and the upliftment of historically marginalized or underserved populations. Society members include faculty, administrators, and staff who provide leadership, support, and guidance to the West Chester University community regarding multi-cultural education, empowerment, and equality. We invite partners in our fulfillment of this mission.
Historical Connections
The Society of WCU was named in 1983 for one of the 19th century's most distinguished advocates of human freedom, Frederick Douglass. Rising from the bonds of slavery, Frederick Douglass became an abolitionist, social justice educator, and civil rights leader. In the spirit of his life’s work, The Society and West Chester University are committed to inclusive excellence by promoting empowerment through education, social justice through civic engagement, and the advancement of human rights through thoughtful public dialogue. The Society of WCU also seeks, by the example of Douglass, to promote an intellectual standard that is not only grounded in excellence, but also profoundly rooted in the public mission of higher education.
"Education means emancipation. It means light and liberty. It means the uplifting of the soul of man [humankind] into the glorious light of truth, the light by which men [and women] can only be made free." – Frederick Douglass, Blessings of Liberty and Education. Speech. 1894
CORE Components of
The Society of WCU
- Community Building
- Community Service
- Equity & Access to Education
- Professional Empowerment
For additional information about The Society of WCU, please email us at TheSociety@wcupa.edu.
For a list of MLK Commemorative activities, please visit the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration site.
