TEACHER
Conversations are the foundation of entire cultures. Teaching, for me, is simply a series of conversations seeking to explain, hoping to convince, and attempting to connect with anyone willing to learn. In this way my teaching passes down cultures, and creates new ones.
My Mission
Academia, in its strictest form, was not created as a space for the underrepresented to be successfully educated. Indeed, at its core higher education was created for and by white men. It stands to reason then, that traditional teaching methods and administrative approaches disproportionately negatively impact the recruitment, retention, and success of students of color, first generation students, LGBTQIA students, low income students etc. Using tools beyond long lectures in brick and mortar classrooms is one way I try to circumvent these educational inequities.
Dr. Harris’ research and teaching focus on the academic success of underrepresented identities in higher education, specifically the impact of role and status on a diverse set of Black experiences in academia.
Dr. Jasmine L. Harris is Professor and Department Chair of Africana Studies at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Dr. Harris completed her PhD at the University of Minnesota in 2013, working first as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology at Wake Forest University, and then as Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Ursinus College, before serving as Program Coordinator of African-American Studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She earned tenure in 2020.
Teaching Experience
Associate Professor, African-American Studies, University of Texas, San Antonio, Aug. 2021 – 2024
Courses Taught: African-American Culture, Leadership, & Social Issues (Fall 2021, Spring 2022), African-American Research Methods (Spring 2022)
Associate Professor, Sociology and Anthropology, Ursinus College, Aug. 2020 – May 2020
Courses Taught: Thinking Sociologically (Fall 2020, Spring 2021), Social Science Research Methods (Fall 2020), Class Power and Social Inequality (Fall 2020), Senior Capstone Seminar (Spring 2021)