Student
Courses
Our Growth:
How it started vs. How it’s going
In October 2011, Freedom University opened its doors in Athens, Georgia. Freedom University was founded by a broad coalition of undocumented students, documented student allies, immigrant rights activists, and four professors at the University of Georgia. Freedom University’s first academic year was an 8-week fall course, “American Civilization I “ taught by the four founding professors.
In 2012, the curriculum was an 8-week fall class “Mexican and United States History in Global Perspective.”
In 2013, Freedom University has two classes in the spring and fall semesters.
In early 2014, the founding professors depart the organization and close Freedom University following the Spring 2014 semester.
In June 2014, Dr. Laura Emiko Soltis, who had previously served as a volunteer human rights professor, re-establishes Freedom University in Atlanta, Georgia to develop a strong network of allied social justice organizations and set the foundation for future admissions campaigns at Atlanta area campuses. Based on student surveys, Soltis fully expands the curriculum to include human rights and social movement leadership training, STEM courses, college application and SAT test preparation courses, and arts courses in music, photography, dance, and theater.
Since 2017, Freedom University offers full course loads in Spring, Summer, and Fall semesters. Students complete two core areas: Human Rights and College Preparation, and specialize in one or more of the following areas: STEM, Arts, and Health and Well-Being.
All Previous
Courses
+ Spring Courses 2021
CLEP BIOLOGY
- Dr. Alexander Escobar and Professor Pedro Marquez-Zacarías
CLEP AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
- Dr. Ryan Maltese and Professor Lizeth Gómez
CLEP COLLEGE ALGEBRA
- Dr. Robert Geiger and Professor Tingzeng Wang
CLEP CALCULUS
- Dr. Osama Alshaykh and Professor Parth Viswanathan
HUMAN RIGHTS: LATINX AND ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES
- Dr. Laura Emiko Soltis and Dr. Rudy Aguilar
ART THERAPY
- Dr. Kelvin Ramirez
SMART EATING: FOOD SCIENCE AND HUMAN NUTRITION
- Dr. Francisco Loayza and Dr. Milena Ramirez Rodrigues
ESCRITURA CREATIVA
- Dr. Ricardo Chávez Castañeda and Professor Aline Mello
+ Summer Courses 2021
INTRODUCTION TO HEALTHCARE
- Dr. Roxana Chicas and Dr. Imelda Reyes
INTRODUCTION TO LAW
- Professor Lizeth Gómez and Professor Kat Hoyos
FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE PREPARATION
- Dr. Laura Emiko Soltis and Professor Jose Escutia
ACADEMIC WRITING: EXPLORING GENRE, EXPLORING SELF
- Dr. Mackenzie Bristow and Professor Aline Mello
MENTAL HEALTH: ART THERAPY
- Dr. Kelvin Ramirez
SAT MATH PREPARATION
- Professor Jasmine Ko Aqua and Professor Parth Viswanathan
FREEDOM UNIVERSITY + EMORY WRITING CENTER TUTORING
- Emory Writing Center Staff
+ Fall 2020 Courses
COLLEGE PREPARATION
- Professors Aline Mello, Navina Vemuri, and Ashley Young
CLEP BIOLOGY
- Dr. Alexander Escobar and Professor Pedro Marquez-Zacarías
CLEP AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
- Dr. Ryan Maltese and Professor Lizeth Gomez
BRINGING HUMAN RIGHTS HOME: SOCIAL MOVEMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES
- Dr. Laura Emiko Soltis
THEATER: PERFORMING OUR LIBERATION
- Professors Mauricio Salgado and Amelia Uzategui
MENTAL HEALTH WORKSHOP
- Alejandra Arce and Eunice Martinez-Salazar
SAT PREPARATION
- Professors Jasmine Ko Aqua, Parth Viswanathan, Tingzeng Yang, and Hannah Moriarty
+ Spring 2020 Courses
INTRODUCTION TO HEALTHCARE JUSTICE
- Dr. Imelda Reyes and Professor Roxana Chicas
CLEP COLLEGE WRITING COMPOSITION
- Dr. Sam Sommers and Dr. Cindy Lutenbacher
HUMAN RIGHTS LEADERSHIP TRAINING
- Dr. Laura Emiko Soltis and Professor Nsé Ufot
SON JAROCHO MUSIC ENSEMBLE: SON DE SUEÑOS
- Professor Eduardo García
+ Summer 2020 Courses
COLLEGE ESSAY WRITING WORKSHOP
- Professor Whitney Lewis
SAT BOOTCAMP
- Professors Jasmine Ko Aqua, Hannah Moriarty, Parth Viswanathan, Ezra Goss
FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE PREPARATION
- Dr. Laura Emiko Soltis and Professor Lizeth Gomez
+ Fall 2019 Courses
September 15 - December 15, 2019
Sundays, 2:00-5:00pm
Saturdays, 10:00-12:00, 1:00-3:00pm
COLLEGE PREPARATION
- Professor Ashley Young, Professor Navina Vemuri, Dr. Laura Emiko Soltis, Dr. Cindy Lutenbacher
EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
- Dr. Alexander Escobar and Professor Pedro Márquez-Zacarías
LATIN AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY (BILINGUAL)
- Dr. Fernando Esquivel-Suárez and Professor Lizeth Gomez
BRINGING HUMAN RIGHTS HOME:
- Dr. Laura Emiko Soltis
SAT PREPARATION
- Professor Jasmine Ko and Professor Miguel Osornio
MURAL PAINTING
- Professor Charmaine Minniefield and Professor Yehimi Cambrón**
+ Spring 2019 Courses
January 13 - May 5, 2019
Sunday Core Classes: 2:00-6:00pm**
Block I: Neuroscience, 2:00-3:15pm
Dr. Leah Roesch and Professor Pedro Márquez-Zacarías
Block II: Electives, 3:15-4:30
Spanish Literature
Dr. Fernando Esquivel-Suárez and Dr. Luis González-Barrios
Calculus
Professor Parth Viswanathan
Block III: Human Rights and Legal Studies, 4:30-5:45pm
Dr. Laura Emiko Soltis, Professor Laura Rivera, Professor Lizeth Gomez
Saturday Arts Classes: 12:00-4:00pm
Freedom University Mural Project
Professor Charmaine Minniefield
Son Jarocho Music Ensemble: Son de Sueños
Professor Pedro Lopez
+ Summer 2019 Courses
June 16 - August 11, 2019
Sundays, 2:00-5:00pm
First Generation College Preparation
Dr. Laura Emiko Soltis and Dr. Meredith McCoy
SAT Boot Camp
Jasmine Ko Aqua, Hodari James, Shannon Perry, Jorge Izquierdo
+ Fall 2018 Courses
September 9 - December 9, 2018
Sunday Core Classes: 2:00-6:00pm**
Block I: College Preparation, 2:00-3:15pm
College Preparation
- Professor Ashley Young and Professor Navina Vemuri
Block II: Electives, 3:15-4:30
Biology
- Professor Alex Escobar and Professor Pedro Marquez-Zacarias
Creative Writing
- Dr. Cindy Lutenbacher and Dr. Rebecca Kumar
Block III: Human Rights, 4:30-5:45pm
Incarceration Nation: Race, Immigration, and Criminalization in the U.S.
- Dr. Laura Emiko Soltis
Thursday Arts Class: 8:00-10:00pm
Mural Project
- Professor Charmaine Minniefield
Saturday SAT Class: 10am-12pm
SAT Bootcamp
- Professor Parth Viswanathan and Professor Jasmine Ko
+ Spring 2018 Courses
January 14 - April 29, 2018
Block I: CLEP Electives, 2:00-3:30
Spanish Literature
- Dr. Fernando Esquivel-Suarez and Dr. Luis Gonzalez-Barrios
Biology
- Dr. Alexander Escobar and Dr. Maira Goytia
French
- Professor Hugo Bujon and Professor Brendan Moore
Block II: Human Rights, 3:30-4:30
Movement Leadership Training
- Dr. Laura Emiko Soltis and Professor Arizbeth Sanchez
Block III: College Preparation, 4:30-6:00
Legal Studies
- Professor Tanya Washington and Professor Tiffany Roberts
Creative Writing
- Dr. Cindy Lutenbacher and Dr. Gregg Murray
Arts Classes: 8:00-9:30pm
Drawing and Painting
- Professor Charmaine Minniefield
Latin Dance
- Professor Simone Maccarrone
+ Summer 2018 Courses
June 10 - August 12, 2018
Sunday Core Classes: 2:00-4:00pm
College Preparation
- Professors Laura Emiko Soltis and Hodari James
SAT Boot Camp
- Professors Jasmine Ko and Parth Viswanathan
Thursday Arts Classes: 8:00-10:00pm
Freedom University Mural Project
- Professors Charmaine Minniefield and Fahamu Pecou
Latin Dance
- Professor Simone Maccarrone
+ Fall 2017 Courses
September 10 - December 17, 2017
Block I: CLEP Electives, 2:00-3:15
Spanish Literature
- Dr. Fernando Esquivel-Suarez and Dr. Luis Gonzalez-Barrios
Biology
- Dr. Alexander Escobar and Dr. Maira Goytia
Block II: Human Rights, 3:15-4:45
Human Rights and Immigration in the United States:
The Making of the Undocumented Student Movement
- Dr. Laura Emiko Soltis
Block III: College Preparation, 4:45-6:00
College 101: Welcoming Colleges, the Common Application, and the Personal Statement
- Professor Ashley Young
+ Spring 2017 Courses
January 15 - May 7, 2017
Block I: Latin American Studies, 1:30-2:45pm
Gender in Latin America
- Professor Yanna Yannakakis and Professor Karen Stolley
Block II: CLEP College Credit Electives, 3:00-4:15pm
General Chemistry
- Professor Daniel Deocampo
or
Biological Sciences
- Professor Alexander Escobar
or
French
- *Professor Subha Xavier and Professor Claire Berger
- Graduate Assistants: Hugo Bujon and Brendan Moore*
Block III: Creative Arts Electives, 4:30-5:45pm
Graphic Design
- Professor Pamela Barba_
or
Poetry and Creative Writing
- Professor Cindy Lutenbacher
Block IV: Undocumented Student Space, 6:00-7:00pm
Student-run space for individual projects and collective well-being
+ Fall 2016 Courses
September 4 - December 11, 2016
Block I: CLEP College Credit Courses, 1:30-2:45
College Algebra
- Professor Benito Thompson
or
U.S. Government
- Professor Ryan Maltese
Block II: Latin American Studies, 3:00-4:15
Border Studies: Immigration, Identity, and the Undocumented Student Movement
- Professor Laura Emiko Soltis
Block III: College Preparation, 4:30-5:45
The College Essay, SAT Preparation, and Completing the Common App
- Professor Lauren Johnson
Block IV: Health and Well-Being, 6:00-7:00
Yoga or Cross Country
- Professor Nicola Graves
+ Spring 2016 Courses
January 17 - June 5, 2016
Block I: Arts Elective 2:00-3:15pm
Graphic Design
- Professor Pamela Barba
(or)
Theater as Art and Activism
- Professor Karyl Davis
(or)
Freedom University Singers: A Capella Vocal Ensemble
- Professor Tyrone Webb
Block II: Social Science 3:30-4:45pm
A People's History of the United States
- Professor Laura Emiko Soltis
Block III: Health and Well-Being Elective 5:00-6:00pm
Meditation and Yoga
- Professors Brendan Ozawa-de Silva and Nicola Graves
(or)
Freedom University Track Team, Student Initiative
+ Fall 2015 Courses
August 30 - December 13, 2015
Block 1: 2:00-3:15pm
Debate and Public Speaking
- Professors Ed Lee and Karyl Davis
Block II: 3:30-4:45pm
Mindfulness and Compassion: The Science, Theory, and Practice of Meditation
- Professor Brendan Ozawa-de Silva
Block III: 5:00-6:15pm
College Preparation and SAT/ACT Tutoring
- Professor Ashley Young
+ Spring 2015 Courses
January 18 - May 31, 2015
Block 1: Freedom University Singers 2:00-2:50pm
- Professor Tyrone Webb
Block II: Human Rights 3:00-3:50pm
Race, Immigration, and Incarceration in the United States
- Professor Laura Emiko Soltis
Block III: Debate and Public Speaking 4:00-4:50pm
- Professor Ed Le and Professor Karyl Davis
Block IV: College Preparation 5:00-5:50pm
- Professor Maria Arreguin and Professor Lauren Johnson
+ Fall 2014 Courses
September 14 - December 14, 2014
Block I: History and Politics
2:00-2:50pm
Modern Mexico: History, Politics, and Culture
- Professor Raúl Diego Rivera Hernández
Block II: Arts Elective
3:00-3:50pm
Documentary Photography: Freedom University Photo Project 2014
- Professor Laura Emiko Soltis
or
Music Theory, Composition, and Performance
- Professor Thompson
Block III: Skill-Building and Leadership Development
4:00-4:50pm
Human Rights in the United States: History, Theory, and Skill-Building for Social Change
- Professor Laura Emiko Soltis and featured guest speakers
Block IV: College Preparation
5:00-5:50pm
SAT Preparation and the College Application Essay
Professor Gerardo De La Torre and Professor Maria Quiñones Andy Kim, Coordinator
+ Our First Years: 2011-2014
Spring Term II, 2014, March 23- June 8
Global Migration in the Americas: Rethinking Race, Gender, and Labor
- Dr. Laura Emiko Soltis
Spring Term I, 2014, January 12- March 2
Negotiating Identities in Visual Culture and Performance
- Dr. Betina Kaplan, Dr. Diego del Pozo
Fall Term II, 2013, November 17- December 15, 2013
Gender Identities and Writing the Self
- Dr. Dana Bultman, Dr. JoBeth Allen
Fall Term I, 2013, September 1- November 10, 2013
Who Belongs Here?: Race, Identity, and Social Movements in the U.S. South
- Dr. Laura Emiko Soltis
Spring Term II, 2013, March 17 - May 12th, 2013
Introduction to Ethnic Studies
- Dr. Lorgia García Peña
Spring Term I, 2013, January 13 - March 10, 2013
Ancient World Cultures
- Prof. Dana Bultman
Fall 2012
Mexican and United States History in Global Perspective
- Dr. Pamela Voekel and Dr. Bethany Moreton
Fall 2011
American Civilization I
- Dr. Betina Kaplan, Dr. Lorgia García-Peña, Dr. Pamela Voekel, Dr. Bethany Moreton