Press Room
Founded in 1975, the Western Institute for Social Research (WISR) offers personalized BA, MA and PhD degree programs to those who wish to combine academic studies and community-based inquiry with their community and professional involvements. Its degree programs have been California State approved since 1977, and WISR offers an MA program the meets State requirements for the Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) license, and the new LPCC (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor) license. WISR charges a modest $7,500/year for tuition. However, WISR students are not eligible for Federal financial aid, since WISR is not regionally accredited because it is very small, by design, with a current enrollment of just over 40 students.
We also collaborate with community groups in community-action projects. We are a multicultural learning community that engages people who are deeply and continually committed to progressive social change. For over three decades, WISR has successfully supported the creative, community involvement efforts of hundreds of adult learners. WISR students and the communities with which they are involved reflect great geographic, intellectual and cultural diversity. Our extraordinary students offer an exciting community for your studies where “Multicultural is WISeR.”
WISR works with community groups to support participatory action-research as a way to promote critically needed inquiry into community problems and engage the community in solutions. Recently, we have worked with such groups as Neighborhood House of North Richmond on youth mentoring, community health issues, and violence prevention; Bay Area Black United Fund on health disparities impacting African American communities and people; the Omaha Tribal Historical Research Project on preserving and making accessible the history of the Omaha people; and Eco-City Builders and West Oakland residents on moving toward a sustainable urban village in West Oakland.
If you are a member of the media and are interested in doing a story on WISR please contact WISR President, Dr. John Bilorusky, 510-655-2830, johnb@wisr.edu
Listed below are some articles that have previously appeared about WISR in the news, as well as an overview flyer about WISR.
The latest issue of the Open Exchange Magazine has an interview with WISR President, John Bilorusky, in their “Back to School” article on “Personalized Learning: No ‘Cookie Cutter’ Classes”
WISR Graduates Build Healthy Communities
WISR Begins its 35th Year, Starting New Program: Community Action Think Tanks
A Commitment to Social Change: The Western Institute for Social Research
Learning at WISR: A Tradition of Innovation, Community Improvement and Social Change
Surviving as a Socially Progressive University