Announcing FEPPS’ Bachelors Degree

October has already been a banner month for FEPPS! On Friday, October 11 the Board of Trustees for the University of Puget Sound unanimously voted to approve accreditation of a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, to be offered by FEPPS at the Washington Corrections Center for Women. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded Puget Sound a $1 million grant to support development of the degree program.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the seventh BA program offered in a women’s prison nationally, and the first BA program in a prison in Washington State. Since 2016, 46 students have received an AA degree through FEPPS, and many of these graduates are still incarcerated. A BA program at the prison is a long-awaited chance to reach their next educational goals. We can’t wait to see them soar!

We are immensely grateful for the hard work of many faculty and staff at Puget Sound who helped make this happen, especially the tireless leadership of FEPPS Faculty Director Tanya Erzen, and for the support of Puget Sound President Isiaah Crawford and the Trustees. And of course, none of this could have happened without the tireless advocacy of our students themselves.

As we begin to put this news into practice we will share more details about the curriculum and structure of the degree, and introduce you to the Class of 2023 as they move through the program. This has been years in the making and we can’t wait to make it a reality!

Read more here: https://www.pugetsound.edu/news-and-events/campus-news/details/1663/

Image description: White text and FEPPS logo overlaying photo of FEPPS graduates seated at graduation. Text reads: Announcing the first Bachelor of Arts in a Prison in Washington State.