Scholarships, solidarity, and rising leadership took center stage at SLU’s annual Joseph S. Murphy Scholarship for Diversity in Labor reception on June 9. Students, families, labor leaders, faculty, and alumni gathered to celebrate six scholarship recipients whose work reflects a commitment to workers’ rights and social justice. The event featured inspiring remarks from awardees and labor movement leaders, highlighting the next generation of advocates and organizers. Read more about 2026 JSM awardees.
Join us on July 1st 6PM-7PM via Zoom for the Fall 2026 CUNY SLU information session. Prospective students will have the opportunity to learn about undergraduate and graduate-level program offerings, admission requirements, application deadlines and unique School of Labor and Urban Studies opportunities. This session offers program overviews and covers how to apply for admission in a small group setting, with time for individual questions.
Is an illicit drug trade depriving New York of tax revenue, even though marijuana sales are legal? Are public parks in Brooklyn supported equally, or does maintenance track with surrounding real estate values? How does a Black woman in the penal system access breast cancer care? These are some of the questions that students researched for their Capstone projects this spring. Check out these Capstone projects and more.
What happens when education, leadership, and storytelling come together? For Urban Studies BA student Sonia Rodriguez, the answer is finding her voice. As she nears graduation, Rodriguez reflects on her journey at SLU — from student leadership and union activism to seeing her writing published—and celebrates the confidence, purpose, and community she’s found along the way. Her message to fellow students: your story matters, and it’s worth sharing. Read Sonia’s message.
From singing “Solidarity Forever” at the beginning, through the Rude Mechanical Orchestra’s performance at the end, Commencement 2026 was a celebration that only SLU could host. Along with their families, friends, and many SLU faculty and staff members, 139 students from all programs marked the special day at Town Hall on May 28. The keynote speaker was Gwynne A. Wilcox, the first Black woman to chair the National Labor Relations Board. Read more about the 2026 Commencement.
Join the 2026 UALE Northeast Women’s Summer School, hosted by CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies in New York City from July 20 to 24. This labor education program brings together women and gender-expansive members of unions and worker organizations to build leadership skills, deepen political analysis, and strengthen solidarity. Registration closes June 15 and may close earlier if capacity is reached.