Below is important information about the RAPP nine-month program to help you decide whether you’d like to apply for a spot in the program.  Please feel free to contact our staff at 513.556.6119 or Rebecca.Lehman@uc.eduwith any questions you have.

What does RAPP do?

RAPP’s mission is fighting oppression through individual awareness and collective action.  All UC students are invited to apply for our nine-month intensive program, where we explore diversity, multicultural, and social justice issues while building a community of Bearcats committed to making our campus and world a better place for all.

Through a curriculum that builds over 14 meetings and three overnight retreats, participants:

• Develop relationships with 35+ other Bearcats

• Enhance their ability to communicate across difference for learning and understanding

• Deepen their understanding of oppression

• Develop knowledge and skills to more effectively fight oppression and create inclusive communities

RAPP’s nine-month curriculum is based in best practices in the fields of social justice education, intergroup dialogue, and inclusive leadership development.   Meetings are energetic spaces filled with activities, discussion, reflection, and awareness & skills building.

Who can join RAPP?

All UC students are invited to apply for RAPP!  No previous experience is necessary – RAPP is great for folks who’ve never heard the word “social justice” before through those who are already heavily invested in social justice activism. 

Members are UC students with a minimum GPA of 2.3 – you’re expected to enter with this GPA and maintain it throughout the academic year.

Members can be full- or part-time students.

Members can be undergraduate, graduate, or non-matriculated students on any UC campus (uptown or regional).

To verify your eligibility, you’ll be asked to provide your UC ID number (aka “M-number”) and permission to check your grades at the interview portion of the application process.

How often does RAPP meet?

The group meets roughly every other week throughout one full academic year.  The RAPP XXIX schedule is:

The schedule is set early and held to without change so that members can plan far in advance to uphold the attendance commitment required.

How much does RAPP cost?

It’s free! 

RAPP involves no monetary cost for students.  Meetings, retreats, transportation to off-campus retreats, and the supplies used throughout the year are provided at no cost to participants thanks to generous support from the UC Chief Diversity Officer and student fees distributed by the Student Advisory Committee on the University Budget.

The only “costs” you’ll have with RAPP are the time and intellectual/emotional investments of participation.

What do we do at RAPP meetings?

RAPP has adopted several mottos over the years.  These summarize well what we do:

• Each One Teach One:  We participate in discussions and activities where personal experience is recognized as a valid and valuable form of knowledge; we share our lives and experiences in order to teach other about ourselves; and, we listen to the lives and experiences of others in order to learn about them.

• Challenge. Debate. Educate.:  In the process of sharing our ideas and beliefs, we are open to being challenged and learning from others; we debate issues as a way to recognize and challenge our own beliefs and ideas; and, we educate ourselves about the world and people around us while educating those around us about our world.

• Challenging the Mythical Norm: We discuss the messages (both overt and subtle) we receive in our daily lives about groups of people and challenge the assumptions we carry because of these messages.

On a less theoretical and more practical note, we do large and small group activities, watch videos, play games, listen to music, read articles, reflect silently, and discuss-discuss-discuss.

Do we talk about anything other than race?

Yes.  While we focus heavily on issues of race and racism, we also talk about many areas of difference in society.  We often talk about how race impacts other experiences of other important identities, such as our gender identities and sexual orientation.

We tailor the meetings to the needs and desires of the group each year.  There are some common topics throughout the years, including (but not limited to) sex, gender identity, sexuality, religious/spiritual identity, ability, nationality, and socioeconomic class.

What kind of commitment does RAPP require?

As mentioned above, RAPP members are expected to attend all meetings and retreats for an academic year.  The schedule is above and is always available on-line in multiple locations.

The commitment we ask of each member accepted into the program is that they commit to being present in body and mind at all meetings and retreats as well as complete short tasks between sessions  (for example, read a short article, write a brief journal entry).

There are many things to consider before making a commitment to RAPP:

• RAPP is a “one-time deal”:  You can only belong to one RAPP group, so if you can only commit to making half of the meetings you are short-changing yourself in your RAPP experience.

• RAPP groups bond early and strongly:  The friendships members develop are a key part of the RAPP experience.  Those who report they felt least benefit from RAPP are typically those who didn’t demonstrate commitment to the group by attending meetings and retreats.

• RAPP plans to be around for many years to come:  If you know you can’t commit fully to RAPP this year, consider becoming involved in other activities or applying for RAPP’s summer racial justice & inclusive leadership institute.

• RAPP is a structured, accumulative program:  The RAPP process is designed to build upon itself.  For you to develop the skills and knowledge the program works on, you need to be present and engaged.  Research demonstrates that lower participation (missing 1/5 or more of sessions) results in poor development in knowledge, skills, and application of RAPP concepts.  You’ve got to be there to get the benefits of the program!

• RAPP is limited to 35 members per year:  Each year, we have to turn away applicants who’ve completed the application process due to this space restriction.  If you take a spot in a group and do not fulfill the RAPP commitment, you may have prevented another interested person who would have made the commitment from participating that year.

If you would like to talk about the RAPP commitment or would like information on other ways to become involved in other multicultural and social justice activities at UC, please feel free to contact Rebecca at 513.556.6119 or Rebecca.Lehman@uc.edu.

Who leads the sessions?

The sessions are facilitated by a team of leaders who stay with the group throughout the entire experience.  These facilitators are individuals with experience in leading relevant discussions on diversity and social justice issues and who have previous experience with RAPP and activism.

A few students who have previously participated in RAPP are also selected to help lead the group as mentors.  These Peer Leaders commit to spending the full year with the group and receive training on group process and facilitation to help them challenge and support the group.

What else do I need to know about the sessions?

Due to the nature of what is shared in the meetings, each RAPP group operates under a confidentiality clause.  The confidentiality clause is an agreement not to disclose personal information (for example, personal identities, personal stories, beliefs/values) about another individual gained through the RAPP Process.

Participants are free to share their personal experiences, comments, and reactions to the RAPP Process, but not the experiences, identities, or comments of other group members.

How do I join RAPP?

The process takes three steps:

1. Read all of these questions and answers (congratulations! You’re nearly done with step one!) 
   
   
2. Complete a written RAPP application
   
   
3. Schedule and participate in an interview

Written applications are accepted through Friday, August 30th.  When you submit your written application, you will be contacted to schedule an interview.

Interviews are offered through Wednesday, September 4th.

All applicants are notified of whether they are accepted into RAPP XXIX on or before Friday, September 6^th.

What happens at the interview?

At the interview, you’ll meet with current RAPP facilitators and/or former RAPP members.  The interview has several purposes:

• You can learn more about RAPP and see if we’re the right group for you

• We can learn more about you, which will help us know about the needs and desires of the entire RAPP group

• You can explore with us the commitment RAPP members are required to make to the group and see if you can make the commitment this year.

What do I do if I have other questions?

You can contact our staff at 513.556.6119 or Rebecca.Lehman@uc.edu.  If you’re interested in pursuing membership in RAPP XVIII, you can also ask questions at your interview.

We look forward to meeting you and discussing your potential future in RAPP!

DOWNLOAD THE RAPP XXIX APPLICATION!