The UCLA Common Experience Program is one of the hallmarks of the undergraduate experience. The program’s mission is to ignite campus-wide discussions on compelling social issues and to inspire action within the Bruin community. The 2025–2026 Common Experience theme is The Power of Storytelling, and the selected media is the award-winning television series Reservation Dogs.

For seminars that incorporate the selected UCLA Common Experience, Student Affairs is offering funding for on or off-campus activities up to $1000 per class. Expenses can include travel, tickets, honorarium for special guests etc. The Common Experience will also offer in-kind support to work with the Faculty to make these arrangements. See examples below on ways to engage with the Common Experience.

Interested faculty can submit their course proposals at this link or the button below. For questions, or to discuss seminar ideas and projected budget, please email Pia Palomo and Abby Johnson.

All proposals for Fiat Lux seminars must first be submitted online using the Course Inventory Management System (CIMS). Once you have logged into CIMS, scroll down to “Submit Course Request” > “Propose a Fiat Lux Seminar” section, and click on “Propose.” Submission details and deadlines for the 2025–26 Academic Year can be found on the UCLA Undergraduate Education Initiatives website.

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Please Note: We are currently exploring the possibility of securing viewing rights to the series with the producers of the show. We will share any confirmed resources once finalized. In the meantime, there are official clips of the show available for viewing on @FXNetworks on YouTube.

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Examples

Book a Van or Bus to…

• Visit a local museum that reflects the stories of communities, such as the Museum of Tolerance, the Japanese American National Museum, the California African American Museum, Skirball Cultural Center, and the Autry Museum of the American West.
  • Exploring the culture, history, and art of groups will allow students to learn about storytelling and universal themes.
• Visit spaces dedicated to the history of visual storytelling and film, such as the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, or locally, the UCLA Film & Television Archive
  • The UCLA Film & Television Archive offers screenings and resources related to media history and storytelling, including narratives from underrepresented groups.
• Visit local spaces with indigenous history and storytelling, like the Tongva Park in Santa Monica.
• Experience performance-based storytelling from local arts organizations.
  • The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts hosts performances across theater, music, and dance that often center cultural identity and personal stories.
  • REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater) hosts a wide variety of experimental performances for boundary-pushing narrative forms.
• Tour a local nonprofit that uses storytelling in its daily operations, such as the PLUS ME Project
• Volunteer for a day with an organization. The Common Experience team can connect you with the UCLA Volunteer Center to organize an event with an UCLA non profit collaborator. Other opportunities can be viewed on databases like LetsVolunteerLA and VolunteerMatch.

Engage with UCLA Programs such as…