‘Social Justice’ Added to Marist’s List of Minor Offerings

Marist College students participating in a 2020 Black Lives Matter march

Source: The Poughkeepsie Journal (Frank Becerra Jr.)

This semester ‘Social Justice’ has joined Marist’s list of available minor offerings. In the works  since prior to the COVID-19 shutdown, the academic discipline was officially approved last spring to be offered this fall. Doctor Addrain Conyers and Doctor Steven Garabedian serve as the co-directors of this minor, alongside co-conspirator Dr. Kristin Bayer. Together, they have been working to make the declaration available to students for nearly three years. 

“Dr. Conyers and I had been discussing the idea for about two years prior to the shutdown.” said Dr. Steven Garabedian. “We were just doing the preliminary work when COVID hit and slowed things down.’

The process was not a quick one. Beyond the required paperwork and extensive research of comparable programs at other institutions, bringing the minor to approval required input from faculty, stakeholders and academic deans across campus. 

Regardless of the communication challenges posed by COVID-19, Bayer, Conyers and Garabedian were determined to give social justice a ‘concrete shape’ on campus, rather than remain an interest mainly promoted through courses and guest speakers. Creating a minor was a logical first step to satisfying that interest. 

“Social justice is a matter of urgency in both society and in a global sense.” said Garabedian. “Many college professors stress the value of an education, but we have to recognize that students need to move forward with valuable skills they can present in professional settings, not just a degree as a path to career. ” 

The Marist Social Justice minor focuses on teaching students about the goal and process of acquiring equal opportunities for all of society, as well as the various components that contribute to that equality. Studies are meant to foster interests in diversity, equity, inclusion, social change and more through analyzing societal issues from a wider scope. 

“We focus back on the College Mission statement - grounding vision and building good, responsible global citizens. We want students, wherever they end up in life, to carry that conviction for social justice wherever they go.” Garabedian added. 

Courses available to meet the 18-credit requirement pull from a variety of academic disciplines, including Political Science, Criminal Justice and History. This range of studies make it more than likely that interested students have already completed many of the courses to satisfy their major requirements. In fact, one of the most unique aspects of this minor is how accessible it is to students of all studies. Nearly all the offerings are available to take in both the fall and spring semester, and intentionally do not require prerequisites. 

“We’ve created a minor designed to be complimentary for students,” said Garabedian. “Multidisciplinary, housed in multiple schools so that any student whatever their major is can pursue this and see ‘Wow, I’m almost there. I’ve already taken these courses, I want to be a part of this community of people.’”

Though accessible, courses remain limited enough to retain their core significance. Completion of this minor requires one foundational course, three distribution requirements, one social change course and two elective courses. A few examples of offered classes include Race and Political Thought, U.S. Women’s History and Social Political Philosophy. One of the most appealing aspects of taking minors and elective courses is that they provide those with particular academic focuses the chance to divulge their outside interests.

“Elective courses are a premium in higher education today, students are encouraged to be multifaceted in their skills and interests,” Garabedian said. “It’s rare nowadays to find a student doing a single major for 4 years. As we evolve, electives are not an indulgence but part of building a well-rounded student.

At the time of its launch, the minor saw an immediate declaration of seven students and has only continued to grow. Garabedian hopes this is only the beginning of a long-lasting impact having this minor will have at Marist in coming years. 

“I would love to see a cohort of student leaders come together from this, that could start small and grow to be a dynamic and outgoing group of influence on campus. Even in later years to see some sort of Center for Social Justice at Marist would be amazing, and this offering works to bring more faculty and students into that construction.” 

If interested in declaring or learning more about this minor, stop by Fontaine 332 or contact Dr. Garabedian or Dr. Conyers for more information.