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New Minor: Equity and Justice
OUR CURRICULUM DEEPENS
Menlo College’s first minor program offering!
By Marianne Marar, Ed.D., Professor of Global Studies
This fall, Menlo developed an interdisciplinary minor program in Equity and Justice Studies (EJS). EJS prepares students to meet the growing demand for skills in the examination and resolution of global problems. The curriculum incorporates courses from a variety of disciplines, including history, psychology, economics, and more. In addition, all minors will complete a course in Diversity in the Workplace, Global Studies, or Human Rights in a Global Perspective. The EJS minor will provide a pathway for students to hone their critical transnational consciousness and to embolden their commitment to a more equitable, humane, and just world. I spearheaded the development of the minor because I’ve seen students thirsting for something like this since I arrived at Menlo in 2005. I have been teaching Diversity in the Workplace, one of the cornerstone courses for the minor, since I came to this campus. I see my students come in with a great deal of anxiety about what they’re going to encounter in the workplace, because of what they’re encountering in their daily lives now, and the fear of what that means for their future. A first gen student, or a student grappling with impostor syndrome, or one who has generational trauma that they’re trying to work through; a student who has been impacted by systemic inequities and faces daily microaggressions: they wonder, how do I unpack all of this, and am I set up for failure in my future because I carry all of this with me? But I’m also noticing a shift where students are starting to center the solutions to these issues around themselves, around their generation. Their voices are becoming centered at Menlo College in a way I haven’t seen before and this speaks to both the diversity that we do have at the student level and the diversity that we continue to want to engage. We have a very strong international student culture; we have a strong first gen culture; we have an established multilingual ethos. Recently, a group of students and alumni, Black Student Voices, challenged Menlo College to recognize that it is not immune nor has it ever been immune to injustice. As an educator-activist, I found myself in awe of Black Student Voices because they mobilized and they spoke truth to power and they demanded courses that would critically explore the dynamics of privilege and oppression, and give students the tools to question and then dismantle oppressive systems. I think we at Menlo owe them, and all students who have advocated for a curriculum that addresses issues of systemic injustice, a deep debt of gratitude.
Here’s what Menlo students and alumni have to say about the EJS program:
Menlo’s minor in Equity and Justice Studies will create a safe space for students to participate in dialogue about the pain experienced by disenfranchised groups. Personally, I look forward to gaining the knowledge I need to advocate for the implementation of inclusive and community-centered “ policies and projects. I am also eager to witness our Menlo community continue to act in solidarity with students of color, so together we can become pioneers of change. Diana Guardado ‘23
As a student pursuing a major in Human Resource Management, I am thrilled that Menlo College has added a minor in Equity and Justice Studies. Sometimes it is hard to recognize oppression because we are stuck looking at things from our own point of view and I believe this program will help broaden our perspective to further recognize these injustices, including how they affect the workplace. The more people that are educated on recognizing these situations the better our country can see growth in these areas. A program like this will be able to create leaders who can make the needed changes.
Logan Avina-Barajas ‘23
I hope this program sparks more conversations about privilege, oppression, and human rights, allowing this campus to be a more welcoming, inclusive, and happier environment for all. I certainly think this program is important and needed.
Andrew Pj Fuentes ‘24
As a Black woman, I generally see industries through the lens of equity and justice; however, I am rarely met with open conversations. I see the broken structures, but it feels taboo to discuss them in-depth. I think this program can help those who may not have the lived experiences increase their self-awareness, understand the privileges in their sphere, and how they can utilize their roles to influence change. This program can also impact how students understand their peers and where they come from. Business and innovation are everywhere, but not everyone has access to opportunities to explore them. This program can help explain why there are “ pockets of disenfranchised communities and how their inaccessibility to business opportunities affects all of our systems. Saybah Biawogi ‘19
I think the minor in Equity and Justice Studies is important to understanding the world we live in. Many people from birth onwards operate under the assumption that America is an equal playing field when that is demonstrably not the case. A critical and accurate education on the history of the inequality that has been an inherent part of the American experience since the nation’s inception is key to finally bringing about change and I am glad Menlo College is doing its part offering that.
