Fairfield Dolan is proud to introduce a new minor in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), available to all Fairfield students. The minor, developed as part of the work done by Dolan’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion task force, was designed for students who are passionate about social justice.

“The DEI minor is a significant step forward to support the Jesuit, Catholic mission of the University and it reflects the innovation of Fairfield Dolan,” said Dean Zhan Li, DBA.

Students who pursue the minor take an introductory course that establishes a breadth of topics in economics and business that are impacted by individual personal characteristics such as race, class, and gender. Students then take electives drawn from the College of Arts and Sciences that provide context and skills that inform the experience of diverse people. Finally, students bring this knowledge to a final capstone course that focuses attention on diversity in the workplace.

“Having a [Dolan] curriculum that reflects the life experiences of all students — and not just the majority — is crucial,” said Kathryn A. Nantz, PhD, professor of economics, who spearheaded the curricular development for the DEI minor and teaches one of the two required courses, "Economics of Race, Class, and Gender in the American Workplace."

The curriculum is designed to provide a depth of understanding to encourage students to recognize the wide range of perspectives that help to shape relationships among people. The goal is for students to acquire the economics and social justice knowledge to work effectively in any organization in pursuit of DEI goals. The capstone course for the minor, "Diversity in the Workplace," will provide students with the opportunity to integrate the content and context they have learned into their understanding of modern business and economic decision-making. Together these courses will enable students to enter the workplace conscious of the many different ways that diverse people and cultures can create more productive and equitable social and economic systems.

“This minor specifically utilizes courses from the Magis Core while fulfilling some of the elective requirements, to further emphasize our institution’s holistic commitment to diversity and inclusion,” said Carl Scheraga, PhD, chair of the Department of Management. “This minor will allow students to make greater connections across core courses, as well as between core courses and their major fields of study.”