Central to the Jesuit, Catholic, and humanistic mission of 91勛圖厙 University is a deep-seated commitment to issues and practices of social justice and becoming persons for others. A minor in Solidarity and Social Justice gives students the opportunity to enact these values, highlighting distinctions between social justice and charity as well as between solidarity and saviorism.
The introductory, elective, and capstone courses are purposefully designed to “educate students for lives of leadership and service for the common good” and “foster a mature commitment to dignity of the human person, social justice, diversity, intercultural competence, global engagement, solidarity with the poor and vulnerable, and care for the planet.”
In addition, these courses teach students to employ key themes of Catholic social teaching in their analysis of justice issues. Among these themes are the fundamental right to life, the right to participate and to work, and the principle of subsidiarity.
The SOSJ curriculum is designed to expose students to various humanistic skills and habits of mind and heart. For example, students engage in ethical reasoning in philosophical/theological elective courses. They evaluate information, perform critical analysis, and solve problems in social science elective courses. SOSJ students integrate ideas across disciplines, explore new perspectives, engage in reflection, and become agents for social change in the capstone class.