Doing justice, delivering change—Institute launches interdisciplinary minor

Doing justice, delivering change

Institute launches interdisciplinary minor

January 14, 2026

“Whatever you value, be committed to it and let nothing distract you from this goal. The uncommitted life, like Plato’s unexamined life, is not worth living.” —Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C., 1979

Inspired by the legacy of Fr. Hesburgh, the Institute for Social Concern’s Justice & Society Minor invites students into an interdisciplinary community of scholars committed to a more just world. The minor is designed for students who refuse to accept the world simply as it is. It is for students who aspire to be the spark for change.

The minor brings together classical theoretical inquiry and contemporary practical application. As society faces increasingly complex challenges, students engage different classical and contemporary theories of what is right, just, and fair while gaining the research skills that are essential to create meaningful change.

“We believe that a commitment to justice is a fundamental lens through which to understand, experience, and, indeed, change the world,” says Suzanne Shanahan, the Leo and Arlene Hawk Executive Director of the institute.

“Whether pursuing a degree in engineering or English, students gain a foundational understanding of justice with which to enhance their degree. The minor forms leaders of consequence through a constructive collision of perspectives where business and biology majors grapple with wicked problems, bringing their unique expertise to the table.”

“A commitment to justice is a fundamental lens through which to understand, experience, and, indeed, change the world.”

Dan Graff, professor of the practice at the institute and co-director of the minor, notes that the minor is “rooted in the institute’s commitment to combining rigorous academic inquiry with authentic community engagement.”

He adds that “the minor synthesizes traditional interdisciplinary scholarship with practitioner knowledge and wisdom to help students imagine and promote uniquely just solutions to today’s most pressing social problems.”

The curriculum is structured to allow students to build on their current majors, adding a robust understanding of what justice is and how it intersects with pressing issues such as emerging technology, global migration, and labor practices. Students master the foundations of historical and contemporary theories of justice while learning how to use data and inquiry to foster a more just world.

“Injustice doesn’t respect departmental boundaries. It is deep-rooted and complex,” says Graff. “To eradicate it, students must learn to build upon—and then transcend—their major expertise.”

“Injustice doesn’t respect departmental boundaries.”

The program consists of a 15-credit pathway, beginning with a foundational course titled Doing Justice, taught by Graff. The dynamic course offered this spring is a deep dive into the different theories of justice but also introduces a set of contemporary and historical case studies in the form of memoirs, plays, and exhibits for students to apply the theoretical traditions.

Students then select three elective courses from across the institute and University. In this way, they customize their education and supplement their understanding of justice through diverse perspectives and disciplines.

The culmination of the minor is a collaborative capstone studio called Delivering Justice. In this course, students transition from classroom inquiry to public scholarship. They develop tangible projects—such as policy memos, op-eds, or exhibits—based on the original research they have conducted throughout the program.

This emphasis on public-facing work ensures that students graduate with a portfolio that demonstrates their ability to communicate complex ideas to a wider audience and implement justice-oriented solutions in their future careers across fields and professions.

“Students learn to see the people impacted by injustice as names and not numbers.”

“Motivated by Catholic social teaching, our core courses move students from theory to informed action,” explains Connie Snyder Mick, professor of the practice and co-director of the minor. Eschewing lifeless abstraction, Mick emphasizes that students in the minor approach questions of justice by getting proximate to those most affected.

“Students learn to see the people impacted by injustice as names and not numbers,” Mick says. “And through collaborative research, they draw from, integrate, and refine the skills they bring from their major to advance the cause of justice in society.”

Want to learn more about the Justice & Society Minor? Join the institute for bonfire, s’mores, and hot cocoa at the launch party on January 15 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Geddes Hall.