Jeff Charis-Carlson

jcharisc@press-citizen.com

The University of Iowa is looking to add a new bachelor’s program in social justice.

If approved by the Iowa Board of Regents during Thursday's meeting in Iowa City, the program would be the first undergraduate degree explicitly focused on social justice or human rights in any Iowa college or university.

"The proposed program will appeal to students who want a vocation related to helping others, or careers in government services or the nonprofit sector, but are not necessarily interested in teaching or social work," the proposal states.

Over the past decade, there has been an increase in students who work as volunteers, activists and advocates and who are interested in careers with nonprofits and in government, UI officials said Wednesday during a meeting of the regents' Academic and Student Affairs Committee in Iowa City.

Student demand for the program, said UI Provost Barry Butler, can be seen in the full enrollment in the university's Justice For All living learning community as well as in the positive reaction to a recent first-year seminar on social justice.

Many of these students have found homes in the traditional majors at UI, according to the proposal. A growing number of students, however, “have expressed a desire to integrate academic work more deeply with anticipated career paths.”

Those career options include working in nonprofits, advocacy groups, public health, education and social services.

The new program would be housed in UI’s Department of Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies, which has a history of "creating opportunities for real-world experience tied to classroom experience," according to the proposal.

Although there no other specific social justice programs in the state, Iowa universities and colleges do offer some programs with similar goals.

Iowa State University, for example, offers program in Global Resource Systems as well as a program in Child, Adult and Family Services; Grinnell College has a program in Global Development Studies; and the University of Northern Iowa has a program in Family Services and other in Gerontology that explores some of the same themes.

Enrollment is expected to be 25 students during year one of the new program, increasing to 110 students by year seven.

Because of its interdisciplinary nature, the program is not expected to require any new costs during years one and two. Plans are to add a part-time lecturer in year three, depending on the need.

Reach Jeff Charis-Carlson at jcharisc@press-citizen.com or 319-887-5435. Follow him on Twitter at @jeffcharis.