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St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkill has established a Center for Social Justice, led by the college’s new president, Ken Daly, and co-chaired by Samantha Bazile and Dr. Carolyn Fraker.
From its beginning, St. Thomas Aquinas College and its founders have advocated for the principles of social justice and equity. The Center for Social Justice was formed to foster critical discussions on social issues that promote respect, equity and justice.
“As we start the spring semester today—and as we kick off Black History Month—we are delighted to launch the Center for Social Justice,” said Daly last month.
“As the new president of the college, I am honored to lead this center firsthand and to support our students as they navigate through these challenging times,” he added. “I have established a campus-wide goal of ensuring access to an affordable education for all students and I believe that our new Center for Social Justice will enable us to change the lives of many deserving students and create the caring leaders that we need in the future.”
With two pillars—the Social Justice and Equity Forum and the Justice Studies Institute—the Center for Social Justice expands and reinforces the college’s commitment to the ideals of justice and equality.
The Social Justice and Equity Forum, led by Ms. Bazile, will explore relevant and contemporary issues from the perspective of students and include local and regional public figures.
The SJE Forum, launched July 1, 2020, Daly’s first day as president, met 13 times throughout the fall semester with students, faculty, alumni, trustees and others.
Focus areas included voter registration and education campaigns, Social Justice and Equity Week programming, and awareness forums.
The Justice Studies Institute (JSI), led by Dr. Fraker and housed within the School of Arts and Sciences, will advance interdisciplinary examination and collaboration on justice-based issues. It will enable the college to play an integral role in preparing students for citizenship and fostering democratically engaged communities.
