Educating for Justice Introduction
As the Jesuit university of New York, Fordham is uniquely called to educate for justice. We bring together the intellectual excellence and care for the whole person that have long distinguished Jesuit education with our passion for promoting the dignity and worth of every person and our commitment to faith that does justice.
Firmly rooted in the complex life of New York City, Fordham is a Jesuit research university that advances knowledge and forms students who are eager and able to shape a just and hope-filled future for everyone. At a time when the world needs leaders capable of addressing multifaceted problems with insight, empathy, and expertise, we offer programs that hone students’ capacities for critical thinking, embolden them to shape and embrace their values, and prepare them for lives and careers of meaning. Our faculty and staff invite students to join them in research projects that create new knowledge and support the thriving of the human family. In the next five years, Fordham pledges to contribute to the just renewal of the city, the nation, and the planet through education and research for the common good. We seek to engage deeply and authentically with our local communities to promote mutual learning and solidarity. We commit to making the pursuit of racial, economic, and social justice an inextricable and interdependent part of our academic excellence.
Positioning Fordham as the New York City university indelibly committed to working for justice and student success, the goals and initiatives in this strategic plan define a unique, necessary, and compelling role for Fordham in this fractured world. We seek to engage individuals from racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds currently underrepresented at the University in a purpose-driven and values-based education addressing the debilitating challenges that plague nations and individuals. Fordham is poised to become the institution of choice for students seeking impact in the natural and applied sciences; international students; and students who, like the majority of members of Generation Z, see racism, climate change, economic inequality, and other societal challenges as the defining issues of their lifetime. Achieving our goals positions Fordham as a magnet for these students, for faculty who share their concerns, and for philanthropies and funding agencies; this in turn enables the University to thrive at a time when U.S. higher education is preparing for a significant demographic decline in traditional-age undergraduates. Success with this plan will enable students and colleagues to develop new capacities and deeper relationships that offer personal fulfillment.