Answering the call for change: Developing and teaching social equity courses in public administration

Abstract

ABSTRACT Despite Minnowbrook’s call in 1968, social equity has been slow to be incorporated into public administration scholarship, teaching, and practice. However, recently, more organizations have promoted a social equity lens in their missions, strategic plans, budgets, hiring decisions, programs, and policies. As a pillar of public administration, this is long overdue. With this increased support, we have also seen a resurgence of dangerous policies and decisions that if successful, could undermine the work that has been done in support of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ). In the face of such adversity, institutions of higher education have the obligation to give public servants the context, language, and skills to advocate for DEIJ. Some programs have thus begun to incorporate DEIJ topics and classes into their curriculum. This paper outlines the process by which a social equity in public service class was prepared and taught.