The department wishes to develop a set of courses leading to a certificate, or ultimately, program, that will provide students, community members and others around Orange county, coursework that promotes a deeper understanding and engagement with social, policial and economic justice issues on a local, state and national level. Ideally, the goal would be to create a more informed, engaged and active citizenry. One which is critical of power structures and how they interact with issues of race, class, gender and public policy. The ultimate goal is not merely awareness, but the ability of the student to use their new base of knowledge to empower themselves and their communities to create meaningful and positive change around them. This supports college wide goals and impending changes to SUNY General Education. Moreover, it reflects the needs in our communities and nation to stand for positive change at this moment  in our history.