The University of Minnesota is considering abolishing its social justice minor program amidst budget cuts and tuition increases, according to this column on mndaily.com.

However, columnist Lolla Mohammed Nur said the program, which is part of the School of Social Work, should not be judged simply by the revenue it generates or the number of students in its classes.

The program is valuable because it helps students learn how to organize against issues like social inequality, privilege and racism, she said. Students have launched a letter writing campaign to keep the program alive.

“Everything has a relationship to social justice … We’re not really engaged in that [kind of] talk because people either aren’t aware of it or they don’t see it because they are privileged,” said Khong Xiong, a former student in the program.

Social work has deep ties to social justice. To learn more visit the National Association of Social Workers Peace and Social Justice practice Web page by clicking here.