OAJ Hot Take: Heller's MPP Environmental Justice Concentration Faces Extinction
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The piece below is part of our weekly blog post series written by the Open-Air Journal team where we explore issues at Heller, current events, or whatever is presently on our minds.
In the last week of February, Heller’s first year MPP Environmental Justice (EJ) concentrators met to discuss next semester’s courses, only to discover that the public policy program decided to discontinue the concentration in its entirety. Despite recognizing EJ as the intersection of social justice and climate change, two of the most pressing and important issues of this century, the school has slated the concentration for cancellation in yet another case of cost-saving eliminations. Coupled with the recent announcement of the discontinuation of the Social Impact MBA program, students are experiencing Heller’s cuts with alarming frequency. The school introduced the EJ concentration in the fall of 2021 under former concentration chair Susan Curnan, who recently left her position at Brandeis. The Heller School showcased the interdisciplinary nature of the concentration and stressed the vital importance of policies that establish fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race or income, in environmental decision-making. However, the school's most intersectional concentration has a fresh headstone in the ever-expanding Brandeis graveyard of financial cuts.
Environmental justice is unique in its applicability, and few fields are as timely in content. EJ addresses race, class, gender, and economics, encapsulating these concepts and applying them to climate change. Soon-to-be departed Heller courses such as “Environmental Justice and the Human Effects of Climate Change” seek to develop this vibrant discussion. In this course, students gain invaluable insights into the interconnectedness of social inequalities and environmental degradation, preparing them to advocate for marginalized communities and create sustainable solutions in a world increasingly affected by climate change.
President Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act included the creation of the Justice40 Initiative which mandates that the federal programs receiving $118 billion in funding through the IRA must allocate at least 40% of benefits to communities overburdened by pollution. Biden’s IRA represents the most significant investment by the United States in tackling climate change and facilitating the shift toward renewable energy sources, yet Heller is dropping the EJ concentration despite federal policy just beginning to formally recognize the field. Additionally, EJ job opportunities are growing nationwide, but future MPP graduates will be unprepared and untrained with the complexities required to navigate the intersectional focus.
Administrators told EJ students the concentration is getting axed because of decreased admissions. Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Prakash Kashwan temporarily assumed the role left vacant by Curnan. However, due to staffing problems, the program will not find a professor or concentration chair for EJ, resulting in a further drain on limited resources. This, combined with the impending departure of Interim Dean Madison, portrays a school that is short-staffed and short-sighted. Heller appears to be failing to recognize the importance of the social justice aspect touted as its primary marketing tactic in every brochure and newsletter.
Additionally, the university only offered EJ students the option to take consortium classes or undergraduate courses to fulfill the concentration requirements. However, to be frank, if I wanted to go to MIT, Tufts, or BU, I would have. Since Brandeis does not subsidize transit costs, getting to a class in Boston would be a drain on an already limited student budget. I sought out Heller’s unique social justice focus that offered a close-knit, diverse community and specialized courses. How progressive can a school be when it terminates a crucial and highly relevant concentration like EJ? While Heller may face severe financial cuts, the EJ concentration should not be subject to such austerity measures.
Heller's decision to discontinue the EJ concentration represents a disheartening exodus from its professed values of social justice and equity. At a time when the urgency of addressing environmental challenges is undeniable, the loss of this interdisciplinary focus for MPP students is a missed opportunity to equip future change-makers with the tools and perspectives necessary for meaningful change. As we navigate an increasingly complex landscape of social and environmental crises, institutions like Heller must reaffirm their commitment to justice and sustainability, rather than yielding to short-sighted cost-saving measures. The legacy of the Environmental Justice concentration serves as a reminder of the transformative potential to center marginalized voices and embrace the interconnectedness of social and environmental issues. Its absence leaves a void not easily filled and underscores the imperative for institutions to prioritize principles over expediency in shaping the leaders of tomorrow.