The SAA's mission is to make the Economics Department at Dartmouth more welcoming to FGLI, minority, and other underrepresented students. We strive to sustain students' interest in Economics by providing community, mentorship opportunities, and advocating for change in the Department.
The Call to Action
"The field of economics plays a crucial role in designing and assessing public policies that are critical for addressing racial and ethnic disparities and other vital issues that will later shape the world that we live in. Students who take courses in economics can subsequently have a crucial impact on the world in various occupations. With the skills gained from studying economics, students can pursue careers in government, business, non-profit organizations, and finance.
At Dartmouth College, the representation of Black students in the Economics Department is limited. In the Class of 2020, there were only four Black Economics graduates.
In the Class of 2020, there were only four Black Economics graduates.
Similarly, the Class of 2021 has only two Black Economics majors. These statistics are both shocking and disheartening, considering that economics is the largest major at Dartmouth.
Given the tragic event that occurred in 2020, both the students in the economics department and the faculty have been moved to support people within communities that have suffered racial injustice on an ongoing basis. On June 11, 2020, the Dartmouth Economics Department made a strong statement emphasizing its commitment to Racial Justice. In their statement, the department stressed their desire and commitment to ensure that their classes “are welcoming and inclusive to Black students as well as other students from underrepresented and marginalized groups.”
To make the experience of studying economics more inclusive and more viable in the eyes of minority students, we believe there are barriers that must be broken.
We believe there are barriers that must be broken.
These include, but are not limited to: the feeling of being out of place in the economics department, the belief that privilege is a prerequisite to success in economics, and a lack of guidance from peers in more advanced Economics courses. Without prior knowledge, resources, a community, or mentorship, Black and minority students may struggle to find the motivation required to persist and succeed in pursuing the Economics Major at Dartmouth.
The Sadie Alexander Association will strive to change the pretense that studying economics is disproportionately difficult if you are a minority. We are encouraged by the commitment of the Economics Department to tackle these issues through the work of their Diversity Committee and their willingness to support the work of this organization. In collaboration with the Economics Department, the SAA believes that we can change the current barriers into obstacles of the past and help make Economics a more diverse field of study."
-Preamble, Sadie Alexander Association Constitution