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Administrators at the University of Utah have launched a new school aimed at race, gender and social justice.

The School for Cultural and Social Transformation, which launched this fall, includes the university's Gender Studies and Ethnic Studies programs, which have been elevated to campus divisions with authority to hire faculty and grant tenure.

In a prepared statement, School for Cultural and Social Transformation Dean Kathryn Bond Stockton said the launch puts the U. ahead of a trend within Pac-12 schools.

"This is a beginning step in the work required to ensure the success of all students," Stockton said, "and better prepare everyone for working together to resolve inequities."

In addition to her new role as dean, Stockton is the university's associate vice president for the Office of Equity and Diversity, which previously oversaw the Gender Studies and Ethnic Studies programs.

No new degree programs have been created with the launch of the school, but Ethnic Studies Division Director Ed Munoz said there are plans to hire three faculty positions in Pacific Islander studies, African American studies and American Indian studies.

"We've been trying to do this for well over six or seven years," he said. "It's going to be a game-changer for us."

The school was proposed in January and approved by the U.'s board of trustees in July.

In addition to major, minor and graduate certificate programs offered through the Gender and Ethnic Studies divisions, the school will coordinate opportunities for students to participate in research and community partnerships, according to Susie Porter, Gender Studies division chairwoman.

She said the school has a greater reach than the students formally enrolled in its programs, as all U. students are required to take a diversity course.

"If students want to move into the workplace, they need to be aware of working in diverse environment," Porter said. "I think that, probably, we're a better society if we can think about diversity."

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