By: Charlotte Cheek ~Staff Writer~

The study of Capitalism and Society is the newest edition to Xavier’s curriculum. The Smith Center will begin this program in the 2016-17 academic year.

“One thing that we really wanted to emphasize was that this is not promoting capitalism,” Williams College of Business Interim Dean R. Stafford Johnson said. “This is a legitimate study of capitalism.”

Students will be able to take course such as Current Issues in Economics: Capitalism and Other Social Systems, Financial History of the World, Modern Public Finance: The Study of Public Sector Economics in a Market Economy and a first-year seminar will be offered on Modern Times.

In addition to the new courses, the center will bring a variety of programs to campus. For example, there will be student reading and discussion groups, speakers, conferences, public forums and a student-run publication.

“We’re hoping to bring in Joseph Stiglitz,” Johnson said. Stiglitz won a Nobel Prize in economic sciences in 2001.

The student-run publication, X-Economist, is to release its first issue in May. Junior Dan Celani will be the Editor-in-Chief of X-Economist.

“We’re going to focus on world economic news, national news and local Cincinnati stuff,” Celani said. “We’re going to have a group of students give opinions on where the world is heading, economic issues, social issues, what’s going on, how it ties into Xavier community and how college students respond. We’re trying to give a unique perspective on the world.”

“We have access to the Bloomberg terminals, and that access gives us access to all news, information, data, and so on. Without those Bloomberg terminals from the Fifth Third Trading Center, we wouldn’t even imagine doing something like this. I think that’s what’s exciting about it,” he said.

The program has been a recent development by the business college, having been in the works for about a year and a half.

“The creation of the program was at the urging of Steve Smith,” Johnson said. “He’s one of our generous benefactors. He’s been a strong supporter of Xavier.”

“I think what Dean Johnson has done with the business department is incredible. He’s done a great job pushing it forward,” Celani said. “I’m really excited for this. I think it’s going to be a great center. I think it’s going to propel Xavier onto the national stage.”

Although the team creating the center faced some adversity, the center will open in the fall.