Next Generation Equity

For the past decade forward thinkers in higher education have been researching, advocating and exploring equity as a goal and catalyzing concept. Much has been learned throughout the academy, from the examination of individual assignments in a course section all the way to system-wide policy and analysis. Equity thinking is now found throughout higher education,…

Inequity in Action

What is the mission of public four-year colleges? I would wager that most American would say that they should provide high-quality educational opportunities to all students, regardless of wealth, status, and background. The reality, according to a recent study, is different. Our Separate & Unequal Public Colleges, a report from the Georgetown University Center on…

Action In Equity

I was excited and pleased earlier in the month to take part in an equity summit organized by the Partnership for College Completion, a Chicago-based nonprofit. The PCC’s work is in technical support, educational policy and public awareness of college access, affordability and college completion in Illinois. A key aim of the organization is to…

About Equity

Summers offer time to review what has and has not worked over the year, to take stock of resources, and to align plans for the coming autumn. High in my thoughts are questions about how my college can best continue to pursue an equity agenda, a question that I discussed at the AAC&U national conference…

Equity’s Bar is High

Like all worthy goals, equity sets a demanding bar. For higher ed, equity poses special challenges. Community colleges shoulder much of the burden of access. Most the millions who study in community college students enroll with needs and demands that extend well beyond the classroom. Two year students are poorer and more likely to have received a…

Equity and Stereotypes – We Have Much Work To Do

My parents told me when I was a child to avoid stereotyping people. They said that stereotypes were unfair and lazy ways of judging. Their admonitions made sense. Since I wanted to be thought of as a special person, why shouldn’t I do the same for others? It also seemed relatively easy: don’t judge in…