Social Justice, Equity, and Inclusion are not buzz words. Nobody comes to college to fail and nobody plans one’s failure. On the contrary, the student comes to be successful. There are a lot of factors that come into play. An environment where Social Justice, Equity, and Inclusion are promoted, makes the student ready to accomplish the purpose for which one’s come to study. But there is always a pit that separates theory and practice.”Navigating social justice work in their practice remains a challenge for many new HESA educators. Because theories are frequently taught as static in graduate preparation programs, new professionals often struggle to make meaning of applying them in their fluid institutional contexts with students from a variety of experiences and backgrounds”(Boss, G. & al. 2018).
The first step to conciliate theory and practice will be to know all the students who will be under my jurisdiction. When I worked at college in the Democratic Republic of Congo, I knew all the 535 students in my department. I was able to call everyone by name and surname. Students should also be categorized, to discover those from minority groups, who need to feel that the college ecosystem is favorable to them for their development. A pedagogical saying states that to teach Latin to John, you have to know John.
This knowledge will open the door to the different theories to apply, according to the identities of each one.
One of the things to keep in mind is the environment where the students must evolve. My daughter has an aquarium. She changes water every week, so that the fish do not die and that they feel they are in a suitable environment. The fish feel comfortable there and they have reproduced.
One of the ingredients that will enable students to succeed in their studies is Social Justice, Equity, and Inclusion.
What are the forms of oppression, exclusion, privileges, and power on campus? These will be the issues to be fought and eliminated in order to give everyone the same opportunities.
Teamwork can be a way of building relationships among group members. Interesting activities and inclusive programs should be put in place.
Creating current strategic plans for the continued development of inclusive initiatives and practices throughout the institution.
Each time, analyze, criticize and evaluate the practice, in order to improve what needs to be done. Like the fish in the aquarium, students will feel at ease, being the object of the constant attention of the higher education professional that I am. The result would be that everyone will give their best to produce positive results.
Reference
Boss, G., Linder, C., Martin, J., Dean, S., & Fitzer, J. (2018). Conscientious Practice: PostMaster’s Student Affairs Professionals’ Perspectives on Engaging Social Justice. Journal of Students Affairs Research and Practice, 55(4), 373-385.