Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice Starter Pack

In 2014, the Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN) conducted a census of the asexual community, receiving over 14,000 responses. Results showed that asexual individuals are first recognizing their asexual identity and coming out to others (if they come out at all) during a time that they will possibility be attending higher education institutions. This makes it crucial for asexual representation and understanding within identity-based departments and organizations of higher education. Participants will gain knowledge of asexuality and the need to build ally curriculum at their own institutions.

In this session, participants will: gain insight into nonmonosexual/BPFQ student experiences at large, public institutions; engage in discussion about inclusive and affirmative language for nonmonosexual/BPFQ and all LGBTQIA students; engage in discussion about best practices used to support nonmonosexual/BPFQ college students; and gain practical tools and knowledge in order to support students with nonmonosexual/BPFQ identities.

Higher education, an institution founded on inequity, has long harbored institutional racism making it difficult for Black male administrators to achieve equitable outcomes with their White peers. This online briefing highlights results from a dissertation study investigating how Black male administrators navigate racism in higher education. Results from this dissertation study are used to inform a new theory and concepts about navigating racism in higher education.

With recent events, being a woman of color has taken on multiple meanings, and finding support within student affairs has never been more crucial. In order to support their students, women of color must also learn how to seek support from each other. This session seeks to continue valuable conversations on the importance of a strong network and creating a support system for women of color. Panelists from different institutions will speak about their experiences and how their identities as a woman of color and a professional intersect, particularly as mentors and mentees.

This program will offer participants an overview of class identity and its corresponding forms of capital (Bourdieu, 1986; Yosso, 2005). The workshop will offer information from research and literature while also allowing participants to reflect on and assess how class identity does and might show up in higher education and student affairs. The three content categories of the session will include: 1) Defining Class, 2) Types of Capital, 3) Interactions Between Class Identity and Student Affairs.

Participants of this live briefing will gain insight regarding the unique issues and challenges students with disabilities and their families face transitioning from high school to college. Participants will gain an understanding of the general policies and laws that guide and determine the accommodations and supports students receive on campus. We will also discuss helpful tips and tools to navigate difficult conversations with families of students with disabilities.

Homelessness among college students is a significant problem. Many young people experiencing homelessness recognize education as a primary pathway toward living wages and healthy, self-sufficient lives, yet they confront tremendous barriers to accessing and completing post-secondary education. This session will help student affairs professionals understand who is considered homeless under various federal laws; how to make the case for supporting homeless students on campus; where to get started or to build upon existing efforts; and legislative efforts to support students experiencing homelessness in higher education.

When student affairs professionals discuss wellbeing, we often consider financial wellbeing, physical wellbeing, emotional wellbeing and social wellbeing. But often forgotten is the importance of spiritual wellbeing, an element highlighted extensively in the 2003-2005 UCLA Study of Spirituality in Higher Education. Follow up work to this seminal study by Dr. Jenny Small and others have found that this area wellbeing may be extraordinarily important for college students. Yet, the data finds that marginalized religious students may be missing out on these benefits due to environmental conditions present on the college campus.