Social Justice & Inclusion

While there are many conceptions of social justice and inclusion in various contexts, for the purposes of this competency area, it is defined here as both a process and a goal which includes the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to create learning environments that foster equitable participation of all groups while seeking to address and acknowledge issues of oppression, privilege, and power. This competency involves student affairs educators who have a sense of their own agency and social responsibility that includes others, their community, and the larger global context. Educators may incorporate social justice and inclusion competencies into their practice through seeking to meet the needs of all groups, equitably distributing resources, raising social consciousness, and repairing past and current harms on campus communities

Social justice and inclusion are an essential to every part of higher education, but are especially prevalent to student affairs. Pursuing athletics has allowed me to work directly with a very diverse population of students who have unique backgrounds and needs throughout their collegiate experience. I began my career as a student intern for a football team - a space that truly challenged my ability to “identify systems of socialization that influence one’s multiple identities…how they impact one’s lived experiences” as this competency area demands. That environment clarified how others’ paths to higher education greatly differed from mine, but solidified my belief that sports can be a vehicle to change lives. However, that internship and my experiences since have also revealed why some student-athletes do not receive the same life-altering benefits from their college experience.

While my professional experience continues to develop my own self-awareness and confidence in applying just practices, the higher education degree program has honed in on my ability to navigate systems of power. In particular, EDLF 6010 Higher Education Finance & Budget and EDLF 7132 Legal Aspects of College Administration have pulled back the curtain. These classes provided a big picture perspective on the ways that obstacles to social justice & inclusion are addressed and/or exacerbated. For example, in EDLF 6010, we put together a sample budget for a single department. This showed just how expensive it is to add staff members and effective programming. To be done right, social justice and inclusion initiatives require legitimate funding and dedicated staff. Finances can be a significant obstacle to bringing the necessary support and educational resources to a community if the administration does not have the budget to cover it.

EDLf 7132 brought a new perspective to the ways that postsecondary institutions strive to protect students and staff members from discrimination. While I hope to never encounter situations that require legal action, I think it is still an important part of “assessing institutional effectiveness in removing barriers to addressing issues of social justice and inclusion.” The most impactful project from this course was a series of case studies presented by myself & my classmates examining specific cases of potential discrimination, malpractice, and policy violations. These examples gave me a better understanding of how to advise a student should they experience discrimination, and how to hold my own department accountable for their procedures.

Moving forward, I will be continuing my career in athletics and will continue to keep social justice & inclusion at the forefront of what I do. I believe the competency component “understand how one is affected by and participates in maintaining systems of oppression, privilege, and power” will be especially important because I am entering the space as a white, able-bodied female. My path to college and experience in university were different from the student-athletes I will be working with, and I want to always approach that as a learning opportunity. I look forward to engaging in difficult conversations with my students and colleagues in order to “facilitate dialogue about issues of social justice, inclusion, power, privilege, and oppression in one’s practice.”