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Advising as Activism

Explore advocating for students and integrating social justice into academic advising. Learn activist teaching, local context, community feedback, and standing in solidarity with marginalized groups.

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Advising as Activism

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  1. Standing with Students in a Turbulent Political Climate Advising as Activism Noéll Bernard-Kingsley, Tori Gottlieb, Nell Gross, Meghan Oxley, Samantha Scherer | University of Washington - Seattle UW/Community College Advising Conference - Friday April 27, 2018

  2. Agenda • What’s happening at our institution? • How did we respond? • Our ideas for moving forward • What changes can you enact at your institutions?

  3. Advisers as Advocates “Advisors often see themselves as advocates for their students. Therefore, advisors should speak up and challenge institutional barriers, such as inequitable policies and practices that unfairly affect students and teach students how to advocate for themselves and others.” Integrating Social Justice and Academic Advising Robin Arnsperger Selzer, University of CincinnatiJanelle Ellis Rouse, Elon University

  4. Activist Advising as Activist Teaching “The politics of transformational change require challenging dominant interests and the beliefs and practices that sustain unjust power in everyday life... teacher activists are charged with being politically astute educators. Their work calls them to contribute to equity in outcomes for students, schools, and the wider community in concrete as well as metamorphic ways. An activist orientation develops when educators begin to understand their practices and themselves as responsible and vital participants in relationship to the dynamic society in which they live and work.” Yes, good teachers can be activists William Ayers, Crystal Laura, Rick Ayers, salon.com

  5. Local Context • Turbulent political climate and post-election tension • Interactions with/observations of campus community members • Politically-charged violence on campus, including shooting on Inauguration Day in Red Square • Doxxing of several UW students who participated in Inauguration Day teach-in • Seattle Public School Black Lives Matter event

  6. “Can advisers mark themselves as allies?” On May 23, 2017 approximately 70 academic adviser and student support professionals gathered together in Red Square to show support for UW students in an increasingly turbulent political and cultural climate.

  7. Feedback From Participants & Community Members • Good first step, grass roots effort • Effective in that it elicited sizable community participation, received media attention, identified that our community has a desire to be active • Lacked direction and tangible effect—hard to know if the event achieved its purpose, was visible/impactful enough • Event was organized without input from campus partners (and students) who are most knowledgeable and experienced in understanding the needs of and reaching out to marginalized students • Concern that the event could be interpreted as “ally theater” rather than effective activism on the behalf of our marginalized students

  8. Standing with Our Community “We are united in our commitment to eliminate opportunity gaps... We respect our teachers’ rights and desire to express themselves... We hope the message inspires people to do the work on eliminating opportunity gaps.” 2,000 Seattle teachers wear Black Lives Matter shirts to school King 5 News, 10/19/16

  9. Standing with Our Students Shoulder to Shoulder A Collective Effort by 43 Students, Final Project for BISCLA 383: Contemporary Muslim Artists University of Washington Bothell, 12/8/16 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Hm_3Hs3muE

  10. Standing with Our Students “Due to the threat of violence, the main campus libraries will be closed, and events, such as the Everybody Every Body Fashion Show and the Young, Gifted, and Black conference for high school students, are canceled. By enabling this rally, UW is sending a message to its students: your safety, your body is less important than this event.” Your safety is canceled. (response to 2/10/18 UWCR/Patriot Prayer event) Scientists Advocating for Representation, Justice and Equity (SARJE) Blog 2/9/18

  11. Standing with Our Colleagues “I have become conditioned to lean myself up against the wall inside the elevator as it ascends to this 9 to 5 world where everyone has the unspoken agreement that racism doesn’t exist unless a higher up talks about it.I was reminded again after Charlottesville. Coming into work after those events, it was a silence so great you could hear a pin drop only to be disrupted by talk of the impending eclipse.” Do Black Lives Matter in the workplace? Colleagues should do more Tierra Johnson, Seattle Globalist 9/13/17

  12. Standing with Our Faculty Partners “I have been assaulted, raped, harassed, demeaned, belittled, and threatened on the job… Every single professional gig that you might read on my CV comes with a litany of backstories of abuse and violence. Even worse, our harassers are often our scientific ‘colleagues’ and coauthors–they are powerful men who gatekeep our careers or publications. Indeed, my own CV contains the names of multiple men who have harassed or demeaned me.” The Culture of Harassing and Demeaning Women Scientists Sarah Myhre, The Stranger 11/17/17

  13. Pause and Reflect Think to yourself for 1 minute about the following questions. Feel free to take notes on your thoughts if you’d like. • What brought you to today’s session? Do you have questions, concerns, suggestions, ideas? • What is the community atmosphere on your campus? When & how did you become aware of this? • What are you hearing from students that they need? • How are you listening to those who are most vulnerable?

  14. Share Your Thoughts Turn to 1 other person at your table to form a pair or group of 3. Based on your previous reflection, please share your answers to the following questions, with 2 minutes per person. We will remind you when it is time to switch to the next person. • What does an equitable campus community look like to you? • What role do you and other advisers on your campus play in advocating for students’ needs? • What obstacles have you found or expect to find in organizing for change?

  15. Suggestions for Activism in Advising Practices • Workshops/discussions in partnership with other units on campus (D Center, Q Center, Leadership Without Borders, Green Dot, etc.) • Solicit input from students: focus groups, surveys, student leaders, etc. • Campaign highlighting diversity on campus • Signage/handouts highlighting specific actions we will take to support students and community expectations • Adviser/student brown bag conversations in response to incidents • Advocacy for sanctuary spaces, rapid response network, etc. • Support from Dean’s offices/administration • Statement for email signature • Email “hotline” for anonymous student questions • Working group

  16. Continuing the Conversation • Join our Facebook group where you can share resources and get ideas from other institutions: @Advising As Activism (NACADA Region 8) • Not on Facebook? Visit the Advising as Activism website for resources: https://sites.google.com/uw.edu/advisingasactivism • What else?

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