Search results

Historically minoritized students regularly report hostile campus climates and cultures, but the election of Donald J. Trump and the rise of conservative guest speakers on campuses have contributed to greater unrest. Using campus climate and culture literature as a framework, this paper investigates the impact of anti-Latinx rhetoric and race/ethnic unconscious policies on Latinx undergraduates. Findings from focus groups highlight eight themes: 1) Power of Political Rhetoric and Trump, 2) Coded Language, 3) Unsafe Academic Spaces, 4) Racialization of Immigration as a Latinx/Chicanx Issue, 5) Burnout, Stress, and Racial Battle Fatigue, 6) Balancing Academic Commitments and Social Activism, 7) The Reactive University, and 8) Students Doing the Work of the Administration. This study adds to this body of research by offering a peek into the future of campus climate under a Trump presidency and challenges assumptions that we live in a "color-blind" era.

"When issues of 'diversity' and 'race' arise in higher education scholarship and practice, they frequently mean a focus on students of color. If there are people of color being marginalized on college campuses, there is a structural mechanism facilitating the marginalization. Within this context, this monograph explores the relevance of whiteness to the field of higher education. The problem arises in that whiteness as a racial discourse is continually changing and being reconfigured. That is, whiteness is both real in terms of its impacts on the campus racial dynamics, but it also is fluid and defies absolute classification. Within this context, the current monograph highlights many of the contours of whiteness in higher education, specifically exploring the influence of whiteness on interpersonal interactions, campus climate, culture, ecology, policy, and scholarship. Additionally, it explores what can be done--both individually and institutionally--to address the problem of whiteness in higher education. Ultimately, this monograph is offered from the perspective that racial issues concern everyone, and this engages the possibility of both people of color destabilizing whiteness and white people becoming racial justice allies within the context of higher education institutions"--Back cover

This study examined factors contributing to achievement gaps between White and African American students in 2,868 diverse school districts across the United States. Using pooled data across five school years (2008-2013), six grade levels (grades third to eighth, which typically include students aged 8 years-14 years) and two different subjects (math and English language), descriptive, correlational, and multiple linear regressions were used to identify relevant factors in predicting an achievement gap. Achievement gaps were largest in the south and southwest United States. In addition, results indicate that economic inequality, racial inequality, and household adult education attainment are strongly associated with Black/White student achievement gaps. School-based factors such as per pupil expenditures and teacher/student ratios were not significant predictors. Household adult education attainment was the most significant contributor to achievement gaps, with higher levels of adult education associated with larger achievement gaps, implying that high resource communities may create additional barriers for minority students.