Thoughts on Student Activism, Student Affairs, & IU on Strike

“I wish they looked less at our tactics and more at the ideas behind them.”

(Student member of IU on Strike, personal communication, 2013)

From IU on Strike's tumblr page: http://iuonstrike.tumblr.com/post/47678403790/more-photos-from-banner-making-today#notes

Yesterday afternoon at the Indiana Memorial Union I met with one of the organizers of IU on Strike, a movement that grew out of Occupy IU and today is going “on strike” on Indiana University’s campus (Fater &Stefanski, 2013). You can find out more from them via their Twitter and Tumblr pages.

Student activism is an interesting topic within my chosen field of student affairs & higher education. There are those who lament the apathy of current college students. There are those who quietly scorn them, already disenchanted themselves on the efforts of a few to make effective change.

And then there are those like me, who embrace the Student Personnel Point of View (1949) perspective that believes one of the goals of higher education is “Education for a fuller realization of democracy in every phase of living” (p.2).

I’ve been observing the IU on Strike movement this year because of my own past experiences with student activism at Bowling Green State University and my work experience as a community organization with BUILD in Lexington, KY. To me, there is nothing more important than students becoming engaged in their community and working towards social justice and democracy.

I admit my experience with activism is much different than the IU on Strike students. As a student representative through the Undergraduate Student Government I worked with the system to make change – and then, when the system did not yield during a few situations, I worked outside of it, such as the time a group of good people and I fundraised nearly $7,000 to pay the salary of a victim advocate position in the BGSU Women’s Center. Over the years there was success, there was failure, and there were some things I wish I had done differently. Yet thanks to those experiences I am an engaged citizen, just like the SPPV (1949) desired :)

But regardless of my different experiences compared to IU on Strike, I want to understand. Because with a growing sense of horror (in a way), I realize that I am the Man. I work for the university. I work for the establishment. There are those who would not recognize me as a peer today that once may have.

My role is shifting.

And as it does, I cannot help but wonder about student activism and administrative responses. This is why I am working on a paper to explore the history of student activism and meeting with students from IU on Strike. I want to understand.

Student Affairs personnel need to come to an understanding as well regarding the needs and desires of our students in relation to their passions and activism.  We need contemplate our role within the system and with our students.

“For me, the strike is a lot more about calling attention to these demands and letting the administration know we’re not OK with this...than a dialogue with the administration about how exactly they should go about doing these things,” IU on Strike representative Kelly Thomas said.”

(Fater &Stefanski, 2013).

Some food for thought:

1.  Student activists like IU on Strike state that their goal is to draw attention to the issues but not engage the administration because they do not trust the university administration or the police. Why is there a lack of distrust? How can we overcome that barrier and reach a mutual understanding? How can we work together? Is this possible?
2. How do we support our students when they become engaged in activism?
3.   How to we approach and engage student activists, especially when we are in upper administration?
4.  As Xenia Markowitt asked, “Is It My Job to Teach the Revolution?” (2009). And what does that look like? How do we teach students how to advocate for themselves and issues that matter to them?
5.  Eric Stoller once commented on how there are not enough radical practitioners in student affairs. Is this true? And what role does this play into the conversation? (Stoller, 2012)

References

IU on Strike. Twitter. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/@iuonstrike

IU on Strike Tumblr. Retrieved from http://iuonstrike.tumblr.com/

Student Personnel Point of View (1949) Retrieved from http://www.naspa.org/pubs/files/StudAff_1949.pdf

Lare, J.C. (October 16, 2009). Is it my job to teach the revolution? Jenny c. lares. Retrieved from http://jennylares.com/?p=780 -- NOTE: If you do not have access to Markowitt's article on The Chronicle, you can read it for free via this blog.

Markowitt, X. (October 11, 2009). Is it my job to teach the revolution? The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/Is-It-My-Job-to-Teach-the-R/48725/

Stoller, E. (January 16, 2012). Where are all the radical practicioners? Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/where-are-radical-practitioners

Fater T. & Stefanski M. (April 10, 2013). IU on Strike outlines demands. IDS. Retrieved from http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=92261

I Have Thus Far Survived Grad School

Hi! I’m back.

Yeah, so…haven’t updated this since October. Fortunately, I use Facebook more often than Joss Whedon kills a beloved character, so all my family and friends know that I have thus far survived graduate school. Otherwise, you’d probably think I quit grad school in October.

Not that I didn’t consider that…repeatedly…

heh. heh. jk...

But yes, I have survived! Yay! So far, anyways. We still have three weeks left of classes and papers and projects. Odin knows if I’ll survive that far.

Is that a "no", Odin? Aww...

Like most student affairs graduate students, I’ve been reflecting a lot. It’s kind of our thing, after all. There are a lot of ideas and thoughts floating through my head, so I thought I’d start blogging again in order to work these ideas out.

Future blog posts will likely feature subjects such as “Why Everyone Wants to Quit During the First Semester of Graduate School and Hates Their Life” as well as ponderings about social media in student affairs, issues of diversity, “What Student Affairs Curriculum Needs to Include (Hint: More Business, More Mental/Behavioral Health Training)”, and more.

Not to mention: I AM STUDYING ABROAD THIS SUMMER, WOO!!!

Yay!!!

So look for my updates! They may be entertaining, thoughtful, informative, or at least something better than reading about the history of colonial colleges.

And YOU get a free point, and YOU get a free point...EVERYBODY GETS FREE POINTS!

Okay, that first post where I was freaking out about schoolwork? Things have gotten better as I've grown more accustomed to grading and reading and writing all academic-like.

Yup. I'm getting all intelligent like up here in grad school...more or less!

So I'm getting on top of things and went to Oncourse to check to see the participation assignment for one of my classes next week.

And then I saw...

Group work on your functional area wiki Everyone gets a point! Enjoy your fall break as well!

Ahhhhhhh YAY!!!!

 NO PARTICIPATION ASSIGNMENT!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!

This is my professor, basically. (and why yes I did create this. Ahh, Photoshop, how I love thee.)

I think my cohort members and I are all pretty pleased with this.

Survey results show...yes.

Although...I know that our professor really only did that because this is the month of Hell-tober where we all must work simultaneously on 7-ish group projects and begin researching our term papers.

My life for the next 8 weeks.

But you know what? Whatevs. I'll take what I can get. Thanks!

"Aw, gee, thanks!"

IU Homecoming: "In Loco Parentis" is Over, Clean up Your Cups!

The HESA student organization hosted a tailgating tent today for IU’s Homecoming. As a student at BGSU I never went tailgating (it was never really a ‘thing’) so I decided to head out today. I figured “Hey, a Big 10 school must have some interesting traditions.”

If by “interesting” you mean unadulterated chaos.

I honestly believe I saw this facial expression at least twice.

 So my brother and I are there at the HESA tent hanging out when someone asks if we had seen the student section of the tailgate area.

“No,” said I.   

Their lips curled into a mischievous smile and they told me to walk past the alumni center to check it out.

So, cool. My brother and I are walking over, amused by how many people are still walking around and it is 20 minutes until game time. We check behind the alumni center but just see mostly families tailgating. “Ahh, it must be on the other side of the alumni center". So we continued onwards…and then a dim buzzing noise filled our ears.

Have we finally found this magical land of student tailgating?

The buzzing grew louder with each step, like an nest of angry, drunk hornets. Finally the field came into view as we stepped over the hill.

The student tailgating area made me think of the epic battles in 300: a sea of writhing people and the deafening sound of voices, except instead of bodies, the field was littered with the corpses of empty beer cans and Solo Cups.

Oh, and basically this:

"YAY BEER!"

 My first thought (only because the nearby students were blasting Don Omar and dang do I need some reggaeton in my life here) was:

Technically this is the "I can see Russia from my house!" dance.

 Then I realized I am old. (Basically.)

Plus…my inner environmentalist cried many sad tears at the sight of all the beer cans & Solo Cups.

Exhibit A:

A graveyard of Solo Cups. Don't weep for me, IU.

And that made me all:

REALLY? LIKE WE REALLY CAN NOT CLEAN UP AFTER OURSELVES, MY DEAR COLLEGE STUDENTS?? DON'T Y'ALL KNOW THAT "IN LOCO PARENTIS" IS OVER???!!! 

We are not your mothers!! Throw away those cups!!!!

And then I realized:

No. Big 10 undergrad tailgates are not for me.

So yeah, ugh. This was all toooooo much for me. I prefer my undergraduate time of Homecoming celebrations at BGSU – in a giant bird suit.

What? Wearing a bird suit is a totally valid lifestyle!

Oh well. Every college has a culture. If anything, I am just smirking on the inside on how everyone will feel tomorrow:

Being hungover sucks - good luck tomorrow, dear IU students ;)

Are We Serving Students with Disabilities the Way We Should?

Hello Dearest Readers!

Just a word of warning - this blog will not only cover my graduate school experiences but will also include miscellaneous thoughts pertaining to higher education

And gifs. Claro.

Lately I've been thinking about the services we offer students with disabilities at institutions of higher education. This is a topic that is of personal interest to me and one that I don’t think is addressed often enough.

I'll preface this piece with the statement that I am just beginning my studies in higher education so I have yet to learn about how colleges support students with disabilities, outside of my lived experiences. But it is something that I have questions about.

I do question the commitment that universities may have to students with disabilities....but before we get into that, let's go over the basics:

That's right, get comfy. I'm bout to drop some knowledge on y'all

American with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 provides federal guidelines for increasing accessibility with people with disabilities

What is a Disability (as defined by the ADA)?

1. A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of the individual;
2. A record of such an impairment; or
3. Being regarded as having such an impairment

What Types of Disabilities Are There?
According to Southern New Hampshire University, the following is a brief list of people affected by the ADA:

All conditions which entitled a student to receive special education while attending grade school (e.g., mental retardation, learning disabilities, serious emotional disturbances), AIDS, cancer, alcohol or drug addiction (so long as the student is not a current user of unlawful drugs), environmental illness, attention deficit disorder, diabetes, asthma, physical disabilities, behavior disorders, etc., so long as the condition substantially limits a major life activity.

How Does the ADA Affect Higher Ed?

Section 504 states:

No otherwise qualified individual with disabilities in the United States...shall, solely by reason of his/her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance...

In essence, an institution of higher education must provide reasonable accommodations. These could include: class notes, extended test taking time, tutoring, books in braile or audio, and other accommodations. And believe me, I know that there are many professionals in higher education that are working to make sure students feel comfortable in their new academic environment.

But I question the lack of critical thinking about how and where we are providing those services.

A Brief Critique (because I do not have time for an in-depth analysis - I got papers and reading and grad work, oh my!)

I know two universities that place their Office of Disability Services on the 3rd or 4th floor of a building. Bowling Green State University, my alma mater, has its office on the 4th floor of South Hall, one of the oldest buildings on campus with an elevator that has seen better days (about two decades ago). My current institution, Indiana University, hosts its office on the 4th floor of the H B Wells library.

Why yes, there are elevators in each of these buildings, but...really? That just feels rather insensitive to me. It is an additional stress to students with physical disabilities and increases difficulty in the case of exiting for an emergency.

Not completely accurate, granted. But in case of a fire…I mean, really?

It seems surprising that these universities would not consider our students with physical disabilities when it comes to designating their space on campus. Especially when it seems that the term "disability" is immediately equated to a physical disability, in the minds of many people - which isn't fair to students at all. Which leads me to the idea that I feel like many people - students, faculty, staff, etc - forget that there are other impairing disabilities.
 

Conditions that I am especially aware of, due to personal experiences with family/friends, include learning disabilities/cognitive disorders and psychiatric disorders.

Anecdotal evidence points to the fact that many staff and faculty members do not understand the full extent of limitations and possibilities associated with these conditions. This is understandable - there are a plethora of conditions under these two main headings (autism spectrum disorder, attention deficient disorder, depression, schizophrenia, etc). But we're doing a disservice to our students by not attaining a full grasp of these issues. After all, how can we properly counsel or teach students if we’re unaware of the connection between their disability and completing college? 

There is still a stigma in society concerning these conditions and I wonder at the acceptance level that exists - mind you, I'm not saying that faculty and staff do not care about these issues, but I do think there are cases where they do not "get it". These "invisible disabilities" are sometimes met with skepticism and I know personally of cases where professors don't really think that the student has a 'disability' and are less than accommodating.

Of course, the response to these critiques is to a)move disability services to a ground floor office and b)make sure more training is provided for understanding the various conditions that affect students. I understand that the former issue may require funds for renovations or the political pieces of 'taking' a different department's office. The latter would result from more funds (to invest in training) and time (spent training instead of daily tasks - because great training on disabilities requires more than just a 2 hour seminar). Additionally the trainings become very expensive when you begin adding up all the administrative staff and faculty members on a campus. But I challenge my peers in higher education to review these issues and take action on their campuses.  Show your commitment to diversity and accessibility through action, not words.

If we are truly focused, as a community, on helping students succeed, we need to make sure we are helping all students succeed.

Quick Facts:

• In 1988, 16% of students reported having a learning disability. In 2001 this number more than doubled to 40.1%. (Southern New Hampshire University
• The proportion of full-time freshmen who reported having one or more disabilities increased from 2.6% in 1978 to a high of 8.2% in 1994, and most recently, 6.0% in 2000 (Henderson, 2001
• At postsecondary educational institutions, enrollment of students with a psychiatric disability has grown from an estimated 2.6% in 1978 to more than 9.0% in 1998 (Collins, 2000).
• While services at postsecondary institutions are in place to effectively meet the educational needs of students with physical disabilities, the educational needs of students with mental disabilities have met with limited success (Collins & Mowbray, 2005b; Loewen, 1993; Mowbray et al., 2006). 
• Approximately 86% of students who have a psychological disorder withdraw from college prior to completing their degree (Collins & Mowbray, 2005a)

What Do You Think?

Are we doing enough in higher education to meet the needs of our students with disabilities? What more could be done? What universities out there are doing a great job of addressing these diverse and intricate needs?

And finally, what are you doing to help address these needs?

Want to learn more?

Northern Illinois University has a great basic breakdown of the different types of disabilities as well as some statistical data: http://www.niu.edu/success/disabilities.shtml . Also, be sure to check out the references – I found some great articles.

References
Collins, K. D. (2000). Coordination of rehabilitation services in higher education for students with psychiatric disabilities. Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling, 31(4), 36-39.

Collins, M. E., & Mowbray, C. T. (2005a). Higher education and psychiatric disabilities: National survey of campus disability services. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 75, 304-315.

Collins, M. E., & Mowbray, C. T. (2005b). Understanding the policy context for supporting students with psychiatric disabilities in higher education. Community Mental Health Journal, 41, 431-450.

Henderson, C. (2001) College freshmen with disabilities: a biennial statistical profile. Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education.

Kiuhara, S., & Huefner, D. (2008). Students with psychiatric disabilities in higher education settings: the Americans With Disabilities Act and beyond. Journal Of Disability Policy Studies, 19(2), 103-113.

Northern Illinois University. Enhancing Success for Students with Disabilities. Retrieved on October 3, 2012 from http://www.niu.edu/success/disabilities.shtml.

Southern New Hampshire University. Rights and Responsibilities of Students in Higher Education (ADA). Retrieved on October 3, 2012 from http://www.snhu.edu/1350.asp.

Wilhelm, S. (2003). Accommodating Mental Disabilities in Higher Education: A Practical Guide to ADA Requirements. Journal Of Law & Education, 32(2), 217-237.