Social Justice and Inclusion
“For the purpose of the Social Justice and Inclusion competency area, social justice is defined as both a process and a goal that includes the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to create learning environments that foster equitable participation of all groups and seeks to address 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. Student affairs 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” (ACPA & NASPA, 2015, p. 30).
College Student Personnel 6035: Multicultural Competence in Student Affairs
Throughout my time in College Student Personnel (CSP) 6035: Multicultural Competence in Student Affairs, I was able to gain abundant knowledge of social justice and inclusion as it relates to me personally and professionally. Course readings allowed me to process various social constructs and identities that result in barriers for individuals within higher education and larger society. Moreover, since participating in the class I have been able to “articulate a foundational understanding of social justice and inclusion within the context of higher education” (ACPA & NASPA, 2015, p. 30) to colleagues and peers. I have been able to use this knowledge to challenge processes within our residence hall, such as previously changing trans* students’ names on mail to reflect their dead name rather than their actual name.
This course also allowed me to “engage in critical reflection in order to identify [my] own prejudices and biases” (ACPA & NASPA, 2015, p. 30). Specifically, the two-stage critical reflection assignment required me to consider how my identities and experiences have caused me to develop certain perceptions of others and the environment in which I exist. Having come from a smaller Midwest town, I needed this time to reflect on my biases as well as ways in which I can deconstruct those. In addition to engaging in critical reflection, this assignment allowed me to “understand how [I am] affected by and participate in maintaining systems of oppression, privilege, and power” (ACPA & NASPA, 2015, p. 30). The assignment required me to explicitly name my own identities and identify their influence on my other identities. I was able to consider how my privileges often lie in my visible perceived identities, such as my race and gender. This was important as I started to see the advantage this provides me, even in conjunction with my marginalized sexual identity. Although the assignment was just one step in the critical reflection process, I now have that skill to carry forward throughout my career. Overall, CSP 6035 provided opportunities for me to apply my previous knowledge and skills, while also challenging myself to continuously grow and develop my social justice and inclusion competence.
​
BG Alternative Breaks Lesson
During the second year in my program, I was asked to create and facilitate one session of the BG Alternative Breaks site leader training. This presentation covered the influence of identity in facilitation. Since the site leaders are in charge of leading reflection amongst their groups, it was important for them to discuss facilitation skills. Further, it was important for them to consider how their identities as well as others’ identities might impact them and their approach to facilitation. Prior to creating this presentation, I took time to reflect on my own identities and my current biases. This process allowed me to continue developing the “engage in critical reflection in order to identify one’s own prejudices and biases” (ACPA & NASPA, 2015, p. 30) outcome.
After taking this time to reflect, I began considering how I could create a space for the site leaders to do the same. By rereading old course materials and engaging with literature from social justice educators, such as Kathy Obear, I was able to develop a training session that included general facilitation skills, reflection on individual’s salient identities, discussion of privilege and power, and consideration of inclusion within a group setting. At the beginning of my facilitation, I established ground rules with the group. I then took time for each of us to introduce ourselves to foster a respectful and genuine setting. Throughout the session, I paused for individual and group reflection, as well as discussion of individual and shared experiences. Additionally, I modeled how to address problematic statements within dialogues. This included providing a new perspective, asking someone to reconsider their thoughts in a new context, or pulling someone aside later to talk. Through successful creation and execution of this presentation, I demonstrated my ability to “effectively facilitate dialogue about issues of social justice, inclusion, power, privilege, and oppression in [my] practice” (ACPA & NASPA, 2015, p. 31). Since this experience, I have continued to facilitate dialogue on this topic in various settings, but this specific presentation was critical for me developing this competency.
​
​
​
American College Personnel Association & National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. (2015). Professional competency areas for student affairs practitioners. Washington, DC: Authors. Retrieved from http://www.naspa.org/images/uploads/main/ACPA_NASPA_Professional_Competencies_FINAL.pdf