Thread by @asmi248

"Race matters in higher education." - Lorelle L. Espinosa (VP for Research at ACE) #EquityMatters

Pretty good way to get the morning started!

Key Finding #1: Our populace is becoming more educated, as well as more racially and ethnically diverse -- driven largely in part by an increase of Hispanic students. #EquityMatters

Unsurprisingly, Black students have higher debt loads and have a lower completion rate for credentials. #EquityMatters

African-American students borrow at a higher rate and have a larger amount of debt across degree types. #EquityMatters

Q1 for Panel #1: What stood out from the data? What was surprising or affirming?

Nothing was really shocking but, we need to look at the subtlety of subgroups, for example of Asian students to avoid over generalizaton. - Sandy Baum #EquityMatters

Increasing segregation of Black students into For-Profit institutions which leads to heavier debt loads and the intentional marketing by these institutions to Black students. - Ibram Kendi #EquityMatters

Invisibility of Native American students is the new modern of racism towards Native Americans. If we don't see their needs, we cannot meet their needs. - Cecilia Rios-Aguilar #EquityMatters

Also: How 2-year schools are still seen to be "second-class" institutions--- the perception need to be changed when they service such a large part of student population. Cecilia Rios-Aguilar #EquityMatters

Q2: What are other issues that could contribute to the distribution?

Look at hiring, promotion & recruiting practices. We shouldn't be blaming the people who are not at our institutions for not being at our institutions. We need to look at ourselves.- Ibram Kendi #EquityMatters

There is a need for culturally relevant data! Completion rates mean nothing to some students, they're trying to figure our to get back to serve their communities.- Cecilia Rios-Aguilar #EquityMatters

THAT part!!!

We don't need just another website. We need personalized information for students on when, where and what to study. - Sandy Baum #EquityMatters

We need WOC in STEM. They are least likely to be tenured in STEM fields & as students they are enrolled at lower rates in STEM. - Ibram Kendi #EquityMatters

*Sidenote: This is why I have a DEEP appreciation for @LSU Boyd Professor Dr. Isaiah Warner for being a champion! #lplg

The multiplicity of voices of those at the margins will be critical and essential to advancing this conversation. - Cecilia Rios-Aguilar #EquityMatters

Interesting note that Cecilia Rios-Aguilar mentioned again: why students of color select programs that they do.

Every Black medical doctor & lawyer that I *personally* know have all expressed helping their communities as a reason they chose their profession.

#EquityMatters

In the full report, there is a chapter on MSIs (Minority Serving Institutions) such as HBCUs & HSIs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities & Hispanic Serving Institutions, respectively) and how they contribute to completion rates.

#EquityMatters

To increase POC in high-level positions & faculty, some schools are intentionally trying to create diverse candidate pools.

Targeted hires & cluster hires (so a person of color isn't THE only one in a unit) other methods to increase diversity. - Ibram Kendi #EquityMatters

Lorelle Espinosa just hit on what is commonly referred to in Black communities as the "Black Tax" - the invisible work & extra assignments that Black employees are asked to take on such as multiple committee assignments (often without additional compensation 🙃). #EquityMatters

We have to look at the day-to-day interactions that drive our Black students away from our institutions.

How bold and innovative are we going to be? Because this is no longer acceptable! - audience comment #EquityMatters

Because #microaggressions are real!

Q1 of Panel #2 from Ted Mitchell of @ACEducation: How bold are we going to be in changing this reality?

Leadership starts at the top. Presidents set the tone.

How do you hold your VPs accountable to the metrics you said you were gonna meet? - Mildred Garcia #EquityMatters

Let me see if this is bold enough:

The data will stay the same until & unless we mediate the racial illiteracy of people who lead and shape universities. - @DrShaunHarper #EquityMatters

More often than not, institutional leaders have not learned how to close racial gaps in their professional upbringing.

That is part of why the @USC Equity Institute exists. - @DrShaunHarper #EquityMatters

You can't do racial equity if you can't talk about race. - @DrShaunHarper #EquityMatters

Beyond racism, we need White male college presidents and others to address other ideas such as privilege and supremacy. - Julie J. Park #EquityMatters

We have to stop talking about race in silos, but in multiple venues.

What does the Academic Senate look like? What does the Faculty Senate look like? - Mildred Garcia #EquityMatters

The data is good -- and alarming -- but it doesn't capture valuable experiential data from students. - @DrShaunHarper #EquityMatters

So glad @DrShaunHarper mentioned #RacialBattleFatigue (RBF) -- through my doctoral research on Black women administrators at PWIs -- it came up in every, single interview I did.

#EquityMatters

(Also, there's a need for more research on #RBF and Black women.)

Also, shout out to @Rwmitch, @EVP_KA225, Chaunda Allen Mitchell & Kenny J. Fasching Varner for editing Racial Battle Fatigue in Higher Education: Exposing the Myth of Post-Racial America.

(All great colleagues from my time at @LSU!)

#EquityMatters

What if academic coaches acted like athletic coaches when it comes to Black students?

Going out to recruit them? Going sit and meet with their parents? Going seek out the students? Looking at more than SAT & ATC scores? - @DrShaunHarper #EquityMatters

Everyone (administration AND professoriate) has to see addressing these numbers as part of their role. - Tim Mitchell of @ACEducation #EquityMatters

Audience Q: What are some things schools can stop doing immediately to help?

Look at policies to see what is creating barriers for students, such as dropping schedules for small fee balances. - Mildred Garcia #EquityMatters

Do you recruit in the language of the people you're trying to recruit? - Mildred Garcia #EquityMatters

Stop doing what you've always done. Simply placing an ad in @chronicle won't do it any more. We have to re-write job descriptions. - @DrShaunHarper #EquityMatters

Stop acting like the campus is a race-neutral space. Stop acting like inequality ends when students step foot on campus --- campuses reinforce it. - Julie J. Park #EquityMatters

Stop supporting spaces that are known to actively encourage the perpetuation of racism. - Julie J. Park #EquityMatters

College was racist and exclusionary from its start as an enterprise. - @DrShaunHarper #EquityMatters

🗣 THIS!!!

*Sidenote: the Foundations of Higher Ed class at @LSU with @Rwmitch, @ProfWhitmoreEdu, Jared & Nik was 🔥🔥🔥

Audience Q: What are some bold steps college institutions can take to help un/DACA-mentor students & low-income non-traditional students? #EquityMatters

Being there for students in support roles, using organizations to challenge policy, and find alumni who can be selfless champions. - Mildred Garcia #EquityMatters

I have purposely not talked about low-income students because sometimes race gets erased & poverty gets used as a proxy in this conversation. - @DrShaunHarper #EquityMatters

*Sidenote: that was THE SOLE factor in why I chose not to include a faculty member on my committee. 🙃

Graduate programs typically teach students how to prepare policy in a race-neutral state when that isn't the case. That's why I'm a proponent of race-conscious policy making. - @DrShaunHarper #EquityMatters

Excellent panels @ACEducation and awesome job to @lorelleespinosa and her research team! #EquityMatters

I'm sure I'll be referencing the full report often!

(Maybe even a blog submission 👀)