“We are in a car together; I am driving, and you are helping me make decisions about the route.” — J, a first-generation African American college student who recently graduated from community college
As we begin a new academic year, colleges and universities prepare to greet a new group of diverse students of different races, ethnicities, cultures, genders, socioeconomic statuses, gender identities, sexual orientations, national origins, religions, and more.
And yet, although we know the numbers and state our commitment to diversity and inclusion on posters, on websites, and in speeches, I wonder if we are truly creating intentionally inclusive learning environments that value all students.
I wonder if we are really ready for this journey, or car ride, where students are heading to our college and university communities deserving guidance, support, and acknowledgement of who they are and where they come from.
Considering J’s car journey analogy, I wonder how committed colleges are to creating a smooth ride, with a functioning and updated GPS, that leads to a destination where students are seen, supported, valued, and celebrated.
At the end of last year, I reconnected with J, with whom I had worked several years ago. He has lived a challenging life and, in his words, “continues to strive for higher education and a better way of life without any positive role models or a support system.”
His life and journey highlight the many unfortunate cracks in the U.S. education and related, intertwined systems. Many of the people who were supposed to support him instead challenged him, mocked him, and doubted his ability to succeed. In high school, a teacher told him that he would not graduate, and another instructor said that he would probably “only go to community college.”
Despite the challenges and the people who doubted him, he has successfully graduated from community college and will be continuing his education in the fall. His journey to prepare for going away to school has been filled with questions, new experiences, and moments of confusion and self-doubt.
Many of the people who were supposed to support him instead challenged him, mocked him, and doubted his ability to succeed. In high school, a teacher told him that he would not graduate, and another instructor said that he would probably “only go to community college.”
During his college search process, I accompanied J on two college visits to schools within the State University of New York (SUNY) system. I had not planned to be part of these visits; my plan was to send targeted emails to people on campus who could send some suggestions on names, offices, and information that might be helpful to a first-generation student who is a young man of color. Although I emailed people who were listed as responsible for diversity and inclusion, I received no replies.
Trips to campuses are fun and filled with new experiences. However, they can also feel isolating and intimidating.
Neither orientation nor the campus tour mentioned first-generation college students or diversity and inclusion. They talked about academics, social life, studying abroad, sports, roommates, the food on campus, and traveling home — but nothing that would signal that they are aware of, welcoming of, and prepared for minority or first-generation students.
What I have learned from my daily interactions with J is that colleges and universities have not yet structured their processes or programs for people who might not have strong support systems or previous connections to higher education.
According to a January 2016 Washington Post article, nearly one-third of all college students — including those at both two- and four-year institutions — are first-generation. “These students are also more likely to be minorities, and they are far less likely to graduate,” the article reads. “In six years, 40 percent of first-generation students will have earned a bachelor’s or an associate degree or a certificate, versus 55 percent of their peers whose parents attended college.”
As an African American male, J was struck by the lack of people of color and other African American men on both college campuses. We had discussed this before our visits, but the reality was quite different for him. These and other factors bring forth the question: Are our colleges and universities willing, able, and interested in having conversations with students about identity, race and racism, and the realities of “onlyness”?
We know that as a country we need to do a better job of engaging more men of color and committing to increased awareness around how we can authentically contribute to their success. Nationally, there are programs that are working to truly address the inequality of access and opportunity.
We need to help students see themselves and their abilities to learn, grow, and thrive in campus communities. Many first-generation college programs are encouraging students to share their stories and journeys with others. The White House’s “I’m First” storytelling project focuses on first-generation students sharing their adventures. First Lady Michelle Obama participated in the project by sharing her own story about her first year at college.
We have the research, are aware of the statistics, and know that education and equity are usually said to be essential components of the missions of our institutions. Moving forward, I hope that colleges and universities will look at their strategies, programs, and personnel as they think about diversity and inclusion. It requires more than a well-crafted statement and photos of diverse students on university Web pages.
True, intentional inclusion requires that we address unconscious biases, narratives of “a typical student,” programs, processes, services, and social and academic offerings that have not been updated to include the realities of many students of color and those who are first-generation.
When I asked J what he would recommend to colleges and universities, his responses were specific and powerful:
“First-generation college students need a strong support system to keep them motivated and a program to bring them all together, so they know they are not alone nor the only first-generation college student on campus. There should be a program working with first-generation students one-on-one to make sure they do not slip or get discouraged, because sometimes we can feel as if we do not belong.”
Some additional suggestions for schools that wish to create an intentionally inclusive and welcoming environment include:
● Mention diversity during orientation. What is your commitment to diversity and inclusion? Do you have specific programs? If you truly believe in the importance of diversity, then you will talk about it as a strength for everyone.
● Mention first-generation college students. Let students know they are not invisible.
● Invest in advisers, programs, and education for first-generation students. Most college and university websites do not mention these students. Assumptions are made about information, knowledge, and support.
● Identify people and offices that can support students of color and those who are first-generation.
● Focus on empathy. How might you create programs that support people who are different from the majority of your students? How might you look to focus on the strengths, resilience, and unique life experiences of diverse students?
● Align your words with your website and marketing materials.
● View diversity and inclusion as a mindset, not a project, training program, or office in X building
on campus.
Diversity and inclusion in the workplace, society, and education require that we think about the full life cycle of individuals — including students. We want to be thinking about how they experience our campus communities from the time they first hear about us to the moment they walk across the stage at graduation.
True, intentional inclusion requires that we address unconscious biases, narratives of “a typical student,” programs, processes, services, and social and academic offerings that have not been updated to include the realities of many students of color and those who are first-generation.
Our globally connected, technologically advanced, and VUCA — volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous — society needs brilliant and diverse minds. Are we creating communities and systems that welcome and support them?●
Tanya M. Odom, EdM, is a global diversity and inclusion consultant and leadership coach. She is a member of the INSIGHT Into Diversity Editorial Board.
