In the United States, in higher education, gaps in retention and graduation rates for students from historically marginalized communities remain at the forefront of college and university diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. This chapter proposes that DEI efforts must go beyond the implementation of a new initiative, program, or service to address the racial and social inequities that manifest as lagging academic outcomes. The author suggests that educators have the power to create environments that result in more equitable outcomes and the potential to advance social and racial justice with each interaction they have with students. By engaging empathy, educators can listen more closely to students' stories, understand those stories more keenly, challenge their explicit and implicit bias, and choose to incorporate new insight into their daily practice. Moreover, when educators consider the whole student experience with greater awareness and care, they help shape policies and procedures that serve students more equitably.
TopIntroduction
To be clear, encouraging empathy as a guiding principle to increase equity in higher education is not intended to perpetuate a kinder form of deficit ideology (that assumes students are solely responsible for the inequities in achievement). In this context, empathy (as an intrapersonal quality and interpersonal skill) frames equity work as the responsibility of educators to fully understand their students and create a more just educational experience.
A moral imperative has been rising within institutions of higher education in the United States (U.S.), a call to action: a) to explore with a critical lens the inequities in academic outcomes for students who remain disenfranchised by the educational system, b) for educators to examine their role in either maintaining the status quo or advancing equity, and c) to rebuild educational structures and systems, to effect meaningful and sustainable change (Bensimon, 2005; Bensimon, 2007; Taylor, 2010). Jacqueline Novogratz (2020), in her book, Manifesto for a Moral Revolution: Practices to Build a Better Word, defined moral not as “strictly adhering to established rules of authority or convention,” but rather “a set of principles focused on elevating our individual and collective dignity” (p. 6). For clarity's sake, the definition of dignity is “the state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect” (Oxford English Dictionary). These definitions offer insight into the current predicament in higher education that requires educators’ close attention. Some students continue to be pressed into the margins of education, whose dignity we must elevate-not because their dignity is inherently less than others but because institutional policies and individual practice continue to uphold a racial (and social) hierarchy of value and worthiness (Kendi, 2019). Admittedly, important gains have been made regarding racial and social justice, equity, and inclusion in higher education. However, educators still grapple with effective ways to ensure that all students’ experiences are honored and treated with respect.
Novogratz (2020) laid out a set of principles that can guide educators in their endeavor to engage this moral imperative. Some of these principles include: a) humility, b) resilience, c) hope, d) compassion, and e) empathy; they are key to valuing another person’s lived experience. This chapter will focus on the principle of empathy and how educators can expand their capacity to demonstrate empathy in their daily practice to support more equitable outcomes for the students they serve.
To be clear, encouraging the use of empathy as a guiding principle to increase equity in higher education is not intended to perpetuate a kinder form of deficit ideology (that holds students solely responsible for the inequities in achievement). In this context, empathy (as an intrapersonal quality and interpersonal skill) frames equity work as the responsibility of educators to fully understand their students and create a more just educational experience. Paul Parkin (2015) described how empathy is first about the person who offers it and how empathy helps individuals connect with others with less assumption, preconceived notions, and bias. He said:
Empathy forges communication that is inquisitive, that is nonjudgmental, that is validating and compassionate. And when we start to communicate in that way, the primary thing that it does is it changes us, it softens us, we see the people in our lives differently. We rewrite the narratives that we tell ourselves about others in the kindest way possible. (5:06-5:28)
Therefore, empathy can help the educator be more attuned, insightful, and knowledgeable. Empathy can assist educators in appreciating students' whole experience, solving problems, enacting change, and reconstructing policies and practices that serve all students and support more equitable outcomes.
TopBackground
People often believe that empathy is the personal quality that allows them to feel another person’s feelings; however, this definition can be misleading and is somewhat limiting. Parkin (2015) argued: