Abstract
This chapter describes the creation of a workshop that focuses on institutional capacity building through fostering and developing culturally aware mentorship practices across institutional barriers. The theme of the work is a commitment to fostering a personal journey and in connection fostering relationships with others. Fostering connection and relationships creates a thriving inclusive support network that extends far beyond the classrooms and student centers, and into other important spaces where non-instructional staff, faculty, and administration can effectively support and mentor our students. What may not have been intentional but was an effective component in the success of these workshops was the collaboration between the authors as staff and faculty coming together to create and present these culturally based mentorship workshops.
“Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth.” Marian Wright Edelman
TopPhilosophy
The vision of creating equity and inclusion is one that is of the utmost importance, and yet is one of the hardest to enact in academia. There are a host of systems set up that serve as barriers or microbarriers to true equity and inclusion (Johnson, 2016). Further, academic institutions use systems, such as meritocracy, that when enacted by a majority group singly reflect the values of that majority group, again setting up barriers or microbarriers to the goal of equity and inclusion (e.g., Collier & Morgan, 2008). To enact the vision of equity and inclusion means changing systems and structures that have been in place for a long time. Additionally, many of these systems are often perceived to be working fine “most of the time,” making enacting real change difficult. This is a hard truth in this work--the vision enacted is a slow arduous process that frequently feels like a two steps forward one step back process.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Microbarriers: Obstacles that hinder progress toward equity and exclusion. Usually expressed due to lack of cultural competence through policy, practice, and attitude.
Black Lives Matter: A political and social movement that started as a hashtag to elevate the inequities of Black Americans and police brutality.
Student Affairs: Departments within a college or university that provide support to students outside of the classroom.
Siloed: The act of working in isolation of each other.
Partnership Model: The act of university faculty and staff working together as partners.
Systemic Oppression: Intentional disadvantaging of groups based on their identity and advantaging a dominant group.
Oppressive Policies: Policies that produce inequities and disadvantage, non-dominant groups.
Academic Affairs: Departments within a college or university responsible for student learning and course work.