1st Edition

Beyond Equity at Community Colleges Bringing Theory into Practice for Justice and Liberation

Edited By Sobia Azhar Khan, Kendra Unruh Copyright 2022
306 Pages 17 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

306 Pages 17 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

306 Pages 17 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

This volume proposes that the work of community colleges has expanded beyond equity into providing a true barrier-free learning environment for students, one that is attuned to justice. The essays included here serve as evidence and examples of the productive ways in which educators may bring theory and practice to bear on each other, which in turn may allow community college faculty, staff, and... Read more

List of Contributors

Acknowledgements

Introduction: Journey Toward Justice: A Call to Action for Community Colleges

Sobia Khan and Kendra Unruh

Chapter 1: The Myth of "Diversity Training" at the Community College: Ten Practical Strategies for Antiracist Instruction and Making Whiteness Visible

Allison A. Parker

Chapter 2: Laying Bare the Foundations: Examining and Confronting Language Expectations in a College Syllabus

James M. Dyer, Emily K. Suh, Britt Posey, and Sam Owens

Chapter 3: Toward an Equitable Pedagogy: Invitational Education in the Community College Classroom

Jodi Van Der Horn-Gibson and Moronke Oshin-Martin

Chapter 4: Relational Poverty Theory in Praxis at San Antonio College

Lisa Black and Tiffany Hernandez

Chapter 5: Integrating Racial Justice Theory into Writing Center Practice

Meghan Facciuto, Susan Griffin, and Katie Pinkston

Chapter 6: Centering from the Margins: The Standpoint of Women of Color STEM Majors in the Community College

Melo-Jean Yap

Chapter 7: Beyond the Language Barrier: Just Approaches to Teaching Literacy in Community Colleges

Sean Ferrier-Watson

Chapter 8: "Those Particular Pleasant Hours": How Community College Choirs Can Transform Equity into Liberation

William Keith Heimann

Chapter 9: Collaboration, Sustained Inquiry, and Epistemic Justice: Worldbuilding in the Community College Research Writing Classroom

Helen Doss

Chapter 10: Moving the Classroom to the Field: Creating Opportunities of Equity and Justice for New York City Community College Students

Shirley Leyro, Crystal C. Rodriguez, Marjaline Vizcarrondo

Chapter 11: One Step Closer to Freedom: How a Trauma-Informed Writing Center Staff Supports Students Upon Reentry

Kirsten A. Moffler-Daykin

Chapter 12: Justice through History, Writing, and Art: The Poorhouse Rag Project

Alicia Matheny Beeson, Traci Dolan-Priestley, Danielle Kelly, Sandra Kolankiewicz, and Joyce Stover

Chapter 13: "We Went from Listening to Authority to Becoming the Authority": Privileging the Voices of Students through Participatory Action Research

Tara Gully-Hightower

Chapter 14: Beyond the Talk: Lived Experience as a Catalyst to Taking Action

Rusa Jeremic

Index

Biography

Sobia Azhar Khan is Provost at Valencia College, East and Lake Nona Campus.

Kendra Unruh is an English faculty member at Dallas College, Richland Campus.

In "Beyond Equity" Sobia Khan, Kendra Unruh, and contributors offer a rich set of practical examples and actionable insights for implementing "equity-focused" and "justice-centered" practices at community colleges. Readers will learn how community college educators across the country are cultivating liberatory spaces across campus— from antiracist instruction to trauma-informed writing centers, participatory action research, community choirs, among many other examples. With a summary of key "equity practices" concluding each chapter, "Beyond Equity" will be a valued handbook on the shelf of any community college educator working toward equity and justice.

-John Fink, Senior Research Associate, Community College Research Center, Teachers College - Columbia University

This book reminds us that as educators, we can’t be neutral on equity. We must decide what we will do to expand our knowledge and implement actions that will support the success of students. The practical strategies outlined in the book answer the how question that so many educators ask. This is a must read for any educator who says equity and justice matter.

-Tia Brown McNair, Ed.D. Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Student Success and Executive Director for TRHT Campus Centers