1st Edition
Beyond Equity at Community Colleges Bringing Theory into Practice for Justice and Liberation
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 administrators to reexamine the role of a community college as a space for justice. Topics explored with this volume include liberatory educational practices in and out of the classroom, transforming classrooms into the site of collaboration and contestation, and unique visions of how to promote opportunity for marginalized students. Ultimately, the goal of this edited volume is to explore and encourage community college educators to understand the integral role they play in bringing transformative justice to their students and their communities.
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 UniversityThis 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
