The author recounts how they could not "be myself" or be authentic in the same way that White peers could without being stereotyped as anything other than a typical college student. The article endeavors to interrogate the loose, subjective definition of authenticity in higher education as a potentially precarious practice for BIPOC who…

For years university administrators and faculty have navigated the complex and difficult terrain responding to demands for equity and inclusion from marginalized students. Most recently, the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 responses on communities of color has caused some students to allege the nation's universities did not adequately consider…

After years of enrolling high numbers of Hispanic/Latinx students, Northern Arizona University (NAU) gained Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) status in Spring 2021. The institution currently enrolls a Hispanic/Latinx community of 25%. However, servingness is not accurately reflected through percentages alone. Rather, a university that engages in…

Higher education demographics continue to shift, with students from various minoritized identities increasing in enrollment. Yet, retention, completion, and success rates remain scarce for these students. Current metrics uphold homophobic and transphobic binaries in the categorization of gender and sexualities prohibiting higher education…

The United States continues to become more racially and ethnically diverse, and the nation's colleges and universities' demographics are commensurate with that growth. Between 1976 and 2017, the percentage of White students enrolled in postsecondary institutions fell from 84% to 56%, while the percentage of American college students who identify…

In this article, the author explores how higher education and student affairs (HESA) administrators can conceptualize servingness by understanding the experiences of Black students, administrators, and faculty at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). The author uses an organizational conflict lens to propose recommendations that could support HESA…

The climate for minoritized groups in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is exclusionary and hinders their capacity to thrive and earn degrees in STEM disciplines. Most research on and support for programs to diversify technology and STEM fields have focused on strategies in highly selective, well-resourced institutions, which…

Despite tempting illusions of college campuses as bubbles removed from "the real world", college students are not immune to trauma in its many forms including sexual violence, racism, death of loved ones, car accidents, abuse, or natural disasters. In the best-case scenario, colleges and their administrators and faculty can be sources of…

Though traditionally confined to the literature classroom, poetry is finding its way into courses of all disciplines in K-12 and higher education. Poetry and expressive writing are useful for encouraging critical thinking, serving as a way for students to synthesize course content, and building classroom rapport. It can also positively impact…

The COVID-19 global pandemic brought unexpected challenges to the curricular and co-curricular offerings of the Women and Gender Studies Program (WGST) at George Mason University. In March 2020, all courses were immediately transitioned to virtual, online experiences--none had previously been offered in a virtual format, programming ceased, and…

In this article, the author describes the changes to their work in higher education due to the COVID-19 international pandemic. The move away from campus and in-person meetings and interactions to work-from-home and videoconferencing led the author to consider the changes to the students lives: What was it like for them taking their last steps off…

One subpopulation of students on the rise at many university campuses is e-sport gamers or "e-athletes." Video gamers are giving a new definition to the traditional athlete and are attracting the attention of athletic administrators, who are willing to fund scholarships to attract today's top e-athlete. The relationship between gamers…

Assessment of program outcomes and student learning outcomes has become a major tool for institutional self-study and self-improvement in higher education. This article is about the student learning assessment process that was developed at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) which may have the potential for a wider audience. The author…

For Native American students planning to attend college or university, an Indigenous-friendly campus environment and robust resources are central for their success as students and community members. But what does this look like? The authors reflect on their own experiences, and set out to answer this question by considering the variety of ways…

Indigenous peoples embody their sovereignty in higher education through their ancestors and deities. The author reflects and shares his personal experiences as a Hawaiian in higher education, and asks the question, "How do we Indigenize the social sciences for the future?" He utilizes an ?o¯lelo no?eau (proverb) - ?o ka wa¯ ma mua, ?o ka…