Social Justice and Inclusion
As a continually growing professional, the competency of Social Justice and Inclusion is one that has developed the most over the past two years. During my first year as a graduate student, I did not emphasis social justice very much, nor was I cognizant of my development and the role my privilege plays in how effective an advisor and professional that I can be. The competency seeks to allow for room to discuss topics such as oppression and privilege and navigate tougher conversations that still need to be had.
One way that I have been able to talk through social justice more as a concept is through the new restructuring of the Homecoming Student Steering Committee (HSSC). My supervisor and I have both been working through intentionally changing the setup of the leadership team of the HSSC in order to reflect the student population of Bowling Green State University. This commitment to social justice can be seen through asking social justice related questions within the interview for the director and assistant director positions. The overall structure of the HSSC now focuses on having representatives from organizations that are made of marginalized identities, including the Black Student Union, Latino Student Union, Vision, as well as all the councils within Fraternity and Sorority Life.
This setup, while its intention was to create a collaborative relationship between a truly more diverse representations of the students of BGSU, was not very well received from the students of the National PanHellenic Council (NPHC). Because I was committed to the advanced outcome of “foster and promote an institutional culture that supports the free and open expression of ideas, identities, and beliefs, and where individuals have the capacity to negotiate different standpoints” (ACPA & NASPA 2015, p. 31), I sought after NPHC and attended a meeting in order to explain why Homecoming was an event that was for them. Through my commitment to social justice and inclusion, I was able to have a real conversation about the issue of Homecoming being predominantly White and how that culture needed to change.
Me with the Homecoming Student Steering Committee in the Fall of 2015
My shift of importance on social justice and inclusion was also prompted by the program that I created for the Multicultural Competence in Student Affairs course that I took. This program was designed to discuss identity development and was presented to members of the Multicultural Greek Council. The program itself (see below for PowerPoint slides used during the presentation) was created to be presented to all four councils within Fraternity and Sorority Life, however only members of the Multicultural Greek Council were in attendance. Throughout this presentation, there were several opportunities for participants to reflect on their personal identity in a safe and inclusive environment. An intermediate outcome reflects that one should “provide opportunities to reflect and evaluate on one’s participation in systems of oppression, privilege, and power without shaming others” (ACPA & NASPA 2015, p. 31). The conversations that I had with the program participants allowed space and time for everyone to talk about their personal development as well as how as members of both privileged and marginalized identities, we can all work together to create a more inclusive environment.
Throughout my graduate experience, I have sought out opportunities to have dialogues with others regarding social justice. The creation of inclusive spaces has become both a personal and professional value of mine, and I strive to incorporate social justice and inclusion into as many aspects of my life as possible. With my work with the Homecoming Student Steering Committee I have been able to facilitate conversations regarding the intersectionality of identities and how to create a culture surrounding collaboration while still remaining aware of any explicit and implicit biases and prejudices. With my classwork through the Multicultural Competence in Student Affairs and specifically the work I completed creating and implementing the program, I have been able to see and remove barriers while still knowing my role in how to break down walls surrounding the topic of social justice.
