Bridge Program: Historical Racism in Higher Ed Today
Check back in Fall 2024 for registration information.
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Institutions of higher education aspire to produce skilled and conscientious citizens while contributing to scientific and humanitarian progress. Yet, they are riddled with racism and inequity. How do historical legacies of racist policy and practice manifest in higher education today? How do they result in inequitable college experiences and access to a degree? And how do commonly held assumptions in higher ed map onto these issues? In this three half-day program, we will begin to explore these questions. We will touch upon systems (e.g., affirmative action, standardized testing, funding inequities), individual experiences (e.g., cultural dissonance, racial invisibility) and belief systems (colorblindness, meritocracy). |
By the end of this program, participants should be able to:
- Identify historical legacies of racism in higher education and explain how these legacies manifest in present day higher education systems
- Describe the role of racism in faculty and student everyday experiences
- Describe how assumptions common in higher ed (e.g., meritocracy, deficit model, colorblindness) contribute to systemic racism in higher ed
Note: This program can be taken as a stand-alone program. However, it also serves as a foundation for the Equity and Inclusion Fellows Program, which takes place throughout the Spring semester. Instructors who plan to join the Equity and Inclusion Fellows Program who are not familiar with the topics described above are encouraged to participate in the bridge program. Interested in Equity and Inclusion Fellows and not sure if you need the bridge? Take this brief self quiz.