Access to education isn’t correlated to just high diverse admissions rates, but access expands to financial access, resources, and support.
Before integration, higher education was free. In order to uphold white supremacy, tuition was enforced to push out marginalized groups. Due to racial and economic discrimination, marginalized groups do not have the same economic possibilities, leading to student debt and financial stress. Most students from disadvantaged backgrounds also have to work while being enrolled full-time to support their studies and their well-being. Putting them at a disadvantage compared to their counterparts who get to just focus on being a student.
Due to the historical lack of access most marginalized students are first-generation students. It is imperative to consider resources that are easily accessible and available to aid these students that are navigating this system. Students are coming from different backgrounds that bring adversity and different challenges. When considering certain practices such as not posting lecture slides, or enforcing a strict attendance policy, directly harms students. Having a framework that holds all students to the same standard is colonial thinking because it doesn’t take account of the social inequalities and barriers that impact each student differently and it isn’t accessible.
Example: Mandatory doctor notes to be excused are inherently classist. Not all students have health insurance, or transportation to be able to provide a “valid” excuse. The student is then further disadvantaged when the professor doesn’t post lecture notes online for absent students, thus the student isn’t able to access the material putting them behind.
The intentionality of the attendance policy and guidelines that aim to enforce rules and structure is supposed to benefit and encourage participation. Yet this colonial thinking that all students are equal puts students who are at a disadvantage even more so. This creates a lack of access, contributing to these disparities.
Outside of institutions, in professions employees do not have to provide proof for their absences. They also have personal days off and vacation days to utilize. I also raise the question, if students feel like they can learn the material without attending lectures, is lecture time being utilized any differently than word for word from the textbook?
What can change?
- Free access to books and programs needed for class
- Resume and cover letter workshops
- Job and scholarship opportunities
- Paid internships
- Having advisors and professors be available and supportive to aid the student
- Transparent and easily accessible access to resources on campus (academic, mental health, financial, disability, etc.)
- Access to class material
- Eliminating zero tolerance policies (i.e., no make-ups or late work)
- Considerate deadlines and flexibility of assignments
- Increasing online opportunities for engagement
- Access to course dates for the upcoming semesters so students can map out their college plans in advance
- Giving information on graduate programs so students can prepare earlier (i.e., knowing what prerequisites are needed so students can better plan out their schedules and knowing about assistantships and research opportunities available)
These are all things educators and institutions can do to help aid students to have the support and foundations to succeed. Reimagining the way the system was conditioned to view access and accessibility, adhering to the needs of students who are being impacted the most.