Welcome to the first GAPS Students and Young People Bulletin. This bulletin edition, which will appear four times a year, is focussing on the commitment of students and young people towards a more accessible post-secondary education across the world. We are aiming to provide a platform for students, young people and their organisations to showcase their activities, but also to emphasise what is important from a young generations perspective. Additionally this special editions will include input from institutions, organisations and individuals who are interested to listen to new perspectives and want to ensure the participation of students and young people.
Next to this special edition there is also a monthly GAPS bulletin available aiming to be a resource to those engaged in access.
GAPS is an initiative aiming to extend access and equity in post-secondary education across the world through advocacy and action. GAPS is aiming to build a worldwide network of organisations and individuals committed to post secondary education access and equity. GAPS is an initiative led by the European Access Network (EAN).
The Global Access to Post-Secondary education (GAPS) initiative believes that students and young people are not only the future for the access movement, but also a source of creative thinking, lobbyists for change and role models for other young people and potential students. Students and young people are in the centre of what we do and therefore we focus on engaging individual students and young people but also on the organisations that work with or for them.
Our target is to create a global network of students and young people which ensures that the voice of the next generation is heard and these young activists can play a vital role in the access movement. Through the work with this network we will:
Enable students and young people to be active participants in our events
Create a virtual community to share experiences and best practice
Develop a global network of students unions and other student/young people organisations
Establish an ‘Ambassador Award’ which awards those students/young people or their organisations who showed a strong commitment towards access
Integration of young post-graduates and PhD students in the research activities of GAPS
The students and young people special edition of the GAPS bulletin is meant to be a platform to provide evidence how students and young people work on access and how they think about it. We aim to publish four times a year such a special bulletin and if you have input or ideas for the next issue please feel free to contact us.
In this first issue we will learn about how students influence the social dimension agenda, what the role of minority serving institutions in the United States is, why homophobia and transphobia are considered to be an access barrier and why equity matters from the perspective of the Lumina Foundation. The last article in this edition talks about the sense of belonging and how challenging perceptions sometimes are. But, also how to change it and how to raise awareness. If ‘I, Too, Am…’ inspires you to shoot your own picture or share your message please feel free to share it with us via twitter @gapseducation #ITooAm
For now we hope you enjoy the first edition of the students and young people bulletin and we are looking forward to receive stories, reports, pictures, commentaries etc. how young people influence and change access to post-secondary education.
Kind regards,
Florian & Graeme
Why Equity Matters to Postsecondary Student Success
Why Equity Matters
While the face of America is changing, economic and social inequities among racial and ethnic groups persist. Historical and current patterns of discrimination, segregation and racism continue to foster disparities that make it increasingly difficult to achieve “the American dream.†Native American, African American and Latino students are disproportionately poor, have less access to quality education, and are underrepresented in positions of power. Without intentional and focused efforts to address inequality in our society, the gaps will only continue to grow.
Education is the great equalizer. However, racial and ethnic stratification plague America’s educational system. Schools are more segregated than a decade ago; dropout rates are highest among African American, Native American and Latino students; and these students are less likely to earn a postsecondary credential or degree.
Lumina’s Commitment
Since its inception in 2000, Lumina Foundation has focused on increasing access and success for all students in postsecondary education. The Foundation has made a consistent commitment to address the needs of those who have historically been underserved by higher education through efforts ranging from information-based programs to targeted support for minority-serving institutions. In 2008, Lumina sharpened its mission and centered all of its efforts on Goal 2025, which seeks to increase the percentage of Americans with high-quality postsecondary credentials to 60 percent by 2025. To reach Goal 2025, Lumina quickly realized the need for a student-centered higher education system that focuses on student learning outcomes, values diverse learning styles, and provides affordable paths for students to attain their educational goals.
Simply stated, the higher education system in America is in need of major redesign. While we know that educational attainment is at the center of civic, social and economic success, the current system prevents an increasing number of students from realizing that success — particularly those who have been historically excluded from and served the least by the existing structure. The system must be redesigned in a way that values the diverse pathways by which students obtain the knowledge, skills and abilities they need to succeed in the workplace and in life. Achieving Goal 2025 requires Lumina to acknowledge systemic disparities and to place equity and excellence at the center of all of its work.
Equity means:
Recognition of the need to eliminate disparities in educational outcomes of students from historically underserved and underrepresented populations;
Elimination of widening postsecondary attainment gaps for Native American, African American and Latino students;
Creation of opportunities, sharing of resources, and empowering students for success; and
Focus on institutional accountability rather than student deficits.
Excellence means:
Offering clear, flexible and transparent pathways to students in their pursuit of postsecondary credentials;
Defining credits and credentials by learning and competencies rather than time;
Assuring that high-quality learning aligns with 21st century workforce and industry needs; and
Building an affordable system with incentives that encourage students and institutions to increase attainment and close achievement gaps.
Student Voice
Major change movements in American higher education have historically started or been energized by college students seeking to transform the status quo. In order to create a truly student-centered system, Lumina recognizes the importance of strengthening student voice in its strategies and exploring partnerships with national student organizations dedicated to improving American higher education. Given the changing demographics of America, students must be on-the-ground raising awareness of the inequities in higher education while at the same time harnessing support to create policy change on a local and national level. By working with such organizations as Young Invincibles, Student-focused Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs), and the National Campus Leadership Council (NCLC), Lumina seeks to empower students to advance policies and practices that will close the attainment gaps of Native American, African American and Latino students.
Young Invincibles: www.younginvincibles.org
Student PIRGs: www.uspirg.org
National Campus Leadership Council: www.nationalcampusleaders.org
Without student voice, and more specifically without students demanding equitable access for all to a quality college education, little will change. If students are to be global citizens committed to advancing economic and social prosperity, they must pay attention to not only what is taught but who is taught. Only by focusing on equity AND excellence as co-driving forces can students truly address the social and economic challenges that continue to plague our world and hinder the ability for our citizens to flourish and succeed.
#EquityMatters
How students influence the social dimension agenda
Often the participation in higher education was a privilege for minor part of the society. Today the situation has changed, but access is still not provided to all potential students. The student population is bigger and more diverse than ever and is going to grow and diversify even more in the near future. But is this a good moment for stakeholders and especially the student movement to lean back and congratulate themselves for this achievement? Certainly not: it is time to reflect for a minute on what has been done and what the next steps are. There is still a long way to go before equality in access to (higher) education is achieved.
The European Students' Union (ESU) is the umbrella organisation of 47 National Unions of Students (NUS) from 39 countries. National Unions of Students are open to all students in their respective country regardless of political persuasion, religion, ethnic or cultural origin, sexual orientation or social standing. ESU’s members are also student-run, autonomous, representative and operate according to democratic principles. The aim of ESU itself is to represent and promote the educational, social, economic and cultural interests of students at the European level towards all relevant bodies. In particular these are the European Union,the Bologna Follow Up Group, the Council of Europe and the UNESCO. Through its members, ESU represents over 14 million students in Europe. ESU’s mission is to represent, defend and strengthen students’ educational, democratic, political and social rights. ESU is working for a sustainable, accessible and high quality higher education in Europe. ESU’s vision is an equal accessible education system and an open and democratic Europe where social opportunities are provided and students are involved in shaping a sustainable future.
ESU has been fighting for equal access and still considers the topic as one of its main priorities. With the evolution of the Bologna Process the engagement regarding social dimension in general, and access and widening participation in specific, became more and more important. One of the key drivers behind the creation of the social dimension has been ESU. The organization introduced the concept of social dimension in the beginning and ensured its importance within the European Higher Education Area over time. The preliminary idea of the social dimension (from a student perspective) was to counterbalance the so far solely economically driven Bologna Process. Within publications, like ‘Bologna with students’ eyes’, ESU reflects regularly on the developments of the social dimension and provides evidence for obstacles and missing action.
ESU has been involved on a policy level, meanwhile it organises training and seminars to support its members with the needed knowledge. These activities for the members are thought to be an empowerment, so that National Unions of Students’ can push for implementing the social dimension and an improved access of higher education on their nation level. Additionally ESU aims to enable participants to act as experts and multiplicators. Not only ESU has been playing an important role with regards to the social dimension, also its members and the local student unions have been playing a vital role. In many countries national and local student organizations have been raising their voice for an improved educational outcome equality and have been supportive for students in need. Especially the local organisations are often providing practical help, e.g. counseling hours or social fonds. Examples for further reading are provided by the IDEAS project, where ESU is involved as a partner. On all levels achievements were gained and the concept of the social dimension filled with concrete measures. A first step will be achieved with the process of realising the diversity of the current and potential future student population. The awareness that not each student has the same needs for support and guidance to be successful in higher education can help to create specific targets. Sometimes this process of recognising the diversity is also a learning process for the student movement itself. ESU has identified several marginalised groups and developed strategies to support the needs of these groups. Examples for the identified groups are students from a low socio-economic status background, the LGBT community, students with mental problems and physical disabilities or students who are caretaker for siblings. ESU consulted its members to identify those groups and also specialised institutions and organisations, however the target groups were not a strongly involved as it could be. The consultation process often included information from outside higher education to create a more complete picture.
Even though the willingness and the need to achieve outcome equality or in other words to treat every student equal but different in order to provide opportunities to successfully complete higher education is assured, the realisation seems to be more complicated. In theory a lot of strategies and ideas are in place but the actual implementation is lacking. Often this lack of action is justified with economical reasons and missing knowledge regarding efficiency. ESU in contrast claims more action towards the inclusivity of higher education despite economical problems as education could be seen as an investment in educational sustainability.
Various projects all over the world provide narratives and proofs, that the change of structures and an improved accessibility is possible. These projects often come from small initiatives and networks and are anchored on a faculty or local level. They are often based on the key-lock-principle. This implies that practical and detailed action plans are developed in order to provide the best fitting support based on the given need. This kind of grass root work can serve as role models or even blueprints which can be adapted in different environments and on different levels. Additionally these projects are not necessarily linked to high costs. ESU is strongly supporting these initiatives and especially the involved student bodies. This is one of the reasons why ESU is a partner of Peer Learning for Social Dimension (PL4SD) a European Commission funded project which aims to collect best practice examples and initiatives that are already in place. The online database is thought to inspire stakeholders who are searching for measurements and strategies. ESU sees this database as a significant tool on the one hand to facilitate possible actions, also for the student movement, i and on the other hand to provide arguments in the fight for equal access and successful participation.
An up-coming topic for the social dimension is the integration of students with a migrant background, a working area where Europe still has to catch up. The political developments around the world over the past years have increased the urge to work on this topic. This is why ESU for the past year has been involved in the SIRIUS Network. A network which connects different stakeholders like policy makers, practitioners and researchers to work successfully on this topic from all around Europe. ESU hopes that the recommendations of the networks will be implemented.
Going back to the question raised in the beginning of this article if it is time to lean back and to celebrate the achievements: It might be a moment to lean back to reflect, but there is still a long way to go and students are an important actor for a more accessible higher education system and a more inclusive society.
From El Salvador to the United States
After receiving a scholarship to attend an international school in El Salvador, I was primed to consider the United States as a country where I could continue my education. I applied to a few schools in the United States, knowing that the resources I could tap abroad would be different from those in El Salvador, yet aware that these opportunities had a price tag attached that would be well beyond the means that could be supported by my family’s income. To my surprise, I was fortunate to receive a generous grant-based financial aid package. For me, this meant that I could attend college in the United States and my family would have a lesser financial burden than if I had stayed in El Salvador. In retrospect, wading through the treacherous waters of financial aid literacy was a mixture of fortunate friends who helped me make sense out of these issues alongside my family’s resolve to support me as I explored opportunities beyond national boundaries.
My education was fully supported by institutional grants, though this is by no means the norm—64.7% of international students state that their families and personal funds are the primary source of funding for their college education. Indeed, the more time I spent in the United States, the more I realized that the current landscape of access to higher education in the United States is less promising than I imagined when I was still in El Salvador. From the rise of for-profit institutions (and their disproportionately higher loan default rates for their students), to the increasingly louder discourse of debilitating student debt in mainstream media, the promise of attending college in pursuit of a better (or more stable) future has become a pricey rung to climb in an increasingly unequal social ladder in the United States.
Adding race to conversations about access to postsecondary education
As an outsider to the history of racism in this country, my time here has reminded me that racism in the United States abounds. However, unlike the blatantly overt racism of earlier centuries, its contemporary kin—what some would call institutionalized racism—is quieter, persistent and all the more insidious. When we talk about issues of access to postsecondary education in the United States and its accompanying ills, such as rising student debt and default rates in the for-profit sector, we cannot ignore that these are inherently racialized phenomena. We must keep in mind that youth unemployment is higher for youth of color, making student debt more debilitating for these students. We must keep in mind that the value of a degree is different depending on the color of one’s skin. Racism under any other name is racism just the same. Like U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor stated in a judicial dissent on the uncertain future of affirmative action policies in higher education, “the way to stop discrimination on the subject of race is to speak openly and candidly on the subject of race.†(p. 46). If we are to properly address the precarious futures of higher education in the United States, we must put the covert racism of the system on the table. I believe that a particular subset of postsecondary institutions in this country can lead that charge: Minority Serving Institutions.
Overall, MSIs enroll ~20% of the entire undergraduate population in the United States, yet represent less than 8% of all institutions participating in federal financial aid programs. They also serve the needs of students who are least likely to attend and persist throughout postsecondary education. In a recent report from the Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions, we demonstrate that two-year MSIs enroll over half (55%) of the entire student population of color attending two-year colleges. Moreover, these institutions can be more affordable for students. For example, at Tribal Colleges, the average net price in 2012-2013 was $7,016 per year, while the average net price at community colleges nationwide was $9,574. These are a couple of examples of MSIs’ ongoing work. This is not to say that they do not face ongoing challenges. Indeed, they are consistently slighted for underperforming in traditional metrics of success, yet few critics consider that these institutions are not playing in a level playing field. To ensure the democratic principles of postsecondary education in the United States, we must continue to learn from MSIs. These institutions enable us continue asking critical questions about the inextricable connection between the United States’ history of racism and the current issues access to postsecondary education by keeping racial matters at the forefront.
Homophobia and transphobia: an access barrier to post-secondary education
George-Konstantinos Charonis
Executive Board Member (Education & Social Inclusion Officer) IGLYO – International LGBTQ Youth and Student Organisation
Education is recognised as a fundamental human right in a multitude of documents pertaining to international law (UN 1948, 1966, 1989 & Council of Europe 1952), however research from various countries is increasingly proving that this right is not guaranteed for all learners. Real or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression are a common cause for bullying or social exclusion in the school environment, in turn affecting the aspirations and access of bullied students to post-secondary education.
Certain common themes emerge from studies investigating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) young people’s experiences in school. Drawing primarily on data from Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, a brief overview of the most common themes along with concrete examples of each is provided below. These three case studies were chosen due to availability of data; the analysis is not exhaustive or representative but can be viewed as broadly indicative.
While research on homophobic and transphobic bullying and its impacts is mostly available in Western nations, UNESCO’s Good Policy and Practice in HIV and Health Education Booklet number 8, Education Sector Responses to Homophobic Bullying (UNESCO 2012), offers information from across the globe, providing an overview of the context and rationale for addressing homophobic bullying and possible ways of taking action, with concrete examples of policies and practices.
Change of plans for future education
US: Students who experienced higher levels of victimisation in school because of their sexual orientation or gender expression were more than twice as likely to report that they didn’t plan to pursue any post-secondary education than those who experienced lower levels (10.7% vs. 5.1%) (GLSEN 2011)
UK: homophobic bullying causes 32% of gay pupils who experience such bullying to change their plans for future education (Stonewall 2012)
Europe:[1] The majority of students (46%) surveyed indicated that they thought their aspirations/plans for the future had been affected by experiences/fear of bullying/discrimination connected to their identity (IGLYO 2013)
Mental health and wellbeing, including suicidality
US: Students who experienced higher levels of victimisation based on their sexual orientation or gender expression had higher levels of depression than those who reported lower levels of those types of victimisation (GLSEN 2011)
UK: 23% of LGB young people have tried to take their own life at some point, compared to 7% of all young people in general (Stonewall 2012)
Negative comments and name-calling
EU: 91% of LGBT people living in the EU reported hearing negative comments or seeing negative conduct because a schoolmate was perceived to be LGBT during their schooling before the age of 18 (EU FRA 2013)
UK: 99% of LGB youth hear phrases such as ‘that’s so gay’ or ‘you’re so gay’ in school (Stonewall 2012)
US: 84.9% of students hear ‘gay’ used in a negative way frequently or often at school and 91.4% felt distressed because of this. Furthermore, 56.9% reported hearing homophobic remarks from teachers or other school staff (GLSEN 2011)
Verbal harassment, cyberbullying and physical abuse
UK: 53% of gay pupils experience verbal bullying; 23% experience cyberbullying and 16% experience physical abuse, while 6% of LGB pupils are subject to death threats (Stonewall 2012)
US: 38.3% of LGBT students were physically harassed (pushed or shoved) because of their sexual orientation and 27.1% because of their gender expression. 18.3% were physically assaulted (punched, kicked, etc…) because of their sexual orientation and 12.4% because of their gender expression. 55% experienced electronic harassment (GLSEN 2011).
Canada: 74% of trans students, 55% of sexual minority students and 26% of non-LGBTQ students reported having been verbally harassed about their gender expression, while 20% of LGBTQ students and almost 10% of non-LGBTQ students reported being physically harassed or assaulted about their perceived sexual orientation or gender identity (Egale 2011)
Feeling of insecurity at school, reduced school attendance and performance
Canada: 64% of LGBTQ students reported that they feel unsafe at school, while 30.2% reported skipping as they felt unsafe at school or on their way to school (Egale 2011)
UK: 44% of LGB pupils who experience homophobic bullying skip school because of it, while 13% skip school more than six times (Stonewall 2012)
US: 63.5% of LGBT students felt unsafe because of their sexual orientation, 43.9% because of their gender expression. 31.8% missed at least one entire day of school in the past month because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable. Students who were more frequently harassed due to their gender sexual orientation or gender expression had lower grade point averages than students who were less often harassed (2.9 vs. 3.2) (GLSEN 2011)
Future considerations
After taking stock of the status quo as summarised by the data provided above, a logical next step is to consider appropriate responses to combatting homophobic and transphobic bullying. While a variety of national-level resources exist, IGLYO – the International LGBTQ Youth and Student Organisation, has a series of relevant resources including the Minimum standards to combat homophobic and transphobic bullying (2014), as well as the Inclusive Education Guidelines (2015, forthcoming) and Position Paper on Education (2012).
IGLYO’s four Minimum Standards for combatting homophobic and transphobic bullying are intended as a minimum benchmark, and are as follows:
Policies and training: educational institutions must mandate diversity and/or anti-bullying policies or strategies that explicitly include sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression; all staff including teachers and administrators must receive training in order to have the competence to discuss topics and issues relating to sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
Student support systems: all students and particularly those exposed to homophobic or transphobic bullying must have access to sufficient psychological and learning support.
Systematic data collection: statistical data on homophobic and transphobic bullying in educational institutions must be collected systematically with the aim of identifying and monitoring the nature, extent and impact of bullying based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
Multilevel policies and approach: anti-bullying policies and strategies that are inclusive of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression must be pursued by all relevant stakeholders locally, as well as regionally, nationally and internationally.
In addition to the standards, four underlying principles are also outlined. These include the need for a common understanding and definition of bullying, as well as the importance of visibility and awareness, by mainstreaming issues of sexual orientation and gender identity, through recognition and positive exposure of individuals and historic figures who identified as LGBTQ, including in curricular content, for example.
Efforts and initiatives to combat bullying should have measurable outcomes, in order to ensure they are effective. An indicative list of potential indicators for different levels (local, national, international, etc.), as presented in the Minimum standards publication is provided below.
Potential indicators to measure the extent of implementation and success of the Minimum Standards at various levels (IGLYO 2014).
Minimum Standard
Potential Indicator
Level
Policies and training
A diversity/anti-bullying policy or strategy that explicitly includes sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression is in place
Increase in number of school staff (including teachers and administrators) that receive diversity training that covers sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression
Increase in number of school staff that feel comfortable and competent to discuss sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression
Decrease in number of students that feel discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression by a member of staff
Local
Student support systems
Presence of staff specialised in supporting those exposed to homophobic/transphobic bullying (guidance counselors, etc.)
Increase in number of students that feel comfortable discussing homophobic/transphobic bullying incidents with members of staff
Increase in number of students that are aware of support systems if they are exposed to homophobic/transphobic bullying
Increase in number of students that feel confident that incidents of homophobic/transphobic bullying will be handled appropriately by members of staff
Local; national
Systematic data collection
Data on homophobic/transphobic bullying is collected
Data collection occurs at appropriate intervals
Decreasing trend in homophobic and transphobic bullying over time (percentage of students that report having been bullied)
Increase in student attendance and school retention rates
Academic performance of students
Mental health and suicide rates of LGBTQ youth
National
Multilevel policies and approach
A framework for addressing homophobic/transphobic bullying at regional/national level exists
Increase in number of schools that have a diversity/anti-bullying policy or strategy that explicitly includes sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression
Increase in number and extent/reach of initiatives to tackle homophobic/transphobic bullying at national level
Adherence to internationally-binding agreements to education as a human right for all
Regional; national; international
The data presented throughout this article highlights the impacts of homophobic and transphobic bullying on learners, in accessing post-secondary education, as well as other areas of school and private life, while providing some initial considerations for combatting the phenomenon, and measuring the success of any relevant initiatives.
The impacts of bullying prove that the right to education, as outlined in various international documents which are signed by most or all nations worldwide, is not guaranteed for learners who are targeted due to their real or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. Further research into the phenomenon and effects of homophobic and transphobic bullying is required across a broad range of regions and countries, in order to obtain insight into context-specific local and national issues and to identify the most appropriate responses.
Council of Europe, 1952. European Convention on Human Rights. Available online at: <http://www.echr.coe.int/Documents/Convention_ENG.pdf>
Egale, 2011. Every class in every school: final report on the first national climate survey on homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia in Canadian schools. Available online at: <http://archive.egale.ca/EgaleFinalReport-web.pdf>
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, 2013. EU LGBT survey: European Union lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender survey – Results at a glance. Available online at: <http://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2013/eu-lgbt-survey-european-union-lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender-survey-results>
Formby, E. 2013. The impact of homophobic and transphobic bullying on education and employment. A European Survey. IGLYO. Available online at: Mhttp://issuu.com/iglyo/docs/bullying_report_-_web>
GLSEN, 2011. The 2011 National School Climate Survey – Executive Summary. Available online at: <http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/news/record/2897.html>
IGLYO, 2014. Minimum standards to combat homophobic and transphobic bullying. Available online at: <http://issuu.com/iglyo/docs/minimum_standards_-_web>
IGLYO, 2012. Position Paper on Education. General Assembly 2012. Available online at: <http://www.iglyo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/GA2012-19-Position-Paper-on-Education-updated.pdf>
IGLYO & OBESSU, 2015 (forthcoming). Guidelines for Inclusive Education: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Gender Expression.
Stonewall, 2012. The School Report: experiences of gay young people in Britain’s schools in 2012. Available online at:
<http://www.stonewall.org.uk/at_school/education_resources/7957.asp>
UNESCO, 2012. Good Policy and Practice in HIV and Health Education Booklet 8, Education Sector Responses to Homophobic Bullying. Available online at: <http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002164/216493e.pdf>
United Nations, 1948. Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Available online at: <http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/>
United Nations, 1966. International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Available online at: <http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CESCR.aspx>
United Nations,1989. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Available online at: <http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx>
[1] The study in question focused on five countries: Croatia, Denmark, Ireland, Italy and Poland)
I, Too, Am... the faces and voices of students who belong to the institution too!
Mitchell Esajas, New Urban Collective
#itooam is a (social media) campaign originally started
by students to highlight the faces and voices of black
students at Harvard College. Their ‘voices often went
unheard, their experiences were devalued, and their
presence was questioned’. The project was their way of
speaking back and claiming their space on campus. The #itooamHarvard campaign inspired other minority
students on universities around the world such as
Oxford, Cambridge, Notredame, Princeton, New York
University, Capetown University and others to start a campaign as well.
Former EAN Ambassador for the Netherlands, Mitchell Esajas, is chairman of a network of students and graduates called New Urban Collective. Together with a few students from the VU University and students from Amsterdam United, a student’s organization based on the University of Amsterdam he was inspired to start the I, Too Am VU and UvA campaigns. With the campaign they aimed to spark the dialogue about issues of diversity, exclusion, institutional racism and micro aggressions both on the campus and in Dutch society in general. The photo campaign consists of examples of micro aggressions which minority students have experienced on, and sometimes of campus.
„Racial micro aggressions are the brief and everyday slights, insults, indignities and denigrating messages sent to people of color by well-intentioned White people who are unaware of the hidden messages being communicated. These messages may be sent verbally ("You speak good English."), nonverbally (clutching one's purse more tightly) or environmentally (symbols like the confederate flag or using American Indian mascots). Such communications are usually outside the level of conscious awareness of prepetators.“ 1
Although participation in higher education of ethnic minority students has increased over the past years they still face structural barriers in the Dutch educational system from primary school to higher education.2 Mitchell conducted his graduate research on the educational achievement of ethnic minority youths from multicultural neighborhood in Amsterdam Southeast and studied how many were able to overcome obstacles and reach higher education despite structural barriers. On the universities, however, many of them face difficulties such as the lack of diversity in the class room and in the staff, the lack of multiple perspectives in the curriculum and mechanisms of exclusion such as micro aggressions. To raise awareness, understanding and institutional change the New Urban Collective and Amsterdam United organized , the photo campaigns I, Too, Am VU and I, Too, Am UvA. On May 14th 2014 they organized a debate about institutional racism in education and the labor market in the Netherlands on the VU university and a week later they organized a master class on how to deal with micro aggressions.3 More than 180 students, graduates and staff attended the events, engaged I critical dialogue and shared experiences on issues which are often not talked about on the campus. They aim to organize campaign on other universities in the Netherlands as well.
How to organize your own I, Too, Am... campaign:
Find a group of fellow students and define the goals of your campaign. What issues would you like to raise through the campaign? What it is like to be a minority student at an elite university or a university mainly populated by white students? What the issues affecting students of color or other minorities are? Or something different? 

Get a good quality photo camera and go on campus to ask students if they would like to share their experiences of exclusion, discrimination or micro aggressions. Write them on a white board, make a picture and ask them to share their story. 

Set up a #itooam...tumblr.com account, Twitter and a Facebook page to share your photo’s and start the online discussion. 

Organize an event on the campus of your university and formulate a manifesto or list of demands for the board of your institution to stimulate institutional change 

Background information and I, Too, Am campaigns
- I, Too, Am, Harvard: http://itooamharvard.tumblr.com/ 

- I, Too, Am VU: http://itooamvu.tumblr.com/ 

- I, Too, Am UvA: http://itooamuva.tumblr.com/ 

- I, Too, Am NYU: http://i-too-am-nyu.tumblr.com/ 

- I, Too, Am Oxford: http://itooamoxford.tumblr.com/ 

- I, Too, Am Princeton: http://itooamprinceton.tumblr.com/ 

- I, Too, Am Notre Dame: http://itooamnotredame.tumblr.com/ 

- I, Too, Am UCT: http://itooamuct.tumblr.com/ 

- I, Too, Am Berkeley: http://itooamberkeley.tumblr.com/ 

- 'I, Too, Am Harvard' photos tell black students' stories: 
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/03/05/black-students-harvard- tumblr/6013023/ 

„I, Too, Am VU / UvA“ Pictures
Highly educated + Speaking without an accent = Being Adopted
- Alexander, Law student born in Rwanda, moved to the Netherlands at the age of 8 years old
"Where do you really come from?"
“I call you a n***, but I don’t mean anything with it†– Maurice, student History
‘With a headscarf you will never make it to the top’ – Tasniem, student Social Science
Where are you from?
Germany
Where are you REALLY from?
„Anti racism begins with YOU!“
Mpho Tutu (daughter of Desmond Tutu)
1 http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/microaggressions-in-everyday-life/201010/racial-microaggressions- in-everyday-life
2 Roses from the Concrete – Stories of Successful Educational Achievement of Migrant Youths from Amsterdam Southeast – Msc thesis, Mitchell Esajas, June 28th 2013: http://nucnet.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Mitchell-Esajas-Roses-from-the-Concrete-Stories-of-Successful- Educational-Achievement-of-Migrant-Youths-from-Amsterdam-Southeast-Msc-thesis-June-28th.pdf
3 http://nucnet.nl/?p=3916
GAPS Calendar
Upcoming events:
June 8-10, 2015 - The 24th European Access Network (EAN) Annual Conference will take place in Oslo, Norway, in collaboration with the Norsk Studentorganisasjon Norway (NSO). More information.
October 5-8, 2015 – GAPS 2015, Access to Post-Secondary Education in the 21st Century: Meeting the Global Challenge, Sunway University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. More information.
GAPS Platform
The GAPS Initiative is developing a global collaboration platform for all those from across the public, for-profit and voluntary sectors (HEIs, schools, employers, researchers and policy-makers, governments, NGOs) focused on widening access and success at the post-secondary level. This platform will help make the business case for higher levels of investment and greater priority devoted to widening access, build new partnerships, and find innovative approaches to addressing access challenges and opportunities. It will share good strategies, policies and practices within and among HEIs, schools and communities, corporations, policymakers and researchers, city, regional and national governments, students and other key stakeholders.
The GAPS platform has five strands:
1. Understanding the global access map and the impact of access measures and programs
2. Developing new private-public partnerships to widen access to STEM education and employment
3. Advocating for widening access as a lever for cities and regions to achieve their economic and social objectives
4. Empowering the student voice in widening access policy and practice
5. Embracing ‘inclusive excellence’ as a means of achieving and maintaining quality higher education for all.
GAPS is building a library of books and articles which may be of interest to organisations and individuals committed to post secondary education access and equity.
If you would like to add to this library, please send the book/article title and author to Alex Hall. Links to articles will also be accepted.
