SGSI 2024: Race and Diversity in Higher Education
Monday, Sept. 9 - Friday, Sept 13; M/W/F, 9 AM - 4 PM; T/Th, 9 AM - 2 PM
As many universities promote diversity and equity and foster the study of race and racial inequality, various political actors today seek determinedly to undermine these efforts. How do we make sense of this landscape, and what can be done to navigate and counteract these pressures? In this course, we will wrestle with this question by surveying the ideological and political landscape in higher education, reading and discussing new work by scholars with expertise in these areas, and sharing our knowledge and experience in seminar discussions and small group activities.
Instructors
- Vaughn Rasberry, associate vice provost for graduate education, associate professor of English
Audience & Capacity
Open to all graduate students in any discipline* and postdoctoral scholars (if space allows). Space is limited to 12.
*MSx Class of 2025 and first-year MBA students are ineligible to participate due to mandatory program requirements.
Objectives
By participating fully in this course, you will learn to:
- You will be introduced to the current ideological landscape of higher education in the United States.
- Learn about opportunities and challenges facing minoritized students and faculty.
- Understand the "hidden curriculum" of universities and processes such as hiring, tenure, and promotion.
- Acquire tools to navigate graduate school successfully and to prepare for academic and non-academic careers.
Summary
As many universities promote diversity and equity and foster the study of race and racial inequality, various political actors today seek determinedly to undermine these efforts. At some institutions, faculty who teach courses on race and ethnic studies or who advocate for diversity and inclusion are confronting the effects of this reaction: many are canceling or modifying their courses, finding their research prohibited or suppressed, and facing profound uncertainty. Public universities, in particular, find their budgets newly scrutinized for diversity initiatives, even as such expenditures constitute a small fraction of their spending.
How do we make sense of this landscape, and what can be done to navigate and counteract these pressures? In this course, we will wrestle with this question by surveying higher education's ideological and political landscape, reading and discussing new work by scholars with expertise in these areas, and sharing our knowledge and experience in seminar discussions and small group activities. In addition, we will consider practical, professional issues such as routes to publication, fellowships and research opportunities, academic and non-academic careers, and more. Readings will include works by Sarah Ahmed, Roderick Ferguson, Lorgia García Peña, and Maboula Soumaharo.
Additional Course Expectations
- Students should expect 5-6 hours of reading outside of class.
- Full attendance is expected.
SUNet ID required to log in; all SGSI correspondence sent to your Stanford email account.