Land Acknowledgement, Joy N. Emmanuel, Madison Pimental

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

Acknowledgement, Joy N. Emmanuel, Madison Pimental

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

Editors' Note, Joy N. Emmanuel, Madison Pimental

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

Shift Happens! Clashing Ais In Higher Education And The Unexpected Implications Of Restriction And Implementation, Carol A. Bruzzano

The Vermont Connection

The AI-AI conflict in higher education, artificial intelligence and academic integrity, led to a frenzy of policy and curricula changes throughout the 2022-2023 academic year. Yet, the impacts of restrictions and implementations on marginalized populations were not immediate concerns. Students with disabilities and others considered marginalized and underprepared may have the most to lose without careful considerations of the implications of restriction and implementation. Identifying evidence-based best practices for next steps in AI integration that support students' learning and avoid the biases of emerging applications may provide the safest path forward for evolving teaching and student advising in higher education …

Do No More Harm: Changing The Classroom In Response To Covid-19 Trauma, Erin M. Adams

The Vermont Connection

The COVID-19 pandemic was a worldwide trauma that has long lasting effects that we are still yet to discover. For current college-aged students, many of them experienced the COVID-19 pandemic during key developmental stages of their lives. Many student affair professionals have noted the difference between the students who were in college when the pandemic hit and those who were not. This article examines trauma through the lens of trauma informed practices and high impact practices and makes recommendations on how educators can change their classrooms to better serve students.

Bringing Personal Identity Into Our Learning Spaces, Sobha Kavanakudiyil

The Vermont Connection

Abstract

This paper will integrate a personal narrative with published work to examine the journey and thoughts of a South Asian female theatre educator working in theatre education. The paper will discuss stories of identity, the impact it has had, and the intentionality of what should be done with this information. It will illuminate the need for further research to engage more South Asian female voices in theatre education.

Keywords: ethnic identity, teacher preparation, South Asian, theatre teacher, autoethnography, female voice

(In)Effectiveness Of Summer Bridge Programs Among First-Year Low-Income, First-Generation College Students, Joy N. Emmanuel

The Vermont Connection

Summer bridge programs have become a widely adopted strategy in four-year institutions to address the unique challenges faced by first-year, low-income, first-generation college students. These programs aim to enhance academic preparedness, foster a sense of belonging, and improve retention rates. However, this paper critically examines the effectiveness of summer bridge programs in achieving these goals. Drawing on a review of existing literature, it becomes evident that while summer bridge programs offer certain benefits, they may not be as effective in promoting holistic success, persistence, and retention among this specific group of students. The analysis highlights several limitations, including a limited …

Resisting The Deficit Framework: Practices For Student Services Professionals To Effectively Support Bipoc Students At Predominantly White Institutions, Joshua Ravenscroft

The Vermont Connection

Student services professionals are employed across the United States as a key resource to support undergraduate students as they enter higher education. However, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) face unique challenges which not all student services methods are prepared to address. For student services professionals to effectively promote the wellbeing and academic achievement of BIPOC students requires that they receive additional resources and training to avoid deficit thinking and be equipped to assist BIPOC students in their specific contexts. As student services professionals and departments learn to resist deficit thinking, they can intentionally …

Pov: Working In Admissions During The Ruling On Affirmative Action, Kirsty Nicole Bayo-Ang Bocado

The Vermont Connection

Affirmative action has existed to help students from hxstorically marginalized communities have equitable opportunity to receive admissions into institutions of higher education. There are many perceptions of what affirmative action is. It is important to understand the context behind why affirmation action came about in the first place and what purpose it serves students. In recent hxstory, the US Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action. This was a decision that set back our efforts of supporting students’ access to higher education. As an admissions counselor at a Hispanic-serving institution in the New York City metropolitan area, I witnessed how this …

Racism, Immigration Laws, And Financial Hurdles: An Assessment Of Triadic Traumatizing Experiences Of Bipoc Students In The Usa, Ayodele A. Akinsnaya

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

“A New Era Of Black Thought”: Revisiting Gil Scott-Heron And The Hbcu Protest Novel, Magana J. Kabugi

The Vermont Connection

In 1972, spoken-word artist and poet Gil Scott-Heron published his second novel, controversially titled The Nigger Factory. As the student arm of the Civil Rights Movement started to shift its intellectual concerns from integration to questions of Black Power and self-determination, Scott-Heron’s novel burst onto the literary scene like a stick of dynamite. Literary critics and newspapers didn’t quite know what to make of the novel, which focused on a student government president and a fringe opposition group both vying for control over a student protest at a fictional historically Black college. Raw, direct, and full of rage, the book …

Post-9/11 Racism And Xenophobia's Effects On Muslim Students' Persistence And Belonging In U.S. Higher Education, Takudzwa Kennedy Bozhiwa

The Vermont Connection

The occurrence of Islamophobia targeting Muslim students in the United States escalated after the 9/11 tragedy, leading to instances of microaggressions perpetrated against them within college campuses. The phenomenon of Islamophobia has resulted in a multitude of challenges, hence adversely affecting the academic performance of Muslim students. This study centers on the microaggressions of Muslim students leading to racialization experiences within the context of United States higher education. Consistent exposure to such discriminatory acts has had a profound effect on their sense of belonging, affecting their academic persistence and mental well-being. Although some students have risen above the challenges through …

The Case Of Blackness And Disability: Disproportionality In Special Education Identification, Patricia Pfende

The Vermont Connection

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was initially passed in 1975, making provisions for qualifying students to receive special education. Though the act was meant to address the needs of students with disabilities in Kindergarten to twelve grades (K-12), disparities in special education enrollment for Black students have been well documented in the United States over the last 40 years. Scholars continue to question what is the relationship between low-income students, students of color, and disproportionality. Disproportionality refers to the under and over-representation of a specific group in special education. Drawing from the Critical race theory lance, this paper …

Higher Ed Killjoys: Trauma/Drama - Doing The Most And Being "A Lot", Z'Uko [Z]

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

The Experiences Of Trans* Students In Residential Life, Lydea Rowell

The Vermont Connection

In this paper I explore the experiences of trans* students in their residential life settings. I first identified three areas of discrimination and discomfort for trans* students, including the housing selection process, the relationships they have with roommates and residential life staff, and the residential hall community. Subsequently, I provided implications for making the housing experience better for trans* communities. Recommendations include gender-inclusive housing, training, and education for staff, trans*-affirming administrative policies, LGBTQ+ living-learning communities, and programming.

Refusal, Freedom Dreaming, Abolition, And Joy: Revolutionary Change In Higher Education, C.V. Dolan

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

Shaping A Spark, Gabi Cuna

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

Queer Joy As Rage: A Tool To Transform, E. Jeremy Torres

The Vermont Connection

Highlighting the transformative potential of queer joy as a form of resistance and revolution within higher education. It emphasizes the need to challenge oppressive systems and narratives through the celebration of joy, reclaiming identity, and building resilience. By asserting and reveling in their joy, queer individuals can challenge societal norms, demand change, and affirm their right to live authentically.

Cover Page, Joy N. Emmanuel, Madison Pimental

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

Acknowledgments, Tvc 44 Executive Board

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

The Song Of A Community: A Reflection On Hope Personified, Tatiana Havens

The Vermont Connection

No abstract provided.

“Just Breathe”: Black Women Faculty Negotiating Joy And Hope In Academia, Brittany M. Williams, Laila Mccloud

The Vermont Connection

Using Angela Davis’ (2016) conversational interview style writing approach, we discuss how we, as two Black women early career scholars, experience, facilitate, and find joy, hope, and optimism in the face of hostility in academe. In tandem with songs of promise and perseverance by Black women creatives, we reveal how music connects to and helps to provide color for our professional and personal journeys, often contextualizing how we understand, negotiate, and persist within our chosen profession. With some consideration to the soundtracks of our lives, three major questions guided our writing: (1) Where within your teaching and research do you …

An Abolitionist Approach To Creating Communities Of Care: Decolonizing Theory, Acknowledging Disequilibrium, And Questioning Systems, Chelsea Whitaker, Cierra Russell

The Vermont Connection

May 25, 2020, exponentially reinvigorated a global reckoning around the uniquely American way of murdering Black people through policing and imprisonment. Calls for anti-racism, police reforms, and abolition permeated nearly every industry with statements, commitments, and trendy Instagram graphics. Once an idea reserved for the most radical, abolition entered the popular culture lexicon not only for its dedication to destroying oppressive systems but also for building communities of care. As student affairs professionals dedicated to community development at institutions built upon white supremacy and bound by federal policies, approaching community development through an abolitionist framework requires an imaginative playfulness to …

Los Nava: Testimonios Of Three First-Generation Siblings And Their College Going Decisions, Maria Del S. Nava, Lucero Del-Rayo Nava, Arturo Nava

The Vermont Connection

Abstract

La familia Nava originates with two hard working immigrant parents that came to the United States seeking educational opportunities for their children. This is the testimony of the three eldest siblings, Arturo, Maria, and Lucero, and their college search and application process. We follow them and the challenges they face as first-generation college students from low-income backgrounds. Using Yosso’s theory of Community Cultural Wealth and Iloh’s Model of College-Going Decisions and Trajectories as the frameworks, one can investigate the ways in which first-generation college students navigate this process and expose real barriers on their paths towards higher education.

Resumen …

Reclaiming Our Time: We Do It For The Culture, Angela E. Fillingim, Nini Hayes

The Vermont Connection

Using narrative methodology with a lens of critical race feminism, in self-reflexive ways we draw on our experiences as a Latina and Black-Pinay tenure-track faculty who have dealt with spirit murdering and labored in community to resist. We used feminist theories to understand the roots of our friendship and commitment to resistance. Our persistent encounters with spirit murdering were tied to, what we call, “time-theft.” Time-theft describes an embodied consequence of spirit murdering which deeply affects our emotional, mental, and physical well-being. We offer insights into how we resisted “time-theft conquistadors” and other means the institution tried to steal from …

Decentering Pain & Centering Joy: Adding Transgender Stories To The Academy, Logan H. Melo

The Vermont Connection

As it stands, transgender stories are often framed through the cisgender gaze and by the pain transgender people experience from societal expectations. Being Transgender is not about and should not be equated to the pain and dysphoria that one may experience. Being transgender is about the joy of discovering yourself and beginning to feel comfortable within your own body. This paper reviews Queer theory and its gaps when it comes to transgender identity; as well as transgender studies and the reframing of transgender identity. This paper also reviews literature that focus on transgender joy and reframing transgender identity within a …

Going To A Psychiatric Hospital Saved My Life And My Student Affairs Career, Jo Wilson

The Vermont Connection

The ongoing mental health crisis for college students has been a notable topic in recent years and while a necessary conversation, this often overlooks an underlying mental health crisis for higher education staff and the connection between both crises. As a former mentally ill graduate student and now (still) mentally ill student affairs practitioner, the connection is clear and a conversation now is critical. Using my personal narrative as a current practitioner, self authorship, and disability theory intersections, I am using this piece as a counternarrative and interruption to traditional student and staff development. Lastly, I seek to encourage a …

Where To Start? Asset-Based Approaches For Practitioners In Higher Education., Robert Drago, Michelle Setnikar

The Vermont Connection

Deficit thinking centers an individual's background or identities as the reason a student struggles or faces challenges in college. Higher education practitioners have a drive to shift policy, programs, and perspectives away from the harmful influence of deficit thinking. Asset-based approaches, such as psychologically attuned communication and growth mindset messaging, instead focus on student experiences and backgrounds as an opportunity rather than a burden. The question before practitioners is: where to start? We present options to consider.

White Student Affairs Practitioner's Role In Actualizing An Antiracist Environment, Patrick Lovelace

The Vermont Connection

This article is meant to serve as a resource for white student affairs practitioners to continue to consider their role in engaging in anti-racism work by learning about both theoretical and practical tools. Through the lens of Critical Race Theory, this piece examines the way racism is used as a tool by those with power to marginalize and harm Black individuals and communities people specifically through a higher education and student affairs context. Using existing research and practice that requires the self-examination of whiteness by white people, this piece will hopefully engage practitioners in considering ways to leverage whiteness as …

Searching For Authenticity In Disability Identity Development, Kaia B. Palm-Leis

The Vermont Connection

This article explores the nuances and pathways of disability identity development as well as what may constitute authentic disability identity in various theories and models. Authentic disability identity is influenced by how individuals interact with different power structures and systems and ultimately how they are related to normativity produced by ableism. Because each individual will have unique interactions with these systems, identity development and thus authenticity varies. Practitioners in higher education, with an understanding of how systems influence such nuanced identity, can create more open and flexible pathways to accommodations, improve outreach, and expand support outside of academic contexts.