Beyond a Deficit View

Administrators and faculty members desperately need a new language to characterize minority, low-income and first-generation students -- one that frees us from dependence on labels such as “disadvantaged,” argues Byron P. White.

By Byron P. White, Inside Higher Ed

One of the most perplexing features of the studies and reports on student success that have emerged in recent years in higher education is that many are dominated by discussion of student failure. Often, these documents included a section with a title like “Barriers to Persistence and Completion.” These narratives fixate on factors that identify students as “at-risk,” “vulnerable” or “disadvantaged.”

Read the story here.

Related content:

• How Colleges Are Turning Their Racist Pasts Into Teaching Opportunities (The Chronicle of Higher Education)
• How One University Took Its Student Protesters Seriously (The Chronicle of Higher Education)
• One University’s Response to Students’ Demands on Race: Radical Transparency (The Chronicle of Higher Education - requires paid subscription)
• What Lawmakers in One State Talk About When They Talk About Diversity (The Chronicle of Higher Education - requires paid subscription)