R ECOMMENDATIONS FOR P RACTICE AND P OLICY

Student activism, according to Rhoads (2016), has been a historical component of the student experience at universities. In the era of the Black Lives Matter Movement, students of color across the nation are coming together to engage in efforts to change their universities and society for the better (DeAngelo et al., 2016; Kenny, 2017; Nguyen, 2016; Pearson, 2015; Sloan, 2016; Visser, 2015; Wong & Greene, 2016). Providing support and direction to students participating in resistance efforts is therefore necessary in fostering their personal development. The recommendations for practice and policy, as follows, are reflective of the findings from the research as well as suggestions given by participants.

Recommendations for faculty, staff, and administration. The lack of representation of Black women faculty and students at their universities was disconcerting for the participants. They often alluded to the consequences of having low numbers of people of color on campus. Finding an advisor, mentor, or role model of the same race was difficult. The resistance of White faculty to provide guidance related to the completion of their coursework proved even more cumbersome. The presence of such barriers was concerning; the core of much of the participants’ activism was connected to their research, which addressed topics linked to their intersectional identities. One recommendation for all faculty members is therefore to engage in a collaborative effort to develop mentoring skills that are effective for supporting and affirming students of color who engage in scholarly activism. The fact that there are currently few faculty of color in the academy indicates how relevant effective cross-racial mentoring is to student success (Reddick & Young, 2012).

Reddick and Young (2012) emphasized the significance of race-conscious mentoring practices in predominately White faculty environments. Race-conscious mentoring requires mentors to intentionally work to understand the impact of race on the lives of their students (Reddick & Young, 2012). The key to the success of this mentoring recommendation, in my opinion, is the ongoing facilitation of difficult conversations between faculty of all races. These discussions should be candid in their discourse concerning the effects of institutional discrimination on the daily lives of students of color. Although students may be welcomed into the discussions, faculty should take precautions to avoid creating a situation of cultural taxation (Gay 2004). Guided sessions which focus on uncovering deeply embedded biases might aid faculty in understanding how their underlying assumptions influence their expectations and presumptions about their students.

Staff and administrators on university campus also interact with students in a multitude of capacities. Professionals in administrative roles across campus are not always trained or knowledgeable in the areas of student development and mentoring. However, they are very critical in shaping the student experience for Black women graduate and undergraduate students alike. Having individuals in all spaces who have the capacity to mentor students across racial boundaries is essential. Understanding how Black women graduate students are affected by the treatment of staff and administrators might shed light on how inherent racial bias impacts the quality of service or level of support these students receive. Conversations on the significance of race and gender in the academy should be placed at the forefront when developing institutional policies for Black women graduate students and students of color. Doing so might clearly illuminate how their needs are either ignored or not addressed at all.

Discussions on the merit of particular types of research may also be useful. These sessions might reveal differences between the value placed on research pertaining to dominant and non-dominant populations. Having faculty who are able to help develop the scholarship of their students, regardless of the students’ identity or research agendas, could significantly advance the progression of intellectual thought in the ivory tower.

Recommendations for student affairs. Student affairs units are very influential because of their interactions with students on a daily basis. Individuals in these offices serve as counselors and advisors who students seek for advice and guidance on issues that arise in their academic and personal lives. Because of their mentoring roles, professionals in these service areas have the opportunity to collaborate with students as they strategize effective ways to engage in activism that does not compromise their academic studies or psychological health. Making student organization advisors aware of the process Black women progress through as they develop their conceptions of activism is imperative. The

more knowledge student affairs professionals have regarding student activism, the more they might be able to intervene at critical stages with useful resources.

Multicultural engagement centers are one example of a student affairs unit that can play a vital role in the development of Black women’s student activism. Centers such as these promote the intersectional identity development of students and provide opportunities for them to critically interrogate the assumptions they hold concerning the world around them. Having access to these spaces is important, particularly in the beginning phases of activism development for Black women. Multicultural centers are settings outside of the classroom where Black women can “learn the language” associated with the issues they have observed on their campus and in society. They are also communities that could facilitate open-ended dialogues on contemporary activism in the age of the Trump administration and Black Lives Matter. One participant suggested the idea of a having a course on activism or how to protest. She explained the class could allow students to “debate the ideas” of what it means to be an activist in this era. Having this educational initiative in multicultural units could be useful in helping Black women in college, and students of color overall, understand the complexities of being an activist. Service-learning or community engagement centers should also be involved in educating students about the connection between their campuses and the community. Many of the participants’ experiences in their communities helped them recognize the relationship between power and privilege. Understanding their entitlement as students influenced how the participants approached their activism, as it made them critically conscious of how their intuitions perpetuated the systematic issues their communities faced. Their desire to address these challenges led to their participation in various organizations outside of campus. Collaborations between university service-learning centers and community agencies is therefore necessary to give Black women in

undergraduate and graduate programs the opportunity to engage in intentional activities and programs that are culturally relevant and meaningful.

The creation and maintenance of Black graduate student networks or organizations could also assist Black women graduate students in the development and sustainment of their activism. Participants in the study noted how other like-minded individuals significantly influenced their activism. For this reason, encouraging Black women to become involved in cultural groups might help them find inspiration in people pursuing similar equity agendas. Additionally, Black graduate student networks, along with faculty and staff of color, could provide sessions or panels on how to navigate the politics of working for change within predominately White disciplines or professional environments. Lessons on tempered radicalism could be beneficial for Black women graduate students who are connected to their institutions but still feel the need to challenge the status quo (Myerson & Scully, 1995).

Recommendations for administrative policies. University administrators, with input from students, should establish clear policies regarding student activism on campus. Appropriate administrative responses to student protest should take into consideration theories and research on college student development. Institutions of higher education should also critically examine how they either promote of inhibit the activism of Black women graduate students. The following are important questions to guide their reflection: 1) How is my institution modeling the importance of service to or engagement with our surrounding community? 2) How are we handling student demands for change on campus in instances where we consider it “disruptive” to the learning environment? and 3) Are we cultivating an environment where students can learn and grow from their engagement in activism?

I also suggest the creation of policies that support and sustain funding for the recommendations proposed for student affairs and academic units. More resources are necessary to produce and implement effective programming. The following are additional areas where improvements could made to further cultivate a climate of activism among Black women.

All of the participants in the study expressed dealing with some form of burnout during their educational and activist experiences. The exhaustion often affected their mental, psychological, and emotional health. According to Flaherty (2018), research studies have shown a need to consider the implications of anxiety and depression among graduate students. Counseling and mental health centers, as a result, should be equipped with professionals who can support students from marginalized populations, as they are managing not only personal and academic challenges, but also the stresses related to their activist work.

Establishing systems and policies to increase the recruitment and hiring of staff of color is highly recommended; Black women, and other students of color may feel more of a connection to counselors with similar backgrounds. To be specific, increasing the number of Black women counselors at institutions of higher education is a must. Policies that not only acknowledge, but work toward an end outcome of having more Black representation in counseling centers is necessary. Funding is vital to support the hiring of new psychologists of color including designated salaries for at Black staff (prioritizing Black women) that is representative of the number of Black students on campus. Monetary support for programming for both Black women graduate and undergraduate students.

Ease of access to counseling resources, including extended hour policies, would be useful for Black women graduate students and the general graduate student population

alike. Students in graduate programs often have obligations that may not allow for counseling sessions during normal working hours. Policies for the continuation of free

counseling services is also necessary to prevent students with financial constraints, who are often also underrepresented, from opting out of using an essential service.

The implementation of policies that compensate Black women graduate students for their services in supporting the development or formation of culturally relevant programs is also imperative. As mentioned on several occasions, the activist work of Black women can be taxing, yet unrecognized. Compensation in the form of scholarships or income gives Black women graduate students the opportunity to maintain their livelihood while bettering their institutions. Hourly rates that are comparable to the pay for top graduate research assistants ($15-$25/hr) would not only be attractive to Black women graduate students but would indicate a true institutional validation of their knowledge and expertise in efforts to transform the climate of higher education. Policies that ensure proper credit is given to those who participate in university initiatives is critical. The endeavors of Black women graduate students should be formalized in a manner that could be placed on resumes and curriculum vitas and counted as service to the institution.

Developing and institutionalizing a research center that focuses on the experiences of Black women in the academy would be a monumental step forward in bettering the higher education environment. Hiring full-time faculty, staff, and administrators, and graduate students who represent the identities being studied is essential. The center should be used as an expert resource when creating or reviewing policies related to Black women students. The center should also be the hub for collaborative efforts that involve colleges, administrative services, and student services across campus. Funding of should be generated to support the first year of operations

with sustainable funding generated from a permanent endowment and annual capital campaigns. This section presented suggestions for practice and policy that can be implemented within institutions of higher education. The next section provides recommendations for future research.