THE FIVE PRINCIPLES IN EDUCATION

THE FIVE PRINCIPLES IN EDUCATION

This section outlines how Design Action’s Five Guiding Principles relate to academic institutions and educators. This section is supplementary and is not meant to substitute a diligent reading and implementation of the points from previous sections.

As the cost of postsecondary education rises, BIPOC students face disproportionate economic barriers to access due to generational wealth inequality. 14 Often, it is no longer feasible for students to work a minimum wage job in order to put themselves through a degree program at a four-year college or university. Instead, students are dependent on their parent’s wealth, scholarships, and financial aid. Hence, we recognize that the issue of representation in education is intrinsically linked to the larger issue of economic equality in the United States.

We encourage universities to expand and diversify their programming, thoroughly re-evaluate white-centered practices in their curriculum, take strides to increase equitable representation in their student and faculty demographics, and establish a comprehensive policy to mitigate instances of harm. We advocate for a program that disrupts the white colonial power structures which are inherent in academia and that encourages students to challenge these structures through their work.

Create an environment where BIPOC students can flourish professionally, personally, and emotionally.

We advocate for the following steps: ● Institute a sustained anti-racist training program for the faculty and student body. ● Create safe avenues for communication between faculty and students (eg. Town Halls and anonymous feedback). ● Value BIPOC students and see their potential as equal to their white peers. ○ Support their work and their ability to perform to the same standards. ● Establish transparency for potential students: ○ On faculty/staff demographics. ○ On the curriculum. ○ On season programming. ○ On professional development and opportunities.

14 Institute on Assets and Social Policy — The Roots of the Widening Racial Wealth Gap: Explaining the Black-White Economic Divide