Higher Education Ph.D. Dissertations

White Senior-level Student Affairs Professionals' Experiences with Social Justice, Inclusion, and Whiteness

Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Department

Higher Education Administration

First Advisor

Maureen Wilson (Advisor)

Second Advisor

Madeline Duntley (Committee Member)

Third Advisor

Katherine Stygles (Committee Member)

Fourth Advisor

Ellen Broido (Committee Member)

Abstract

White senior-level student affairs professionals are well-positioned to address issues of social justice and inclusion, oppression, privilege, power, and Whiteness within the field of student affairs. Their level of responsibility, scope of interaction and influence, and professional position provide senior-level student affairs professionals with the opportunity to both engage with social justice and inclusion in their practice and make a difference in their institutions and in the field of student affairs. As White individuals, these professionals have additional power within their divisions, institutions, and society. Although student affairs professionals are expected to be competent in the area of social justice and inclusion, there is a gap in the literature that examines these professionals’ experiences with this topic. The purpose of this study was to hear the stories of White senior-level student affairs professionals’ experiences engaging with social justice and inclusion and addressing Whiteness in their student affairs practice. The research questions are: 1) What stories do White senior-level student affairs professionals tell about their experiences engaging with social justice and inclusion in their student affairs practice? 2) What stories do White senior-level student affairs professionals tell about their experiences addressing issues of Whiteness in their student affairs practice? To address this gap in the literature and answer the research questions, I utilized narrative inquiry and a transformative paradigm. I interviewed six White senior-level student affairs professionals from across the United States. Nine key findings emerged from this study. These findings are summarized as: positional power and White voice, sense of responsibility, unpreparedness, personal connection, influence of current events on action and awareness, policy and practice, Whiteness as a systemic issue, increased opportunities, and choice to engage with and address. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the experiences of White senior-level student affairs’ professionals engaging with social justice and inclusion and addressing Whiteness in their student affairs practice. The findings offer implications for practice, future research, and policy. These implications apply to student affairs and higher education professionals, graduate preparation program faculty, student affairs and higher education professional organizations, and policymakers.

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