Supporting Students on the (Academic) Margins: An Equity-Driven Framework

Abstract

Though many colleges and universities claim tobe driven by missions that highlight access, equity, and student success, academic policy andpractice do not always mirror these claims. American higher education institutions are “obsessedwith smartness” (Astin, 2017), yet fail to supporteducational attainment in an equitable manner. Educational inequality has its roots in PK–12 education(Dorn, 2017; Ladson-Billings, 2007) particularly asit relates to deficit ideology. The manifestations ofdeficit ideology in higher education are most starkly seen in how students on academic warning (also referred to as academic probation) are treated bothin action and by policy. For higher education institutions to meet their missions for access, equity, andsuccess, they must address how their “systems ofsupport” perpetuate deficit thinking. As the natureof higher education and the demographics of thoseenrolled continues to change and diversify, the timeis right for higher education practitioners to interrogate and change harmful practices. We offer aframework for how institutions can build capacityfor academic support program staff to identify deficit practices that systemically perpetuate inequities,so we no longer hinder student growth and academic success.