UMass Boston Teach-In: Resisting Systemic Oppression in Higher Education

Resisting Systemic Oppression in Higher Education
Part 1: Accessibility and Affordability

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Agenda

(5 minutes) Intros

(5 minutes) Collective brainstorm: What is systemic oppression? Does intent matter?

• “Institutional Oppression occurs when established laws, customs, and practices systemically reflect and produce inequities based on one’s membership in targeted social identity groups. If oppressive consequences accrue to institutional laws, customs, or practices, the institution is oppressive whether or not the individuals maintaining those practices have oppressive intentions.”

(15 minutes) Group brainstorm: What barriers do first-generation, minority, lower-income, working class and immigrant/immigrant-background populations face in pursuing higher education? How do these barriers contribute to the continued systemic oppression of these groups?

(15 minutes) Group brainstorm: How do we increase access and decrease barriers to higher education faced by systemically oppressed groups?

(15 minutes) Presentation, Zac Bears: Presentation on PHENOM and background on recent actions and the role of policy in ensuring an affordable and accessible public higher education option.

(5 minutes) Presentation, Karyn Aiello: Will share information on the inaugural meeting of PHENOM-UMB Chapter, leave clipboards outside for folks to leave contact information

• Bi-weekly PHENOM-UMB Chapter meetings will be held on campus, beginning on (Tuesday, May 16, 2-4pm, CC 3540)
• The PHENOM UMB Chapter will be a community-driven organizing committee which will regularly address challenges and barriers specific to the non-traditional student body of UMass Boston. As a chapter of PHENOM, our work as an organizing committee will also be used to inform the PHENOM organization, movements, and actions.