| From the President Elizabeth Cole After the election of 2016, my own sense of political efficacy was pretty run down. In the face of this historic outcome, honestly, what could I do? Students on my campus were distressed too. Many of them were fearful about what the election meant for our collective ability to honor diversity, listen across difference, and maintain a peaceful, civil society. Our dean called a town hall meeting for concerned faculty and students to gather and reflect. Although no one really knew what to expect, about 200 members of our community came together one evening for pizza and a lightly structured conversation in small groups. In the report-out, an amazing thing happened. One student addressed the group, describing her sense that conservative students like herself had been silenced on campus. Continue reading this article here.
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| From our Policy Director Sarah Mancoll Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act: Where Do We Go From Here? The Higher Education Act (HEA)—the major piece of federal legislation that guides higher education policy in America—is up for reauthorization. Although the HEA reauthorization process—like many reauthorizations—is slow, it is important to keep in mind some of the key issues at stake, and to consider how changes to the law would affect SPSSI members, their colleagues and students, and institutions. Continue reading this article here |