The Personal and the Political: Admissions During Tough Times Angelica Gutierrez, David Jones, Candy Navarro, & Jaclyn Robbin

Ground Rules Please remove your conference badge – in this room your thoughts and words are a representation of you and not your institution. If at any point you are uncomfortable, sit with the discomfort before you decide if leaving the room is best. Discomfort is necessary for growth, as is conflict. Believe in everyone’s best intent; however, do not take advantage of people willing to share their experiences with you. Exchanges shared within this room will stay within the room unless given express permission by that person to share it with others.

Session Overview Using an intergroup relations (IGR) model, we will provide a space to discuss the current political climate and its impact on our work. We believe taking the time to acknowledge this impact will make us more effective in our field. The workshop will be participatory and attendees will be encouraged to share.

What is intergroup relations (IGR)? Developed at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in the 1980s Educational model that brings together individuals from diverse identity groups (race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, SES, religion, etc.) Discuss current and controversial topics (diversity, social justice, privilege, oppression, etc.) Purposeful composition of participants and sustained interactions to facilitate the questioning of structural/institutional inequalities Prepares participants to better address the societal challenges that demand understanding and solutions (Zuniga, Nagda, Chesler, & Cytron-Walker, 2007)

Agenda Gallery Walk (25-30 minutes) Small Group Debrief of Activity (15-20 minutes) Large Group Debrief of Activity (10 minutes)

Gallery Walk https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwpSQuyuc8xrqMCNJ0wVJFAvMg1oJiyQk Trump’s Revised Travel Ban Hurts America's Universities http://fortune.com/2017/03/16/trump-revised-travel-ban-u-s-colleges/ Michelle Obama Jokes That Barack Obama Becoming President ‘Didn’t End Racism’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8BEn5YK3K0 Police called on Native American students taking college tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ9cBvCQnoY Second black Yale student says same white student called police on him too https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL9u1CgzIWg Tucker to prof: Shouldn't students toughen up over election? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQDzAGlf9og

Questions What stood out to you during the gallery walk? Common themes, ideas, perceptions? How long have you worked in this field and have you seen changes in the admission realm as it relates to our current social/political climate? How do our different roles on either side of the desk affect how we process or experience these things? What are things you do to stay objective through this social/political climate? How do discussions about the current climate benefit our professional development and our work with students?

Takeaways Resources Coping and self-advocacy Political climate can incite necessary job description changes Need to engage in conversation with individuals and office Staying motivated Building relationships in workspace--think allies Who is responsible for diversity events? Things that seem external can actually be having a direct effect. People of Color Conference Guiding the Way to Inclusion (GWI) Multicultural Leadership Institute - Wildwood School WACAC IDEA Conference

Continuing the Conversation Angelica Gutierrez (guti717@usc.edu) David Jones (jonesdav@usc.edu) Candy Navarro (CNavarro@fsha.org) Jaclyn Robbin (robbin@usc.edu) Where do we go from here?

References Schoem, D., & Hurtado, S. (Eds.). (2001). Intergroup dialogue: Deliberative democracy in school, college, community, and workplace. Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press. Zuniga, X., Nagda, B.A., Chesler, M., & Cytron-Walker, A. (2007). Intergroup dialogue in higher education: Meaningful learning about social justice. ASHE Higher Education Report, 32(4), 1-128. doi: 10.1002/aehe.3204