As advisors, mentors, and guides to students, it is the responsibility of student affairs practitioners to help students develop throughout their college years. Each of us brings a different perspective and background to our work, and we must strive to adapt and improve alongside our students. The Boston College Core Competencies Portfolio defines social justice and inclusion as “both a process and a goal that includes the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to create learning environments that foster equitable participation of all groups and seeks to address issues of oppression, privilege, and power.” This definition is active, not passive. Seeking to address inequality and foster equitable opportunities in our work is something we can practice every day in order to help students become their best selves and find their academic and professional passion.

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     Because the conversation around social justice, inclusion, equity, and diversity is constantly changing, it is important to embrace the values of open mindedness and open communication between colleagues and students alike. With that in mind, conversation around social justice and inequality should have room to expand. The history of higher education and its roots in white elitism demonstrate a need to recognize social justice and inclusion in our work today. There is a moral need to include, understand, and respect social growth that is fostered in periods of significant social change like the women’s suffrage movement, the civil rights movement, and the current equal rights imperative. Student affairs practitioners must acknowledge social issues and instances of injustice and strive to move toward equality.

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     Social justice is directly related to my own professional practice, and is something that I often consider in conversations with students. During the summer of 2020 when the Black Lives Matter movement was on the minds of the orientation leader team I worked with, we had dedicated conversations on the topics of injustice, racism, and police reform. We collected resources for the team and talked about ways that we could collectively improve for our own benefit and the benefit of the incoming first-year class. I have continued to have these conversations with my students and make efforts to learn more about social issues and history that improve my perspective as a student affairs practitioner. A recent example of actively staying informed about social issues is the book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson which I read as a part of a higher education book club.   

 

     In my current role as a graduate student advisor to the undergraduate government, I work with underserved and minoritized student groups including students with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ students, and a multicultural student group and help those students develop campus initiatives. In conversations with the students I advise, I have learned more about the struggles of my students, about my own ability to listen and counsel, and about my perspective. I aim to create equitable spaces for my students, and I realize about myself that I am better able to serve students when I learn about inequity and injustice, when I am in a room with people who are different than me, and when I reflect on my role in making higher education a more inclusive institution. 

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     In my role as advisor to the undergraduate student government at Boston College, I serve impassioned, determined, diverse students who seek to provide a better experience for their peers. I hear their struggles and celebrate their victories. In order to see change and employ social justice and inclusion as a student affairs practitioner, I will continue to inform my work and have the difficult conversations related oppression, privilege and power, and recognize students as a force of change.