ASSESSING THE STATE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING
Alexandra Mulhall University of Wyoming Submitted to: Dr. Jason McConnell
Introduction
As the world grows increasingly more diverse and access to higher education is expanded, the role of institutions in addressing social issues is rising to the forefront. As institutions have taken steps to address issues of diversity and inclusivity, terms like ‘social justice’ have transformed into buzzwords that lack meaning in reality. Similarly, the obligation of higher education institutions to serve broader goals like social justice is unclear in many contexts. Best practices for certain diversity/inclusion practices are available, but holistic guidance for improving overall conditions of social justice aren’t available, partially due to the fact that cultural and institutional differences across states and communities make a one-size-fits-all solution unlikely to work. The University of Wyoming (UW) is an excellent example of why national standard guidelines for social justice in education might not adequately serve every institution to the degree needed. The University of Wyoming serves as the state’s only original four-year institution and plays a large role for the state and its communities. Unlike the many states that have more than one major institution, Wyoming has given UW alone a unique platform to serve the state through its land-grant mission. The University touches many lives across the state and elsewhere, serving the students and people, which makes the question of an obligation to social justice quite relevant. Does the University of Wyoming have a duty to enhance conditions of social justice for students and the people of the state? And if so, what do those efforts currently look like, and what could be done better? This thesis will examine those to questions by utilizing social justice theory and literature, data from the University of Wyoming, and anecdotal analysis based on the author’s personal experience as the President of the
Associated Students of the University of Wyoming. The analysis of those elements will be used to make recommendations for future improvements to conditions of social justice at the
Social Justice Theory and Higher Education Brief Background of Social Justice Theory
The term ‘social justice’ has evolved in meaning over time and across cultures to a point that it is commonly used yet not deeply understood by many. Especially in the context of higher education, social justice can seem like an over-used term used to address generalities. So, what is social justice really? A simple internet search might pull up a definition by Lexico Dictionaries that states social justice is, “justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society”1. So, by extension of definition, there are many issues that can be
categorized as ‘social justice issues’, from access to opportunities for minorities to issues of environmental justice, and many more. Several contemporary political philosophers consider social justice to be a component of distributive justice, and some go so far as to interchange the two terms2, though some of the theory related to higher education argues that a narrow focus on distribution is counterproductive in that context3, as will be discussed below. The reason for this association is that some of the classic philosophers, namely Aristotle and Aquinas, discuss fair distribution of some benefits to members in a group in their accounts of justice, and so social justice as understood today is like, “distributive justice pursued more systematically and with
1. “Social Justice: Definition of Social Justice by Lexico.” Lexico Dictionaries | English. Lexico Dictionaries. Accessed April 28, 2020.
https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/social_justice.
2. David Miller, Principles of Social Justice. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press, 2003), 2.
3.Lori D. Patton, Riyad A. Shahjahan, and Nana Osei-Kofi, "Introduction to the emergent approaches to diversity and social justice in higher education special issue," Equity & Excellence in Education 43, no. 3 (2010): 265-278, accessed March 3, 2020,
respect to a wider range of benefits”4. The information provided thus far all supports an
interpretation of social justice as a fairly broad concept, encompassing many different societal issues and components. It is important to mention that social justice is, in fact, a concept that speaks to a wide range of topics because much of the modern discourse surrounding social justice in the public arena is narrowly focused on minority rights/issues.
The definition of ‘social justice’ alone doesn’t necessarily enable people to completely grasp the term, so analyzing the history of the term can assist in understanding what makes social justice distinct from other forms of justice. In 1900, a political science professor named Westel Willoughby published Social Justice, arguing that social and economic institutions must be examined for how justly they are treating people, and that seeking social justice was a consequence of the spread of enlightenment5. Willoughby’s work viewed society as a
culmination of elements required to cooperate, and that social justice’s aim is to create the conditions necessary for each person to contribute fully to social wellbeing6. In the second half of the 20th century, John Rawls published A Theory of Justice, in which he used nonutilitarian arguments to justify a democratic political order that had the main components of fairness, equality, and individual rights7. From the time of John Stuart Mill leading up to Rawls, most
philosophers defending democratic principles used utilitarian justifications, overall reasoning that democratic governments produce a greater amount of happiness for a greater number of
4.Miller, 2. 5.Miller, 4. 6.Miller, 4.
7.Robert A. Dahl, “Democracy,” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., February 19, 2020, https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy/Rousseau#ref796677.
people. Taking issue with the possible negative implications of utilitarian justifications8, Rawls
argued that rational, self-interested people would likely choose to live under a system of governance that guarantees certain things like equality of opportunity and liberty, and fair distribution of wealth because no one would want to sign up for the utilitarian system if they couldn’t guarantee they would be in the majority9. Rawl’s overall theory of justice as fairness has
earned him the slot as, “the leading philosophical defender of the modern democratic capitalist welfare state”10. The principles of Rawl’s theory essentially lay out a theory of social justice that
pairs with democratic principles to yield an argument for an egalitarian form of democratic liberalism, hence a very important work for understanding social justice as it fits in with modern institutions. The work of these philosopher’s shows some of the cited argument for improving social justice in the modern world.
Social Justice in Higher Education
With a more refined understanding of the term social justice, one can start to analyze the role of higher education institutions in supporting efforts to achieve social justice. Education itself concerns social justice in number of ways: fair and equal access to a quality education is a commonly understood social justice issue, especially in the U.S. where racist policies of the past and present have restricted minority access to a quality education. Receiving an education enables one to be better equipped to succeed in society, and as such, is generally understood
8.Rawls argued for his system over a utilitarian system because under such a system, the rights of a minority are often unfairly neglected in order to create the greatest happiness for the majority.
9 Robert A. Dahl, “Democracy,” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., February 19, 2020, https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy/Rousseau#ref796677.
under theories of social justice as a good worthy of fair and equal distribution. But the nature of higher education means that it interacts with this concept of social justice in more than a purely educational context. The external institutions that feed into higher education, i.e.
disproportionate access based on race, and the internal institutions that affect the real world, i.e. instilling values of acceptance and understanding of complex social issues in students (or not), have a role in either reinforcing or breaking trends of injustice. In other words, institutions of higher learning have a real platform for affecting social change because of their breadth of influence with societal institutions. Furthermore, institutions of higher learning are bound to act in accordance with their missions, some of which include legal duties to serve the people of the state in which they reside. The various roles of these institutions in providing education and intellectual goods to the members of their relevant societies make higher education particularly important in the context of social justice.
Analyzing the existing literature in the area of social justice in higher education can yield some understanding as to the role that universities can play in transformative change. As
previously mentioned, some scholars have criticized a purely Rawlsian approach to social justice in higher education, particularly because of the distributive focus. This is particularly salient to the educational context because,
“In the higher education context, we can fall into the trap of equating social justice with distributive justice by exclusively focusing on distribution questions – numerical representation of minoritized bodies among faculty, students, and administrators in universities/community colleges, college access, voice in the classroom, curricula, and so on – and ignore the social structures, processes, and institutional contexts that produce these distributions in the first place.”11
11.Lori D. Patton, Riyad A. Shahjahan, and Nana Osei-Kofi, “Introduction to the emergent approaches to diversity and social justice in higher education special issue,” 268.
This demonstrates that the institutional approaches to social justice issues, such as diversity and inclusion, can either harm or help overall achievement of more fair and just conditions.
Importantly, this means that universities/colleges should be intentional, not only in their approach to issues like inclusion, but also with respect to the theory of social justice they are using to guide decisions. For example, a common modern attempt of universities to enhance social justice has been massification, or efforts to produce expanded access to higher education. The massification approach, “[…] does not automatically reduce social inequality and may in fact benefit those who are already socially advantaged.”12 When institutions attempt to expand
access simply based on a numerical approach, they can miss addressing the root causes of institutional injustice and even create new routes of injustice13.
Additionally, the role of institutions of higher learning in developing a knowledgeable base of workers for the market is a further indication of how integral higher education is to achieving conditions of social justice broadly throughout all of society. Higher education is not immune from economic interests, particularly when institutions were designed to serve specific interests of the state, and skewed motives can block true progress. Certainly, the economic and educational/societal goals of institutions sometimes clash; for example, the focus on innovation in the realm of science and technology has essentially prioritized the creation of economic
12. Mala Singh, "The place of social justice in higher education and social change discourses," Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education 41, no. 4 (2011): 484.
13. Singh, "The place of social justice in higher education and social change discourses," 491. Singh notes that one example of new routes of injustice created by efforts to expand access is how increased access for non-traditional participants in different higher education institutions but not others has created a reputational hierarchy of schools in which access for non-traditional participants is not necessarily expanded at schools with better reputations.
benefits over the creation of general societal improvement14. If the goal of universities’ research
and innovation was for societal improvement, then innovation in areas like social justice would be being pursued as well. Concerningly, in higher education settings, considerations for social justice, “[…] have been incorporated into frameworks which strongly emphasize economic growth, human capital, development and competitiveness imperatives, often over many other social goals relating to rights-based claims to fair access, public good aspirations, etc.”15
Applying human capital/economic frameworks to institutional decisions can create institutional ambiguity about the value of social justice itself, further distracting from the achievement of true institutional and societal transformation. The higher education theory previewed here articulates how the interconnectedness of social justice issues and unique role of institutions of higher learning position universities and colleges to directly impact both individual students and broader societal change.
The University of Wyoming in Context
The role and relevance of higher education in social justice means that each institution has its own societal impacts, particularly in their respective states, which is especially true for the University of Wyoming. In order to examine the impact, however, the current and historical context of the state must be analyzed. The role the University of Wyoming plays in contributing to the social justice of the state of Wyoming can even be glimpsed in the first paragraph of the mission statement, which reads,
14. Singh, "The place of social justice in higher education and social change discourses," 490.
15 Singh, "The place of social justice in higher education and social change discourses," 491.
We honor our heritage as the state’s flagship and land-grant university by providing accessible and affordable higher education of the highest quality; rigorous scholarship; the communication and application of knowledge; economic and community development; and responsible stewardship of our cultural, historical and natural resources.16
Indeed, the role of the land-grant institution has historically played an important role in
providing access of education. Originally established by Congress in the late 1800s to develop more agricultural workers, land-grant institutions have been used to create integrated institutions across the nation and have typically had open admissions policies that have expanded access to women, the working class, and to people in all locations.17 The University of Wyoming is no different; as the state’s only four-year institution, the university has historically served a large portion of the state’s population, and the constitutionally mandated affordable tuition policy has enabled many students to earn a degree. The platform of the University of Wyoming is large, as it serves an important in role in educating the students of the state and abroad, and also supports the interests of the state, particularly by pursuing research in the energy sector that supports Wyoming.
While the University of Wyoming has undoubtedly helped produce more just conditions across the state, the unique culture and general lack of diversity in the state present challenges specific to the institution. First, many of the social issues in the United States do concern racial discrimination, yet it is estimated that about 92 percent of Wyoming’s population is white18.
16. “University of Wyoming Mission Statement (July 2017).” Mission Statement | University of Wyoming. Accessed May 1, 2020. http://www.uwyo.edu/acadaffairs/mission/.
17 The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Land-Grant Universities,” Encyclopædia Britannica, August 2, 2017. https://www.britannica.com/topic/land-grant-university.
18. “U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Wyoming,” Census Bureau QuickFacts, July 1, 2019. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/WY.
While discrimination is certainly not absent from Wyoming’s past or present, the lack of racial diversity does mean that race is not as salient of an issue in this state as it is in others. Many Wyoming students grow up in schools that are almost all-white, if not completely white, and citizens simply aren’t faced with race issues often. This is important in context of the University, because it has an integral role in educating the students of the state and could likely be the first place where Wyoming students are faced with these issues. At the same time, Wyoming is home to important populations such as the various Native American tribes who have endured a history of oppression in the state, such as the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Crow and Shoshone tribes. Data collected from the University of Wyoming further highlights the challenges facing the institution in developing socially just conditions for all members of the UW community.
University of Wyoming Diversity Campus Climate Survey Analysis
In 2019 the University of Wyoming conducted a climate survey to, “help gauge the campus community’s perceptions on the issue of sexual violence, sexist language and discrimination, diversity, physical safety, access to support for physical and mental disabilities, food and shelter access, and acceptance of various sexual orientations,”19 which provided important data about perceptions and experiences at the University. Notably, the survey revealed that some groups of people at the University feel, and are, more accepted than others. When respondents were asked about if they felt comfortable working with different types of people, far fewer felt comfortable with individuals of differing sexual orientation or non-binary gender identity than they felt with other groups, like individuals from a different racial identity.20 Furthermore, on the section of the
19. Daniel C. Swinton and Brian Van Brunt, “The Summary Report from the 2019 Campus Climate Survey,” Laramie, WY, n.d., 2.
20. Swinton and Van Brunt, “The Summary Report from the 2019 Campus Climate Survey,” Laramie, WY, n.d., 4. In the survey results, 85% felt comfortable working with people
survey inquiring about the respondent’s own gender identity, many comments left were angry. Many of these comments expressed anger that this question was even asked, and that the University would issue a survey that hints at the possibility of more than one gender identity. Other comments contained sarcastic responses, noting their gender identity as an attack helicopter or Godzilla. These comments, in addition to the comparatively low acceptance rate, demonstrate a challenge facing UW today. The data demonstrate that a considerable amount of bias toward individuals with different orientations and identities potentially exists on campus, which could be negatively impacting a segment of the UW population. But, further than that, if UW does not take an active stance against these biases, then the negative impacts will continue both within the institution and out into society as students take their perceptions and experiences with them into the world. This is not to say that the University has an obligation to change everyone’s opinion, but they can and should take an active stance on these issues so as to create a more inclusive environment, at least for those attending.
While sexual orientation and gender identity showed the lowest level of acceptance on campus, other portions of the survey demonstrate additional challenges facing the institution in terms of ensuring socially just conditions. The survey data revealed that 26% of respondents had witnessed racial discrimination on campus. The data further reveals that the respondent’s race played a role in their response to that question because 24% of White respondents but 40% of non-white respondents witnessed racial discrimination.21 This further demonstrates how
of different sexual orientation, 74% felt comfortable with people of different gender identity, compared to the 93% who felt comfortable with people of different races.
21. Swinton and Van Brunt, “The Summary Report from the 2019 Campus Climate Survey,” Laramie, WY, n.d., 7.
perceptions of inclusion may differ within the UW population, and as further evidence, 59% of students, 53% of staff, and 41% of faculty agreed that UW is welcoming to people of all races. Furthermore, 47% of non-white respondents saw racial issues at UW as a problem, compared to the 37% of White respondents.22 The data suggests that different types of people in the UW community are having different experiences, leading to different perceptions about the problems that exist on campus. Importantly, the survey indicates that White members of the community see issues of race as less of an issue, simply because they are not experiencing discrimination, not because it’s not happening. In fact, the recommendations from the survey include taking steps to focus on,
[…] the development of educational programming, passive marketing, bystander
intervention, and social norming campaigns to address the trend identified that those who have not experience racism, homophobia, or other forms of discrimination and hate speech may not realize it is an important and harmful experience to those who do.23
This recommendation speaks to the earlier discussion of how Wyoming faces unique obstacles to achieving socially just conditions because many people simply aren’t faced with these issues, and thus don’t understand their salience even in a state like Wyoming.
Additional data from the survey provides further insight into the existing perceptions and attitudes on campus that could be producing unjust conditions for other campus members. First, only 50% of students and 67% of faculty agreed that courses that focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion should be required for all students and majors.24 This could be a symptom of
22. See note 21 above.
23. Swinton and Van Brunt, “The Summary Report from the 2019 Campus Climate Survey,” Laramie, WY, n.d., 8.
24. Swinton and Van Brunt, “The Summary Report from the 2019 Campus Climate Survey,” Laramie, WY, n.d., 5.
dissatisfaction with the current diversity course offerings, at least for students. However, this could also mean that some people see little value in the diversity course requirement.
Furthermore, 72% of students and 70% of faculty said they felt comfortable discussing diversity, equity, and inclusion topics in classes.25 This data reveals that some discomfort exists across campus is discussing these important issues in the classroom, which can mean the conversations may never happen and people will continue to have their same perceptions and behaviors. And importantly, when the respondents were asked if they felt comfortable interrupting or stopping bias, prejudice, discrimination, etc., 60% of students and 76% of faculty said they would.26 These
numbers demonstrate that even when instances of racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. occur, a good number of people wouldn’t feel comfortable stopping it, exhibiting further discomfort with these issues across campus. Overall, it’s important to note, as the survey recommendations do, that,
While the survey results indicate that the majority of the population of UW is accepting and open to concepts of sexual orientation, gender identity, race/ethnicity, and access to disability services, there is a small and vocal minority that does not share these beliefs and raises a central challenge for UW.27
The survey recommendations further urged UW against dismissing the harsh comments from the minority, noting that a single comment can cause a lot of harm to a marginalized population. The data from the Climate Survey highlighted areas where UW could potentially be focusing
25. Swinton and Van Brunt, “The Summary Report from the 2019 Campus Climate Survey,” Laramie, WY, n.d., 4.
26. See note 24 above.
27. Swinton and Van Brunt, “The Summary Report from the 2019 Campus Climate Survey,” Laramie, WY, n.d., 8.
resources in order to address unjust behaviors that are negatively affecting the campus community.
Current Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts at the University of Wyoming
While the climate survey revealed important information about the room for
improvement at the University, the current efforts to improve conditions at the institution must also be analyzed to provide full context. In 2017, after hiring the inaugural Chief Diversity Officer, Dr. Emily Monago, the University opened the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The addition of this office was a step forward for the institution, and the development of the Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 2017-2022 further assisted in establishing goals and priorities to guide the work of the University. This plan, meant to complement Breaking Through: 2017-2022; A Strategic Plan for the University of Wyoming, provides four overall goals. Under Goal One: Driving Excellence, the plan outlines steps to create more professional development in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Under Goal Two: Inspiring
Students, the plan hopes to develop culturally competent students and a welcoming environment for all students. Under Goal Three: Impacting Communities, the plan seeks to facilitate
collaboration on societal issues and build a statewide community of learners by connecting with a variety of populations. And, under Goal Four: A High Performing University, the plan outlines ways to create an environment of inclusion for faculty and staff and create methods for
rewarding staff for their social justice efforts.28 This plan has been used to guide the efforts of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion over the last several years, and thus serves as an
28. “University of Wyoming Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” “PDF,” Laramie, WY, n.d.
important indicator of how the University is currently trying to address social justice as an institution.
Furthermore, there are other existing resources and efforts on campus that focus on improving social justice for the campus community. The Multicultural Resource Center and Multicultural Affairs staff provide important support different student populations. In addition to providing a safe space for students and coordinating programming, Multicultural Affairs has now hired program advisors for Latinx, African Diaspora, Native American, and Gender and
Sexuality programs. These individuals offer important support for those student populations. Additionally, in recent years the University has established the School of Culture, Gender & Social Justice which, “[…] provides a robust, interdisciplinary, liberal arts education that is informed by the historical, social, political, and cultural forces that shape society.”29 This school
features courses in African American and Diaspora Studies, Latinx Studies, Native American and Indigenous Studies, and Gender and Women Studies. In addition to the establishment of the School, in 2007 the University created the Social Justice Research Center which, “[…] is an interdisciplinary center dedicated to the generation of scholarship connected to addressing practical and theoretical questions arising from the pursuit of social justice.”30 This center
provides an important resource for the University and state in providing collaboration and research on important social justice issues. Several partners of the center are also key efforts on
29. “The School of Culture, Gender, and Social Justice,” School of Culture, Gender, and Social Justice | University of Wyoming, Accessed April 11, 2020. https://www.uwyo.edu/scgsj/
.
30. “Social Justice Research Center: What We Do.” What we do | Social Justice Research Center | University of Wyoming, Accessed April 13, 2020. http://www.uwyo.edu/sjrc/what-we-do/index.html.
campus to encourage dialogue on social justice issues. These partners include MLK Days of Dialogue which is an annual week of programming in the spring meant to engage the UW community in conversations about diversity issues and foster an inclusive environment.
Additionally, there is the Shephard Symposium on Social Justice which is a symposium created in memory of Matthew Shephard and the work of his family meant to engage a wide variety of people in conversations about eliminating social injustices. This Symposium has grown over the years to reach a broad audience as a part of its goal to reach regional and national audiences. The Good Mule Project is an event series at the University meant to look at issues of diversity and multiculturalism collaboratively and through a lens of social justice activism.31 All of these programs at the University serve as important centers of conversation and as reminders to the community about the importance of inclusivity.
The University of Wyoming has also taken additional steps to address other types of social justice issues as well. For example, the University has the STOP Violence program and SAFE Project which provide support and education for issues of sexual misconduct.
Additionally, the No More campaign and committee have continued to work to address sexual violence on campus. Additionally, there have been recent efforts from various entities across campus, including the Haub School, the Associated Students of the University of Wyoming, Hoyt Hall, and more, to establish food share cabinets on campus to help students and staff who are food insecure. Food insecurity continues to be discussed across campus, as 37% of
31. “Social Justice Research Center: What We Do.” Social Justice Research Center | University of Wyoming, Accessed April 13, 2020. http://www.uwyo.edu/sjrc/what-we-do/index.html.
undergraduate students are reported to have low or very low food security.32 It should be noted
that student resources such as Student Health Services, Disability Support Services, and the University Counseling Center serve an important role in ensuring students have access to healthcare, mental health services, and adequate disability support which are all important components of making sure students can successfully graduate by supporting their specific needs. The existing entities and efforts focused on social justice at the University of Wyoming demonstrate that there is a desire at the institution to address these issues.
Anecdotal Analysis: Perspective of a Former ASUW President
This section will offer a brief anecdotal analysis of the climate of the University of Wyoming from my perspective and experiences as the President of the Associated Students of the University of Wyoming (ASUW) Student Government in 2019. I offer this perspective as I think it is unique; as President, I was able to be a part of meetings and decisions at upper administrative and top institutional levels. But, as a student my perspective in these scenarios was likely different than some other stakeholders.
In my experience, many members of the campus community do intentionally try to address issues of social justice, but there seems to be ambiguity as to the overall institution’s goals in regard to social justice. In my opinion, this ambiguity is in part a result of competing stakeholder interests. For instance, the University of Wyoming is heavily tied to the majority-Republican legislature, indicating political interests. In addition to the legislature, the University
32. Alanna Elder, “Despite Low College Price-Tag, Some UW Students Still Struggle to Eat,” Wyoming Public Media. Wyoming Public Media, February 16, 2018.
https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/post/despite-low-college-price-tag-some-uw-students-still-struggle-eat#stream/0.
serves the constituents of the state who make donations in return, and the majority of the
population is Republican, compounding the political interests. Additionally, there are economic interests at play because of the University’s role in serving the state and providing research on energy resources. On the other hand, the University has its obligation to provide affordable access to education, as well as its mission to, “Nurture an environment that values and manifests diversity, internationalization, free expression, academic freedom, personal integrity and mutual respect.”33 The tension of these interests comes to play at times, causing people like myself to feel trepidatious in bringing forward issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, etc. in top-level meetings. For example, several of my fellow executive and I had a meeting with important stakeholders of the campus concerning the use of the new marketing slogan “The World Needs More Cowboys” and its possible implications to students in which the dialogue quickly turned harsh and unaccepting. Top-level administrators were quick to turn down the idea that the term ‘cowboy’ has historical and gender connotations that render it an exclusionary term for many, simply because this idea threatened a costly marketing campaign. My biggest concern with that meeting was how important people at the University seemed aggravated and unwilling to discuss these issues civilly, instead turning to angry and sarcastic comments which only served to
demean the students sitting at the table. The political interests and attitudes of the state large certainly seem to play a part in the conversations that do happen at higher levels in the University.
Additionally, the social justice efforts that do exist across campus don’t ever seem to receive support in a top down approach, weakening the institutional embrace of social justice.
33. “University of Wyoming Mission Statement (July 2017),” Mission Statement | University of Wyoming, Accessed May 1, 2020. http://www.uwyo.edu/acadaffairs/mission/.
What I mean is, social justice initiatives don’t often make it to the top of the priority list for top-level administrators and Trustees. As an institution of research and higher learning, the
University has the potential to insert itself into cultivating the just conditions of the future, but as of right now these issues are a sideline effort if anything. I have had the opportunity to work with a number of the entities across campus listed in the previous section, and while the work they are doing is excellent and important, it is not always coordinated. For instance, sometimes the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion can feel far away from social justice efforts happening at the student level. The recent passage of ASUW Senate Bill #2699: Implementation of a Land Acknowledgement Statement for ASUW Senate Meetings is an example of different actions being taken at the various levels of UW. The student government, in conjunction with
multicultural affairs, designed this legislation as a first step for the University, hoping to spur the adoption of land acknowledgement statements being read at all UW events. This further
demonstrates how social justice seems to come from a bottom up approach, thus leading to lack of collaboration between campus entities. Furthermore, social justice issues were not often discussed at Board of Trustee meetings compared to the frequency that economic pursuits and issues. To me, it feels like social justice efforts are concentrated at lower levels of the University and are sideline efforts to the other goals of the institution.
Developing a Social Justice Framework for the University of Wyoming Based on the social justice in higher education theory, analysis of the University in context, and anecdotal evidence, the following recommendations are made for the University of Wyoming to work towards better improving conditions of social justice for the campus and state communities. These recommendations are not meant to undermine the important work currently being done at the University, as outlined earlier. Many individuals and entities are working hard
to integrate conversations of important issues into the lives of the community, and the recommendations are meant to only further increase the impact of their work.
Overall, it seems pertinent that the University work to establish a clear, institution-wide social justice framework that is integrated into the goals of the institution. It’s clear that there are a variety of stakeholders at the University, and those interests are key to the long-term success of the institution. However, social justice should be integrated into the priorities of the institution in order to positively impact the state of social justice, so it’s important to frame social justice in terms of its benefits to the goals of UW and the state, without losing the value of social justice in and of itself. This framework should be adopted institutionally, and from a top down approach, in order to successfully integrate a set of common priorities with regards to social justice. The framework being proposed is different than the current strategic plan for diversity because it would involve making these issues a priority at the very top level of the University, alongside the important interests of the University and state. The current strategic plan has benchmarks in place to assist the University in moving forward to become an inclusive atmosphere, but it does not clarify the institution’s stance on the value of social justice, leading members of the UW community in a state of ambiguity. Furthermore, making social justice efforts a priority via framing the concept in terms of its benefit to Wyoming would help settle the political tensions on such issues, and enable members of the community to talk about these issues in the open because they have institutional support. Additionally, the theory shows that the nature of social justice is interconnected and interdisciplinary, and further that a narrow view of social justice can detract from true efforts. The University must pursue social justice as a priority via a holistic and collaborative response in order to fully address the wide range of social justice issues and how
they impact one another. Establishing a social justice priority at the University won’t be an easy action, but the context of Wyoming exposes room for powerful framing.
There are some possible ways that social justice could be framed as a priority for the
institution, in Wyoming terms. For instance, social justice could be looked to as an essential area for development at the University and the state to help diversify the graduates entering the state economy and create a more inclusive state environment. Diversifying the economy and
encouraging more people to stay in the state of Wyoming have been themes of action on and off in the state. Certainly, the state is aware of the need too look toward efforts that will produce an economically prosperous state in a future with less fossil fuel use. Furthermore, social justice could be integrated into the University by targeting Wyoming-specific social justice issues, making issues of social justice meaningful to the students here. For instance, required courses for all majors at the University could have a section focusing on understanding the social and
cultural issues of the state’s past so as to engender understanding and acceptance in communities here. In addition, adoption of a land acknowledgement statement addressing the use of traditional native lands for all UW events could be a powerful way for the institution to make a statement about a social justice issue that is very salient to Wyoming. Further research could examine the additional ways in which social justice can be woven into a Wyoming-specific narrative in order to have the greatest impact at UW and throughout the state. The University of Wyoming and the state itself pride themselves on being trailblazers on their own unique path, and us such, the constituents of both UW and Wyoming deserve a social justice framework that is specific to their unique perspective and needs.
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