News from Other Higher Education Institutions

News coming out of other higher education institutions is interesting for our work on diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are thinking about Harvard’s use of pronoun stickers to promote gender inclusion and the impacts of the coronavirus.

Growing Awareness of Gender Identity in Academic Institutions

The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University has recently introduced the optional use of name tags with accompanying gender pronouns. The move is intended to reflect the institution’s acceptance and welcoming of trans and nonbinary students. In a letter to Kennedy School faculty and staff, the student body vice president of diversity Diego A. Garcia Blum wrote that “Often people assume what pronouns other people use by how a person looks like, but this can lead to mistakes that can hurt and exclude people…The use of visible pronoun stickers is a welcome signal to our trans and gender-nonconforming students to be their full selves in any space in our school.” He continues to write if you are unsure of what pronouns someone may use that it is okay to ask. The initiative attempts to bring attention to the issue. Student leaders reported that the institution needs to address gender identity issues better. The name tags, which are adhesive and can be worn on clothing, remain optional. They contain small phrases like: “My pronouns are: She/Her.”  According to data compiled by the University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s Stonewall Center, more than 250 U.S. colleges and universities allow students to record a chosen first name, instead of a legal first name, on official records and documents if so desired. More than 40 permit students to indicate their own pronouns for course rosters. Middlebury figures on both lists.

The Coronavirus and its Effect on Academic Institutions

Students at the University of Albany in New York may face disciplinary action after allegedly throwing a coronavirus-themed party. The party was held off-campus and was not sanctioned by the university. In videos uploaded to social media, students were seen wearing face masks and drinking beer. An Asian-American student group active on campus quickly decried the event, calling it racist and insensitive. The video received over 6,000 views but was deleted soon after it was uploaded. It remains unclear what type of disciplinary action–if any–the students responsible will face. 

At other college campuses across the country, students of Asian descent have beared the brunt of xenophobic comments as concerns related to the coronavirus have grown. The administrations of some universities have also made mistakes. Officials at the University of California, Berkeley came under criticism after a handout circulated at a campus health center noted that xenophobia was a “normal reaction” during a health crisis. 

Universities across the United States are also canceling study abroad programs in countries impacted by the coronavirus. However, the majority of impacted students are those coming from China to study in the United States. Nearly 370,000 Chinese students were attending U.S. institutions during the 2018-2019 school year, making China the largest origin of international students in the country. Some 12,000 American students studied in China past academic year, according to the Institute for International Education. The country is now the most popular study abroad destination for American students outside of Western Europe. Obviously, the future remains very uncertain and the real effects of the coronavirus outbreak may not be felt until much later. Chinese students contributed an estimated $14.9 billion to the American economy in 2018. A loss of revenue and potential drops in enrollment could continue to pose problems for higher education institutions beyond this current school year.