This Time is Worse
The Urgency of Advocacy and Support in Troubling Times
When Hilary Clinton lost the election in 2016 we pulled together a community meeting to try and make sense of our feelings. The President, the Counseling staff and my Student Affairs team all were on hand to listen to students and help process this loss. There was a palpable sense of dread and from the women in the room, a real anger.
A comment by a student that will be with me forever was centered about her own trauma. A survivor of sexual assault, this woman stood up and cried, “I had to fight so hard for someone to believe me, and now, no one will believe me again.” Others in the room started to cry because they felt it too. That loss was terrible.
This time it is worse.
It is worse because we not only didn’t believe this former student, but we also failed to believe any woman who has raised her voice for sanity, reason or empathy. We would rather vote for promises of cheap gas than for women to not have to report their menstrual cycle to the government. We would rather vote for toxic masculinity than humanity. And by the looks of it, we deserve it.
For HigherEd folks, we are not prepared for a Trump 2.0. Pell will likely be stripped away, the Title IX policies created to protect our students will be removed, and we will have to come up with ways to manage deportations of our international students. This is not histrionics, this is what they have planned.
Make no bones about it, the academy is in his sights. While concerns are understandable, panic is unlikely to be productive. We must put our crisis planning acumen into action; thoughtful preparation, open communication, and a commitment to supporting students and academic values will be crucial as the higher education landscape evolves. Institutions have overcome challenges before and if we want a chance at continuing working to fulfill the academy’s role in our democratic republic, we must focus on how to fulfill our mission.
Fortify Features
Dr. Laura De Veau is Principal & Founder of Fortify Associates, LLC. Fortify Associates, LLC is unique in the higher education, not-for-profit, and public service market. They provide comprehensive workshops, program reviews and project management services with a combination of in-person and virtual delivery. Fortify Associates is committed to creating experiences that are unique to the needs and culture of each of their clients. Dr. Laura De Veau is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education & Human Development.
