By Ms. Warren
Graduation for me is right around the corner. And to tell the truth I could not be happier. My 5-year tenure as an undergraduate and then as a master's student has been fruitful. I have learned many things about my self, our society and the power of intellect. However, as I reflect upon my experiences with professors and the educational environment of academia, there are a couple of aspects that I feel compelled to share. One issue stems from the politics of power in student-faculty relations and the other emerges in relation to the overarching framework that claims sole possession over what is taught in the world of academia.
When we think about higher education we tend not to perceive it as a monopoly. Well, after spending many years immersed in higher education there is one dominant worldview that dictates curriculum and the tone of the educational environment. This paradigm is constructed upon Eurocentric epistemologies and ontologies and it effectively marginalizes, or for that matter renders silent any other way of envisioning and studying our social reality. Of course, there are the emerging ethnic and gender studies departments and the two weeks a class dedicates to studying the representation of the 'other.' But as groundbreaking as these venues and sneak peaks are, I still perceive them as sidelining and constraining the full integration of indigenized theories and methods within academia that seek to understand our world.
Clearly, this Eurocentric worldview perpetuates a subtle form of discrimination. What I am about to say does not apply to everyone, but students of the Eurocentric persuasion within academia are further imbued with the belief (that will of course be perpetuated) that their way of knowing and understanding reality is the only way. This belief may not be a conscious manifestation because it is naturalized - what other way is there, as they are not presented with alternatives. Simultaneously, however, students of color, myself speaking as an African-American woman, find themselves having to push aside their ways of understanding "reality" to feel accepted as a viable intellectual entity within the majority mindset. This perception speaks to Du Bois's theory of "double consciousness," as he talks of it in Souls of Black Folks, in which African Americans are situated in the position of perceiving, understanding, and interpreting our worlds through someone else's eyes.
If people of color feel their lifeworld has no relevance within higher education they may choose to be silent, feeling that their view is a nonview, which is preposterous. However, I can attest to feeling silenced and being silent. And this silence is all to easily perpetuated. As Gloria Steinem offers in the March issue of O: The Oprah Magazine, the self-esteem of people from marginalized communities is slowly chipped away with each year of their pursuit of a higher degree. Why? Well, Steinem posits, and I do agree, it is because we are studying our own absence within the sociocultural and political hegemony of Eurocentric intellectual traditions. Worse, as a burgeoning scholar, I will have to contend with the idea that Eurocentric concepts have more "intellectual" vigilance and substance compared to scholarship by people of color. Thus, if I chose to define myself as a Black scholar that writes of and teaches Black issues within higher education instead, of trying to mainstream my ideas, my career options and validity as an educator are diminished within the eyes of the established paradigm. Consequently, I may also find myself relegated to ethnic studies departments or having my work reviewed during the "special section" of a class.
And speaking of "special sections," Through my time as a graduate student I have been wrought with pangs of frustration and ambivalence regarding the politics through which the faculty-student relationship is structured and how these politics influence the interpersonal relationships between the professor and the student. The reason this has become so salient for me is due to a misunderstanding with a professor, who happened to be an African American women, which resulted in terminal disagreement two months before graduation. This play of politics perpetuated a sense of powerlessness within me as a student (regardless of race and gender).
Whenever someone talks of politics issues of power move to the fore. Drawing upon my experience, power speaks to the official capacity to exercise control or authority over another. The degree to which this power is enacted depends strictly upon the situation. Clearly, those imbued with this authority have a moral and ethical responsibility to use it wisely. Professors, with their degrees and academic experience are obviously in a position of power to students. However, as paying customers, we, the students, also have power. And, I would argue that both faculty and students are equally situated, because without one the other would not exist. Although this is a fact, there is a tendency for both, students and faculty, not to recognize what this equilibrium implies.
Based on my intimate discussions with other students there is a sense of helplessness that pervades the student of higher education, in which many students feel incapable of asserting themselves in faculty-students disagreements. Students are scared of their grades being affected, of loosing support, of being disrespectful, and of being defined as a troublemaker. But there is a limit. If a professor is wrong they are wrong and should not, just because of their position, diminish their actions and place their student's under a microscope in retaliation. The conversation should not end and the ultimate power exercised when the student levies accountability upon them.
Students should be mindful that they have the authority to demand the same amount of excellence from their professors as they demand of us. We have to come to class on time, respond to assignments, in other words fulfill the commitments that the syllabus and university and departmental student handbooks holds us to. Conversely, some educators do not respond to our messages, miss our meetings, purposefully confuse the arguments students present, and do not fulfill recommendation commitments, which are aspects of their job description. They are compensated for those extra hours. They interact with us outside of the classroom because that is part of their responsibility. However, we grumble under our breaths and complain to other students, when we should bring our displeasure to the attention of the instructor and if that does not work then proceed to a higher authority. Even saying this sounds outlandish, which clearly shows how powerful the politics surrounding faculty-student interactions are.
Education and all that makes it work are the products and we, the students, are the consumer. We choose a school and program based on what they can do for us. How well they can prepare us for the job market and/or provide us with a firm grounding to pursue higher degrees are the reasons why we attend college. And educators are responsible for preparing and providing for us the most constructive, accessible, and user-friendly environment that they can. And if they fall short in this endeavor, students have the right to call them on it, as they would call us on excessive absences, poor work ethics, et cetera. Their status of power should not be a safeguard against repercussions and should not be used to intimidate students. Additionally, students should not feel threatened or bestow deferential treatment upon a professor who cannot step up to the plate or who is in the habit of slinging insults under the guise of humor.
Just as we are taught to think to critically and present an opinion in our papers, we should follow the same guidelines when it comes to our perceiving interpersonal interactions with faculty and then voicing our viewpoint. Believe me, I could kick myself a thousand times for not asserting myself in situations with faculty where I knew beyond a doubt that I was not being treated fairly. But who wants to rock the boat. Sometimes we have to, if for nothing else than to assert our rights and power as a consumer as well as identifying ourselves a human being with feelings.
I know that I have presented some heavy viewpoints that will probably tick some people off. But it is important that students should always think critically about what they are learning and how. They must be mindful to understand what is not being taught and seek out the information you need. And lastly students need to stand up for themselves and follow their instincts. The bottom line is, if you feel you are not getting the level of attentiveness that your or your parents money is purchasing, do something about it.
Until We Meet Again,
Peace