Persisting and Resisting in the Age of Trump and Emerging AI

As faculty, staff, and administrators who have committed our lives to serving under-resourced and minoritized populations on our campuses, many of us might feel like we are betwixt and between. As we serve and advocate in contexts that have made clear through their policies and practices, we are not protected, and neither are our students and colleagues.

Dr. Sydney Freeman Jr.Many of us could not have imagined just nine months ago that we would be struggling to keep the National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service on air. Likewise, we could not have anticipated that the United States Department of Education might actually be dismantled, along with key agencies such as regional accreditors. We are also dealing with mass closers and rollbacks of academic departments and programs in areas such as the humanities and social sciences. The hard sciences are feeling it as well, as key federal funding related to STEM has been curtailed. Given these massive changes, even some of our most elite institutions have fallen under the pressure of federal mandates (e.g., Harvard). Senior leaders committed to DEI have resigned in the wake of these challenging times.

Many of us were taught that servant leadership is the preferred approach to creating positive change within the academy. However, in our current times, bully-style leadership is often being utilized by those in power, mirroring the approaches of federal and state executive and legislative leadership.

Dr. Donna Y. FordIf that is not enough, many of us are now teaching in contexts where we must adjust to the reality that artificial intelligence will be a key part of our instruction. We need to rethink the way that we offer class assignments, particularly reading and writing tasks, to ensure student comprehension of content, subjects, and materials. As we prepare our courses, we have to consider issues such as academic integrity, student engagement and critical thinking, equity and access, and other ethical considerations.  

With this context in mind, many of us who have committed our careers to serving the most vulnerable populations must wrestle with protecting ourselves while still strategically ensuring that we continue to meet the needs of those who need us most in the academy. And if you are of African descent you might pay extra ‘Black taxes’ - feeling a heavy sense of burnout and lack of motivation going into the new school year. However, we would like to suggest a few ideas that may assist you in creating a positive academic year because we desire for you to thrive and flourish.

Collaborate

To successfully navigate this season, we all must be willing to collaborate on shared goals. Coalition building with people that align with your values academically and professionally across disciplines will be key to utilizing collective power to influence institutional decisions and policies. This is not the time to go it alone.  As the saying goes, ‘united we stand, divided we fall’. Collaboration is powerful and empowering.