Social Issues Facing Higher Education

Social issues constantly evolve, especially on college campuses. What is the role or responsibility of campus professionals who are closely connected to students in addressing social issues as they arise? In an effort to help campus recreation professionals answer that question, here are some resources available for social issues that are prevalent on many campuses across North America.

Please note this resource is to add to the great work NIRSA has developed through the EDI Resource Guide.

Race is a topic that can be especially sensitive for students and professionals. Research has shown that students often call for action against instances of racial injustice or racism and look to university officials for meaningful responses.

Students don’t feel safe and tend to worry when instances of racism are not addressed by university officials, and when responses are not forthcoming or are inadequate they have a history of issuing a list of demands.

Below are three articles about how three campuses have been impacted by racism:

• Colorado University Boulder responds to racism with push for policy change
• Purdue students demand action after CVS incident | Campus
• Racist incidents on college campuses aren’t just annual events.  Students of color say solutions shouldn’t be either.

The following resource includes lists and links to various articles, books, podcasts, and videos intended to deepen anti-racism work:

• Google Document: Anti-Racism Resources

See related:

• A Message from NIRSA, June 2020: What is the action that we can take that will make positive change?
• A Message from NIRSA Executive Director Pam Watts, June 2020: Resources & Racism [NIRSA Members only]

Discussions related to gender identity in higher education have increased.  Here are resources on how your campus can support inclusive practices as they relate to gender identity.

• Colorado School of Mines community alliances
• Loyola University LGBTQIA initiatives
• Making your campus more inclusive for transgender and non-binary students
• National Center for Transgender Equality 
• Oakland University out on campus initiative 
• Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM)
• Planned Parenthood: Sex and gender identity
• The 203 Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity
• Trans Student Educational Resources
• University of Arizona all gender bathroom resource guide
• University of Arizona LGBTQ affairs 
• University of Arizona transgender awareness week
• University of George Washington: Organization for transgender, non-binary students hosts first events
• What’s the difference between sex and gender?

Food insecurity is a relevant topic because of its prevalence on college campuses. Here are some resources about what institutions have done or are doing to support students facing food insecurity:

• Association of American Colleges & Universities: Majority of college students experience food insecurity, housing insecurity, or homelessness
• American Heart Association: America’s food security problem and how to fix it
• American Heart Association: The social determinants of health
• Food insecurity in college: Finding support on campus
• Purdue University: Community in combat with food insecurity

As illicit drug use evolves, universities also have to adapt to their response. Explore recommendations and resources that can help your university address these issues:

• Addiction Center: Preventing substance abuse in college
• Addiction Center: College drug abuse
• College student drug use: Patterns, concerns, consequences, and interest in intervention 
• Cross-Canada report on student alcohol and drug use 
• Johann Hari: Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong 
• Lauren Windle: Lessons a drug addict can teach you 
• Michael Botticelli: Addiction is a disease. We should treat it like one.
• Monitoring the Future: National survey results on drug use 1975 – 2018
• National Institute on Drug Abuse: College age and young adults
• Post-Secondary Education Partnership – Alcohol harms
• The Journal: Drug use on campus persists
• UMass Amherst: A guide to university alcohol and drug policies 

Immigration poses many challenges for  institutions of higher learning. Here are resources for campus recreation professionals that can be used to help students who may be dealing with challenges related to immigration while attending your institution:

• Association of American Colleges & Universities: Extending our investments: Higher education access for undocumented students
• Association of American Colleges & Universities: The boarders of opportunity: Immigration and higher education
• Association of American Colleges & Universities: Empowering student voice through global learning in the curriculum and cocurriculum
• Migration Policy Institute: Migration data hub

Climate change is a complex topic that can’t be isolated to a single institution.  However, here are some resources regarding higher education and the role of higher education professionals as it relates to climate change:

• American Heart Association: Environment, culture, and other social determinants play big role in heart health
• US Forest Service: Climate change resource center 
• World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology: Climate change conferences

Gun laws can be a very polarizing topic. As campus recreation professionals, we need to recognize that students coming to college may not know what a safe classroom feels like. Institutional commitments regarding emergency preparedness may help them feel more comfortable on campus. In the event of a shooting on your campus or affecting your campus community, it is better for campus recreation professionals to respond directly–even if the response is imperfect–than to not respond because of fear of saying the wrong thing. Acknowledging that something happened can help with the processing.

• Armed Campuses: Guns on campus’ laws for public colleges and universities
• Association for Student Conduct Administration: Assessing threats on campus
• Campus Safety: An updated list of states that allow concealed guns on campus
• Inside Higher Ed: Campus carry is about preventing mass shootings
• Inside Higher Ed: Higher ed’s role in addressing school violence
• National Conference of State Legislatures: Guns on campus overview