Institutional Agents with Marginalized Identities Working With Student Activists

Abstract

This study explores the experiences of student affairs professionals at large public research universities when directly engaging with student activists with whom they share marginalized identities. For the purpose of this study, these student affairs educators are institutional agents while they “provide key forms of social and institutional support” (Stanton-Salazar, 2011, p. 1066) navigating the Borderlands (Anzaldúa, 1987) created by their role within the institution, support of student activists, and their own social identities. I frame this study through the following research question: How do institutional agents experience their commitment to the institution as an employee, while supporting student activists with whom they shared marginalized identities? This study also addresses these sub-questions: (a) How do student affairs educators navigate the political context of their university amid student activism? (b) With social identities in mind, how do student affairs educators manage their relationships with student activists and colleagues? Five student affairs educators participated in 60 to 75-minute interviews and produced images to describe their experiences when engaging with student activists. I present findings in three themes: (a) how participants negotiate being part of the institution; (b) how participants navigate the borderlands; and (c) how institutional agents are part of the community. Across the three themes, several key takeaways addressed how student affairs educators: (a) address power dynamics, (b) do not assume the politics of their colleagues, (c) define the labor done on behalf of the university, (d) are a bridge for student activists, (e) cultivate co-conspirators, (f) manage a sliding scale of transparency, (g) set boundaries when working with student activists, and (h) build trust with student activists. This study contributes to the body of literature on how student affairs educators with marginalized identities support student activists and manage their roles. This dissertation concludes with implications for research and practice, with key takeaways highlighted by participants’ own words.