Student Affairs leaders are preparing to navigate a fall semester unlike any before. COVID-19 has galvanized the higher education landscape and the murder of George Floyd sparked a new wave of activism centered around race, equity, and police brutality. The intersection of recent activism, COVID-19 and the 2020 U.S presidential election has created an unforeseen terrain requiring thoughtful student activism strategy.
Whether students engage in activism on campus, online or in the community, institutions must start acting now to position themselves as a source of support for student activists.
Proactively build trust, strengthen relationships, and provide education
Refine communication
Revisit policy to fill gaps in response strategy
Proactively build trust, strengthen relationships, and provide education
Engaging with student activists before a campus flashpoint can shift the nature of student activism away from a PR nightmare and towards an opportunity to provide support and education to students while increasing institutional insight into future high-impact initiatives.
Create space for vulnerable student groups to share their experience
Sam Houston State University hosts regular roundtable discussions with student groups representing vulnerable student populations to “keep the line of communication open.”
Creating space for students to share their experience, rather than waiting for them to request a meeting, demonstrates a commitment to improving inclusivity on campus.
Pivot to fit the COVID-19 context: Create a structured virtual space in which students can share their experiences and concerns with leadership. For example, the Dean of Students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst hosted multiple diversity and inclusion zoom forums to brainstorm ideas to enhance social justice initiatives on campus.
Offer training and guidance to potential activists
Swarthmore embeds student activism training in their student leadership program to provide student leaders clarity about university decision-making processes and constraints, as well as educate students about activism best practices.
The Evolving Nature of Student Activism
Attend our upcoming virtual partner roundtable
Register hereThe University of Oregon advocacy center also offers targeted activism workshops to train students to advertise and host effective advocacy events.
Pivot to fit the COVID-19 context: Offer a virtual workshop and consider adding safety tips for engaging in protests during COVID-19. For example, George Washington University hosted an online training for students this summer “Student Activism in 2020 at GW and in the Community.”
Refine communication
How are you communicating with student activists prior to, during, or following an activist event? Below are two ways institutions are shifting their communication approach with student activists:
Pivot just-in-time resources for student activists to a virtual format
The University of Michigan created a pamphlet to hand out to student activists during an active protest on campus. The pamphlet included information students may need in the moment, like information about freedom of speech and student rights during a protest.
Pivot to fit the COVID-19 context: Consider transforming student activist resources into social media content packages or pdfs to be accessed from your website or on your social media accounts.
Manage campus climate flashpoints
See our research to help guide you along the way
Navigate the roadmapProvide upfront communication to faculty and staff about their role in student activism
American University extended their activism training to faculty and staff and provided a refresher about campus policies that would influence their role with student activists, emergency response, and reporting procedures.
Pivot to fit the COVID-19 context: Host a webinar training or create a student activism FAQ document and circulate it among faculty and staff.
Revisit policy to fill gaps in response strategy
Consider revisiting to your policy to identify opportunities for improvement such as to add additional context due to COVID-19 or to implement a procedure to simplify a response during a chaotic time.
Typical policy elements
- Time, place, and manner restrictions
- Free speech zone regulations
- Rules for placards, banners, and signs
- Noise amplification limits
- Space reservation protocols
- Guidelines for disruption of university activities
Modern activism spurs new questions
- How will the college address online speech or activism, including anonymous comments on social media?
- When will the university release statements on national or global events?
- How will the college receive, and address student demands not from elected bodies of students?
- How will the college uphold social distancing requirements while respecting students’ rights to protest?
Convene a climate risk team
A climate risk team pulls together the right stakeholders from across campus to plan for and respond to potential flashpoints on campus. Create or reconvene a team on campus to think through potential fall scenarios and determine ownership and responsibilities.
Pivot to fit the COVID-19 context: Identify the right stakeholders from across campus and host a virtual meeting. Consider creating a shared document to start brainstorming potential flashpoints on campus prior to the virtual meeting.
Designate first responders
The University of Florida created a protest safety team to serve as frontline support instead of university police during a student activism event on campus. The team was composed of volunteers and one team captain.
Pivot to fit the COVID-19 context: Identify first responders to a student activism event on campus or online. If you already have a designated team, consider checking in with the members of that team about changes due to COVID-19 in case some may no longer feel comfortable responding to a student protest.
