Great questions, Tanya. I don’t have answers to all of them, but, in the case of Georgia, and I’m pretty sure for South Carolina and Florida too, the HOPE scholarship (or Bright Futures for Florida) is funded by the state lottery, I think with additional support from the state. I don’t really know enough to say whether this is necessarily a sustainable set-up…for example, I think it is currently a struggle to maintain funds for HOPE. Your point about who these scholarships really serve is an important one. Even though HOPE is open to everyone with a 3.0 GPA, students who can maintain this GPA tend to be privileged, attended good high schools, may not need to work jobs outside of school to support themselves, etc. That being said, the vast majority of people at UGA were on HOPE. It is at least a step in the right direction!

Thank you for your response Wei-Ning! And good question. Honestly, I consider myself moderate in the liberal-conservative spectrum and still feel outside popular opinion in academia.

The way I’m wired, I would suggest more social events within individual disciplines and interests that can also serve as discussion forums for issues of relevance. My opinion is that discussions at large become hostile and attendees become non-complacent because we lose all sense of fellowship and camaraderie with total strangers. My most meaningful discussions in life have taken place while hiking, kayaking, horseback riding, roadtrips, or the like. In those situations I am walking with (literally or otherwise) the person or people I am conversing/debating.

So often we have disagreed, but continuing to walk and talk anchors that sense of kindred that is absent in most debate forums. Yes we may be Hokies, but is that enough for large issues? I’m seeing that it’s often not.

In summary, I say we start with commonality and let that bridge our discussions along the greater debate channels at the university and elsewhere. Conceivable, sure. Likely? I can only hope and do my part to create such spaces.

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Thanks, Tanya! I just finished writing another entitled “Universities as policing agents?” that I scheduled to post tomorrow. Your feedback would be appreciated there as well.

Btw, “Tipping Point” is popular right now with both VT Library and the Public Library’s copies out currently. I may just have to buy it at B&N.

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Cody, you raise great points! Indeed, instructors should have a safe place for students to talk. However, I noticed that when students are more aware of their social issues, they are more likely to be quiet in the class. Some students also consider themselves as conservative, and they may feel they know nothing what to talk. I have some students tell me that they don’t want to offend anyone, that’s why they rather just listen. How would you create a safe space for students with conservative view to engage into racial discussion?

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Hey Carrie, great information you shared. As someone who grew up in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and considered going to school in Vermont before ultimately deciding on Wyoming, these funding data are not at all surprising. Heck, out of state tuition in Wyoming (and cost of living!) was much cheaper than in state tuition at most places in the Northeast! Obviously Wyoming is a unique situation as the state is large, the population is small, there is money from oil/gas industry, and there is only ONE 4-year institution in the state. So, it makes sense that the funding per student is higher there than elsewhere in the country. Massachusetts has a similar set up to what you experienced in Georgia. I’d be interested in how those programs were set up, who they are being used by most often (e.g.- does it help those who are truly underserved/under represented, or is it being used primarily by students who come from privilege), and what other states can do to create similar funding opportunities.

You are crushing it with these recent posts, Cody! Like your last, I once again found myself nodding in agreement to the points you made – and being impressed at the way in which you presented them. I wish I had something more of substance to add to this post at this point, but I really don’t. You covered it well and I’m interested in seeing what others think.

cheers!

Tanya

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I really like that quote. People make so many assumptions based on what you look like, where you’re from, what you do for a living. To assume that people stay in a bad situation because they’re too stupid to know that there’s something better is as insulting as assuming someone is poor because they’re too lazy to work. As long as a lot of people have that attitude, we’ll never be able to have a useful dialogue about poverty.