Inequality and Student Debt

Fall Quarter 2014 Event:

Inequality and Student Debt Town Hall

Series of events focused on examining the cost and value of higher education in the United States.
  • Why and how do our educational institutions–particularly student debt for higher education–contribute to inequality rather than equality of opportunity?
  • What role might liberal arts education–alternative and traditional, public and private–have in confronting inequality in our systems of governance and our institutions of democracy?
  • How can the current crisis at Evergreen be reframed as an opportunity?
Events included:
  • Town Hall on Inequality:  World Café Discussions on Student Debt
    Dialogue focused on why student debt matters globally, nationally, and on our campus. Discussion using the World Café model allowed for meaningful conversations centered on the key issues of inequality and student debt.
  • Film screening of Ivory Tower (2014, Andrew Rossi)  A new film about students’ experiences of student debt that explores the reasons and consequences of student debt. Screenings hosted by Evergreen programs Making Meaning Matter and Cultural Landscapes 
  • Film screening of Inequality for All (2013, Jacob Kornbluth) hosted by The Olympia Film Society with Post-Film Q&A

student debt

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One additional important event was attended by a faculty member to learn the art and technique of the World Café Discussion which was the consistent pedagogical tool that provided a structure for horizontal discussion. This was facilitated through The Art of Participatory Leadership intensive three-day workshop. An opportunity to practice a set of simple and powerful practices for designing and hosting meaningful conversations and meetings. Participatory leadership is useful in many types of human engagement, including various governance activities and community conversations as well as classroom activities in relationship to social and environmental change.
A Cloud of Some Words That Were Written the Most

 

 

 

Resources:

Impact and Effect:

“Talking openly about issues of debt and economic structures is very important. This guided conversation helped support deep thinking around challenging questions of student debt”. -Evergreen Student Participant

Sponsors:

  • Evergreen Fund for Innovation
  • Deans’ Match

Participating Programs:

Faculty:
Programs:
 Therese Saliba, Anne Fischel and Ted Whitesell Cultural Landscapes: Introduction to Sustainability & Justice
 Thomas Johnson, Lori Blewett, and Karen Hogan  Food: Coevolution, Community & Sustainability
 Grace Huerta and Laurie Meeker  Diversity & Dissent in Education & Media
 Peter Bohmer, Martha Schmidt and Savvina Chowdhury  Political Economy & Social Movements: Race, Class & Gender
 Sarah Williams and Arlen Speights Making Meaning Matter: The Ornament of Materiality and The Nature of Ornament: Code, Cosmos