Higher education is at a critical juncture, where the push for inclusivity, accessibility, and student-centered learning is reshaping academic spaces. In a recent panel discussion on February 20, 2022, in Washington DC at the CIES, Humanities Alliance members explored various aspects of this transformation—how care informs professional development, the contradictions within community-based graduate programs, the importance of linguistic justice, and the role of audio storytelling in the classroom. Their insights offer compelling arguments for redefining traditional academic structures. This panel was chaired by Dr. Sujung Kim, the Senior Research Associate at the HA.
Care as Professional Development
Dr. Luis Henao-Uribe highlights the emotional labor that graduate students endure while juggling academic responsibilities, teaching, and professional development. Drawing from care theory and Tricia Hershey’s Rest is Resistance, he argues that care must be embedded into institutional professional development programs. By doing so, academia can shift away from rigid productivity metrics and instead prioritize well-being as an essential factor in career growth.
The Contradictions of ‘Community’ in Graduate Programs
Angela Dunne critically examines the concept of “community” in graduate school, particularly within programs like the CUNY Humanities Alliance. While learning is inherently social, and community-building is often framed as a solution to the isolating structures of academia, she urges us to interrogate these initiatives more deeply. Can “community” truly challenge elitism, white supremacy, and individualism, or does it risk becoming a performative gesture? Sustainable learning communities, Dunne suggests, must be more than just institutional buzzwords—they require a commitment to equity and authentic engagement.
Linguistic Justice in Higher Education
Language is power, and in academic spaces, specialized jargon often excludes marginalized linguistic communities. Mehrnaz Moghaddam critiques the dominance of highly specialized academic language, which can reinforce social hierarchies rather than democratize knowledge. Through an auto-ethnographic study of her experiences as a doctoral student and adjunct instructor, she explores strategies for making classrooms more inclusive—empowering students from historically disregarded linguistic backgrounds to become agents of social change.
Listening as Learning: Podcasting in the Classroom
Ariel Leutheusser introduces podcasting as a pedagogical tool that honors oral storytelling traditions and fosters student engagement. By incorporating both instructor- and student-generated audio assignments, educators can humanize the learning experience, allowing students to express their ideas in dynamic, accessible ways. Podcasting not only encourages creativity but also recognizes the value of oral knowledge production in academia.
Global Learning in Local Contexts
Marianne Madoré examines the pedagogical decisions behind Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) programs at a CUNY community college. In an institution where over 60% of students are born outside the U.S., global learning competencies must be responsive to students’ lived experiences. Through ethnographic research, Madoré investigates how faculty navigate the tension between global learning goals and the realities of teaching in diverse, immigrant-rich classrooms.
Reimagining Higher Education
These discussions underscore a collective push toward a more just and inclusive higher education system. From embedding care in professional development to challenging exclusionary language practices, these scholars illuminate pathways for making academia more human-centered. As institutions navigate the complexities of education in an increasingly interconnected world, these insights provide a roadmap for creating learning environments that are equitable, accessible, and truly transformative.
By Mehrnaz Moghaddam (she/her)
