An Overview of Two Decades of College Access Research

• In Event: Race and Rurality in Research, Policy, and Practice

Abstract

The unique experiences of rural Students of Color, living in the spatial margins, merit much more exploration in higher education research. To begin this task, we must first examine existing research to ascertain where we have been, what we are missing, and how it informs future research, policy, and practice. In her role on the panel, Sowl will provide insight into previous research on college access for rural Students of Color, stemming from a larger systematic literature review of peer-reviewed publications since the year 2000. In turn, she will highlight common approaches (e.g., asset vs. deficit-based frameworks) that have been deployed to examine the postsecondary experiences of rural Students of Color, as well as cast a critical eye toward research that has yet to be done – scholarship that focuses on systemic issues and calls to task higher education institutions themselves in addressing these inequities. Further, Sowl will encourage scholars to critically examine how structural disadvantages in rural places are compounded by systemic racism, and invite session attendees to reflect on their own role in the social reproduction of white, urbanormative scholarship.

Author

• Stephanie Sowl, ECMC Foundation