Surviving Disruption: A Cross-generational Dialogue on the Impact of Federal Legislation on Student Futures

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

This session creates an urgently needed space for dialogue between deans of colleges of education and undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students to examine how shifting federal policies are disrupting the educational landscape, reshaping institutional priorities, and directly impacting students’ pathways into the profession. Through a moderated, multi-voice conversation, participants will explore how federal actions—ranging from funding restrictions and credentialing regulations to political surveillance of curriculum and research—are altering the work of educator preparation, leadership development, and equity-centered scholarship. By amplifying the perspectives of both senior academic leaders and emerging scholars, the roundtable will identify shared concerns, illuminate divergent experiences, and generate actionable practices for navigating an era of heightened uncertainty while protecting the integrity of academic freedom, access, and justice-driven educational work.

Sub Unit

• Social Justice Action Committee

Chair

• Denise M. Taliaferro Baszile, Wayne State University

Participants

• Dawn G. Williams, Howard University

• Kimberly A. White-Smith, University of San Diego

• Antwuan Williams, Wayne State University

• Stephen D. Hancock, North Carolina A&T State University

Session Organizer

• George L. Wimberly, American Educational Research Association