Students, Scholars, Activists: Teaching and Learning Scholar Activism Within the Academy

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Sesion 4
  In Roundtable Session: School Leadership: Creating Spaces and Places for Critical Activism

Abstract

This panel examines scholar activism in its praxis in the academy and organizational change with examples of scholar activism by graduate students. Despite a large amount of work exploring scholar activism, there remains a lack of a clear consensus about scholar activism and how to use a student’s academic position for activism. Implications come from research projects germinated in a graduate course on scholar activism taught by a panel member at a predominantly white, public university. In addition to seeing how the university responded to the graduate course and subsequent student projects, we also share insights about experiences teaching the course, problematizing activism done at a neoliberal university, and making sense of student responses to calls for activist work on campus.

Authors

• Moses Olayemi, Purdue University

• Janelle Grant, Purdue University

• Stephanie Masta, Purdue University

• Jennifer Deboer, Purdue University