Building Bridges as We Walk Them: Underrepresented Students' Perspectives on Surviving Inhospitable Institutions
Investigating factors that impact student success and engagement in higher education is an essential line of inquiry for students who are marginalized and minoritized. This overview of a 5-year participatory action research project led by undergraduate and graduate students examines the development of The UnGuide, an online resource for students who feel “the university was not designed for them.” In this article, we question current assumptions about student success and offer guidance for those who hold power in higher education. Lessons from the lived experiences of students involved in creating The UnGuide are shared, including the importance of centering student voices, value of peer-to-peer supports within the university, and strategies for students navigating and dismantling systems of oppression. We also reflect on ways power operates both within this larger project and within our universities, and ways we claimed our power as students with complex lived experiences and perspectives.
