A University Serving the Oppressed: The Opportunity Afforded by Demographic Changes in Higher Education

Abstract

The demographic makeup of the students who will be attending college in the future is undergoing significant changes, as more students of color and students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds seek higher education. While presenting a major challenge, these changes also present an opportunity to rethink assumptions about the culture of higher education, and the pedagogical practices best suited to serve the student of the future. Higher education needs to undergo a dramatic paradigm shift if it is to successfully serve student populations that have historically been oppressed and marginalized by higher education.