Most of the people in my life know how much I love teaching...almost as much as I love learning. At UCF I have the great pleasure each fall to share space with some amazing students. These students are a part of our Lead Scholars' Program. In the fall each year I try to take 25-30 students, most with little understanding of social justice, oppression theory, liberation theories, the roles of institutions in sustaining systems of oppression or the slightest idea of how to plan and facilitate the kinds of solutions required to bring about social change.
This semester, I had the amazing fortune to share space with some of the most brilliant and thoughtful students, who willing signed up for my class and remained through out the whole semester. These student leaders, most of whom are beginning their sophomore year, not only hung in there, but they challenged each other as well as their selves. Each class I had to bring my "A" game and they returned in kind. Their papers were filled with deep reflections and thoughtfulness. They proposed solutions, grounded in an understanding of social membership and the access that provides, across our many different identities. I challenged them to learn how to problem solve and to think critically, not to memorize disconnected facts they wouldn't remember when they returned to complete their last semester as Lead Scholars.
So, the final for this class had to be something that would evaluate their understanding of what's required for effective leadership in a socially unjust society where institutional secrets made it possible systems of privilege and internalized oppression to survive, most often at the expense of innocent victims who are likely to require a lifetime of support and assistance in their life long battle with the PTSD and other mental health issues caused through their victimization.
So here is their final...the first part, which is not included here asked them to reflect on their semester and share what they're greatest learning was or what did they have to unlearn?
Your Social Justice Class final exam will consist of a final paper addressing your understanding of social justice.
Papers are to be double spaced, 12 pt, no funky hard to read font and please don't print on both sides. Citations are not necessary.
Section I: "Social Justice and Managing Everyone Else's Madness"
You are a student leader at Southern Texas Federated University, or STFU for short, in the "We-B-Right Leadership Program" which attempts to connect student leaders to real leadership opportunities. A recent scandal has rocked STFU. You have been asked to assemble a team to address allegations relating to the alleged sexual abuse of a number of young boys at the hands of one of the university's assistant football coaches. These allegations and fall out from the scandal have brought great shame on a nationally ranked and outstanding football program, which also resulted in the dismissal of STFU's beloved coach along with other university officials.
Two groups of students have demanded a meeting with several of the remaining university officers as well as Board of Trustee members. You and your team will facilitate the discussion and attempt to not let it get out of hand. The two groups of students are demanding answers to the following:
Group I wants answers as to why their beloved football coach was fired by the Board of Trustee's along with two other university officials. They have demanded the board of trustee's rehire their coach and the university officials, claiming STFU has discriminated against Coach Dudley Doo-Right, based upon his age.
Group II wants answers on how this behavior could have gone on, allegedly for years, without something being done by the football coaching staff, university administration, campus police, alumni, and community partners.
Because the students mistrust university officials, they have demanded student facilitation in answering their questions and helping them in determining what is next for them and STFU!
Utilizing the Penn State scandal as a reference (since this story was taken from their recent calamity) and the work we've done this semester in the following areas: 1) theory of oppression, 2) privilege and power, 3) institutional oppression, 4) conflict resolution across different cultures, and other valuable learning, address the following:
Who would be a part of your facilitation team? Justify your rationale and discuss specific roles, if any, members of your team should play. Would you approach be the same for both groups? Why or why not?
Identify one or two goals or outcomes from your sessions?
Describe your process for meeting the goals of the session, (i.e.how will you ensure you are successful and what could happen to not make this a successful experience for each group?). Hint: Look at what each group is demanding and think about what could get in the way and what could be some compromise or reality check?
Other considerations: In addressing the concerns by each student group, respond to the following:
How might the concept of "power and privilege" explain some of the questions being asked by each group?
How different might this whole case be had the victims been girls instead of boys?
How different might this whole case be had the perpetrator been a Black man instead of a while man?
How different might this whole case be had the incident taken place outside "the walls of athletics" and perhaps in another area of the university?
What are your thoughts on why and how this type of behavior and cover-up existed so long?
What suggestions would you have in helping to move the university from this place of deep shame and guilt and move on? What would be your priorities?
PLEASE NOTE: I am NOT looking for an exhaustive plan and detailed rationale in questions 1-3. Provide enough information and justification so you can demonstrate you understand the complexity of this problem. Most of your time should be spent on questions, 4-6. Hint: You may find it helpful to get your own personal feelings out of the way and instead think about our topics and how we addressed them.
Links to the Penn State scandal:
- The Penn State scandal: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/penn-state-scandal
- The Penn State Scandal: http://www.cbsnews.com/2718-400_162-1332.html
- The Penn State Scandal - 7 Facts About Child Sexual Abuse: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/11/22/the-penn-state-scandal-7-facts-about-child-sex-abuse.html
- The World Joe Pa Made: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2011/11/20111118142421347141.html
- Penn State Abuse Scandal-Guide and Timeline: http://www.npr.org/2011/11/08/142111804/penn-state-abuse-scandal-a-guide-and-timeline
- No Easy Answers for Mike McQueary: http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/7237700/in-penn-state-child-sexual-abuse-scandal-there-no-easy-answers-assistant-mike-mcqueary
- Bob Costa’s Interview with Jerry Sandusky: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Xy0L8MUsOE
If you have an interest, here is the grand jury testimony leading up to the arrest of Jerry Sandusky. WARNING: It is graphic in detail and leaves little to the imagination. It is NOT necessary for you to read this to complete your assignment. I've included it as background information, only.
Sandusky Grand Jury Testimony.pdf
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