tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/campus-community-28245/articlescampus community – The Conversation2021-03-15T12:56:00Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1561742021-03-15T12:56:00Z2021-03-15T12:56:00ZBlack students have far less trust in their colleges than other students do<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/388589/original/file-20210309-21-w1flt9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5991%2C3997&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Lack of trust in college leaders was particularly high.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/black-woman-holding-mobile-phone-outdoor-royalty-free-image/1150765258?adppopup=true">tommaso79/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take about interesting academic work.</em></p>
<h2>The big idea</h2>
<p>Black undergraduates consistently said they trusted the people who run the colleges they attend – and society overall – substantially less than their white peers did. We have termed this difference the racial trust gap, and it was not a trivial difference. </p>
<p>The trust gaps we observed were of a size rarely seen in education research. We also observed sizable trust gaps for Asian and Latino students, relative to white students. However, the magnitude of the differences were up to three times larger for Black students.</p>
<p>Our study results tell us a lot not only about how college students trust, but also which individuals on campus they trust the least (“Not at all” or “Very little”). Campus leadership – that is, presidents, provosts, deans – are the least trusted personnel on college campuses by Black students. Black students trusted faculty and academic advisers the most.</p>
<p><iframe id="eVQGz" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/eVQGz/14/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>We came to these conclusions based on our <a href="https://nsse.indiana.edu/research/annual-results/trust/index.html">analyses of data</a> collected from 8,351 college students enrolled at 29 U.S. colleges and universities across the country this spring. </p>
<p>The timing of our survey allowed us to examine the early impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on college trust. Our findings suggest that college trust further eroded for Black students because of the pandemic’s impact on colleges and universities. This notable decline in Black student trust suggests that COVID-19 may have worsened the racial trust gap.</p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>Taken together, our results paint a relatively bleak portrait of trust on the nation’s college campuses, and particularly so among Black college students. While we cannot definitively say why the racial trust gap exists, we can surmise that the lasting effects of historical racism and current issues around race may play a contributing role in the trust dispositions of Black college students.</p>
<p>For this reason, Black students’ lack of trust may have formed prior to entering college. However, this doesn’t mean colleges bear no responsibility. First, many colleges have a <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/121382/forgotten-racist-past-american-universities">legacy of discrimination</a> against Black students. These historical injustices include a <a href="https://theconversation.com/for-universities-making-the-case-for-diversity-is-part-of-making-amends-for-racist-past-101003">history of exclusionary practices</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/colleges-confront-their-links-to-slavery-and-wrestle-with-how-to-atone-for-past-sins-152308">support for slavery</a> and courses that <a href="https://theconversation.com/although-now-required-by-california-law-ethnic-studies-courses-likely-to-be-met-with-resistance-145192">excluded Black voices</a>. </p>
<p>Second, between freshman and senior years, we found declines in college trust. This suggests colleges are potential contributors to the trust problem. As colleges claim to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-011-9194-8">value diversity and inclusion</a>, these institutions have a social obligation to gain the trust of all the communities they serve. </p>
<h2>What still isn’t known</h2>
<p>We’ve yet to fully understand how trust might affect whether or not students finish school. Prior research indicates that the decision to stay in school is driven in part by a student’s sense of <a href="https://www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu/scholarship/well-being-and-higher-education-a-strategy-for-change-and-the-realization-of-educations-greater-purposes/">well-being</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1353/jhe.2007.0009">connectedness</a> and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11162-013-9304-9">positive experiences with diversity</a>. That said, researchers have yet to establish a clear link between trust and finishing college.</p>
<h2>What’s next</h2>
<p>Using our existing trust data, we hope to address three critical questions: First, how does trust influence important college outcomes like degree completion and learning? Second, what strategies can colleges and universities use to improve trust among their constituents, particularly college students? Third, is there a productive role that higher education institutions can play in encouraging long-term societal trust among students?</p>
<p>Our hope is to use the data to clarify the relationship between trust and these critically important college student outcomes.</p>
<p>[<em>Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/weekly-highlights-61?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=weeklybest">Sign up for our weekly newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/156174/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>New research uncovers sizable gaps in how college students from different ethnic backgrounds trust the people in charge of their schools. Could a history of racism be to blame?Kevin Fosnacht, Associate Research Scientist, Indiana UniversityShannon M. Calderone, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership, Washington State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1318342020-03-08T12:52:33Z2020-03-08T12:52:33ZUniversities can squeeze out low-income residents in cities like Montréal<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/319362/original/file-20200309-118897-1cyl8zp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=59%2C2%2C938%2C652&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Parc-Extension in Montreal is a neighbourhood in transition with dire consequences for low-income families.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Andrés Salas</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In Montréal, Canada’s second largest city, a new university campus focused on the pursuit of artificial intelligence technology opened last fall to much fanfare. The inauguration of the <a href="https://campusmil.umontreal.ca/le-mil/">Université de Montréal’s MIL campus (MIL stands for “middle ground”)</a> also drew <a href="https://comitedactionparcex.org/?p=1221">critical protests</a> by tenant rights groups impacted by its gleaming presence and its role <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/sep/26/trudeaus-poorest-constituents-pushed-out-by-montreal-building-project">in the gentrification of surrounding neighbourhoods, particularly Parc-Extension</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/number-of-families-facing-eviction-from-apartments-soars-in-parc-extension?fbclid=IwAR3G30EVto4t9bcyMcdImtB0l3w4JhmiqmJ6dcy9jFRc4tfh5kYeTTGOEbc">Parc-Extension (Parc-Ex)</a> is a neighbourhood that lies to the north of MIL campus and is among <a href="https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/ncs/2019-n22-ncs04813/91547ac/">Canada’s poorest and most densely populated: 43 per cent of residents live below the poverty line</a>. It is also one of Canada’s most diverse communities, <a href="https://www.centraide-mtl.org/documents/79412/upload/documents/Villeray-St-Michel_and_Parc-Extension.pdf">home to the largest immigrant and racialized population of any Montréal neighbourhood</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/318448/original/file-20200303-66099-njqkvd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/318448/original/file-20200303-66099-njqkvd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/318448/original/file-20200303-66099-njqkvd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318448/original/file-20200303-66099-njqkvd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318448/original/file-20200303-66099-njqkvd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318448/original/file-20200303-66099-njqkvd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=713&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318448/original/file-20200303-66099-njqkvd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=713&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318448/original/file-20200303-66099-njqkvd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=713&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Parc-Ex is a neighbourhood in the city of Montréal, Qué. It is located in the borough of Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Park+Extension,+Montreal,+QC/@45.5285711,-73.6502733,13z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x4cc91904e30c12cd:0xa4aacd5e32164745!8m2!3d45.5279493!4d-73.6303792">(Google)</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/number-of-families-facing-eviction-from-apartments-soars-in-parc-extension">Landlords are taking advantage</a> of the arrival of new students and employees wishing to live near the campus <a href="https://ricochet.media/en/2677/for-a-july-1-that-leaves-no-one-behind">by evicting residents and increasing rents</a>.</p>
<p>But research shows that the impact of a university on low-income communities need not be detrimental. Universities can leverage their academic, economic and social resources to soften the blow of gentrification. But to do this, they must acknowledge the university’s impact. Universities around the world are putting together inspiring social responsibility projects. Their efforts seek to broaden academia’s role, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.03.660">beyond educating students and producing knowledge</a>. </p>
<p>What happened in Montréal?</p>
<h2>When universities drive gentrification: Montréal</h2>
<p>The Université de Montréal has, so far, not addressed its negative impact. And it seems they did not plan for it either.</p>
<p>Two reports by the Montréal Public Consultation Office, <a href="https://ocpm.qc.ca/sites/ocpm.qc.ca/files/pdf/P16/rapport_campus_outremont.pdf">one from 2007</a> and <a href="https://ocpm.qc.ca/sites/ocpm.qc.ca/files/pdf/P69/rapport-pdues-marconialexandra.pdf">the other from 2013</a>, noted the university’s lack of involvement in creating a housing strategy for the surrounding neighbourhoods in its early plans. </p>
<p>The Université de Montréal told the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/sep/26/trudeaus-poorest-constituents-pushed-out-by-montreal-building-project"><em>Guardian</em></a> in 2019 that it was careful to plan for negative impacts the MIL campus may have. The city requires all new residential projects with 200 or more dwellings to set aside 15 per cent of the units as affordable housing and 15 per cent as social housing (this number will soon be 20 per cent per category). But as the <em>Guardian</em> reports, none of the housing is reserved for current Parc-Ex residents. </p>
<p>The new buildings will be ready after most vulnerable people have lost their homes. Also, the definition of affordable housing “<a href="https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/city-presents-housing-bylaw">consists of units priced at or below the market rate</a>,” which usually leads to rents that are significantly higher than social housing.</p>
<p>In reaction to this tense situation, we have been studying evictions and housing instability in Parc-Extension this past year. We used <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3b78/ecfe0b4a0a7591d2ea068c71e8ea320ff451.pdf">community-based</a> <a href="http://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1f1165j">research methods</a>, which involve a close collaboration between researchers and nonacademic key informants and stakeholders. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/318679/original/file-20200304-66052-1lwnqyc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/318679/original/file-20200304-66052-1lwnqyc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318679/original/file-20200304-66052-1lwnqyc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318679/original/file-20200304-66052-1lwnqyc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318679/original/file-20200304-66052-1lwnqyc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318679/original/file-20200304-66052-1lwnqyc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318679/original/file-20200304-66052-1lwnqyc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Parc-Ex is a multi-ethnic, multi-generational neighbourhood in Montréal.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/syrduav/35843745462/in/photolist-WBoyKq-VAgBLq-57LMKQ-VAivjU-WBovnJ-WBovSS-D1EoAd-DVQTk1-WBoyaN-MKXfUC-cFmmum-qBD8p3-Vn3uZ3-NoyfqK-k3ZCF-Vn3uah-SQxKZs-seMYDV-ytD8mU-rqQdDb-qS2hEV-bJVVQz-oiVz4-sZawMx-2hstoEa-cFhXkb-2hsx5su-cFn5HU-2hstpz6-2hstpzb-2hsw6m9-2hsx5sV-cFmFBu-fciXSG-qCgnff-kN4AH8-cFh5vU-cFmUhC-bJVVQv-cFmrm3-cFhyry-cFmWSW-cFfZr9-cFiQad-cFmRG7-tehWTY-tgC8P4-tgmDuA-seEZjC-2hstpgF">(Stéphanie Vaudry/Flickr)</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So far, we have documented residential dynamics in the neighbourhood. We have seen a rise of residential precarity with <a href="https://ricochet.media/en/2677/for-a-july-1-that-leaves-no-one-behind">many detrimental outcomes for low-income residents lined to forced mobility</a> such as psychological stress and increased material hardship. </p>
<h2>Low-income residents struggle to keep up</h2>
<p>Universities play an increasingly important role in urban affairs. They invest in city redevelopment, consult on municipal issues and shape policy through research and lobbying. </p>
<p>For example, Columbia University and New York University are <a href="https://www.residentmar.io/2016/05/27/biggest-landowners-nyc.html">the private entities that own the most properties in New York City</a>. The University of Chicago owns <a href="https://southsideweekly.com/the-fight-over-chicagos-largest-private-police-force-university-of-chicago-ucpd/">one of the largest private police forces in the United States</a> with a jurisdiction that extends to 65,000 residents and a large part of the south side of Chicago.</p>
<p>Universities have been recognized as <a href="https://www.insightintodiversity.com/private-universities-bring-new-growth-but-gentrification-can-sideline-existing-residents/">accelerators of gentrification</a>. The development of new university campuses often leads neighbourhoods with little previous investment by the government or developers to be coveted by real estate promoters and a wealthier class. </p>
<p>Low-income residents <a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674599222">cannot keep up</a> with the rising rents <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132519830511">and they are most often forcibly displaced</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/318682/original/file-20200304-66056-q1y9m5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/318682/original/file-20200304-66056-q1y9m5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318682/original/file-20200304-66056-q1y9m5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318682/original/file-20200304-66056-q1y9m5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318682/original/file-20200304-66056-q1y9m5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318682/original/file-20200304-66056-q1y9m5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318682/original/file-20200304-66056-q1y9m5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Parc-Ex is rapidly being gentrified.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/michelgagnon/7665238956/in/photolist-WBoyKq-VAgBLq-57LMKQ-VAivjU-WBovnJ-WBovSS-D1EoAd-DVQTk1-WBoyaN-MKXfUC-cFmmum-qBD8p3-Vn3uZ3-NoyfqK-k3ZCF-Vn3uah-SQxKZs-seMYDV-ytD8mU-rqQdDb-qS2hEV-bJVVQz-oiVz4-sZawMx-2hstoEa-cFhXkb-2hsx5su-cFn5HU-2hstpz6-2hstpzb-2hsw6m9-2hsx5sV-cFmFBu-fciXSG-qCgnff-kN4AH8-cFh5vU-cFmUhC-bJVVQv-cFmrm3-cFhyry-cFmWSW-cFfZr9-cFiQad-cFmRG7-tehWTY-tgC8P4-tgmDuA-seEZjC-2hstpgF/">(Michel Gagnon/Flickr)</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Examples of this include the University of Southern California, University of Pennsylvania, Temple University and Columbia University — all institutions that contributed to the displacement of low-income residents and their communities in surrounding neighbourhoods: <a href="https://www.saje.net/south-la-coalition-celebrates-community-struggle-around-university-village-development-usc-continues-fight-displacement-neighborhood/">South Central Los Angeles</a>, <a href="https://philly.curbed.com/2013/7/11/10221368/the-long-and-troubling-history-of-penntrification-in-west-philly">West</a> and <a href="https://www.theodysseyonline.com/temple-gentrification">North Philadelphia</a>, <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/11/columbia-u-tries-to-welcome-the-neighborsat-arms-length.html">West Harlem</a>. </p>
<p>Gentrification leads to various displacement pressures for low-income residents including evictions, the displacement of neighbourhood resources, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2427.12164">changing neighbourhood services and an increasing “out-of-placeness” for existing residents</a>. If genuine residential social mix is to be achieved, it requires a special attention to longtime residents’ needs in historically under-resourced neighbourhoods.</p>
<h2>A social responsibility model</h2>
<p>To recognize its own responsibility to society, universities can encourage their students’ community involvement in concert with needs defined by low-income communities. </p>
<p>One inspiring example is a project led by Swarthmore College in North Philadelphia. Environmental studies professor Giovanna Di Chiro, together with community activists and residents, created <a href="http://www.serenitysoular.org/our-story">Serenity Soular</a>, a solar energy cooperative owned by local workers and contributing to the goal of sustainability for surrounding communities.</p>
<p>Occidental College in Los Angeles has started a <a href="https://www.oxy.edu/about-oxy/community-engagement/npp">neighbourhood partnership program</a> where 100 students help local youth with tutoring and workshops each year. A <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe_zoha9tPsxIkLoXPdQCwh2VhDEK_r-4quX_nhjEz3r839wQ/viewform">community benefit agreement</a> was developed with neighbouring communities to define its guiding principles and goals. The <a href="https://www.northeastern.edu/communityservice/for-students/programs/nuaces/overview/">NU|ACES program</a> at Northeastern University’s Center of Community Service helps student engage with the surrounding Boston community. </p>
<p>Similar efforts exist in Canada: the <a href="https://www.sfu.ca/continuing-studies/programs/community-capacity-building-certificate/why-this-program.html">Community Capacity Building Certificate</a> offered by Simon Fraser University’s School of Continuing Studies works with community leaders to engage students with city issues.</p>
<p>In Montréal, too, other universities are leading the way. <a href="https://www.concordia.ca/about/community/office.html">Concordia University’s Office of Community Engagement</a> applies the university’s commitments to community-campus reciprocity through a wide range of innovative activities. Crucially, the Concordia Student Union (CSU) invested $1.8 million in a student housing project <a href="http://quartierlibre.ca/des-logements-etudiants-abordables-pour-contrer-lembourgeoisement/">as part of a broader anti-gentrification strategy</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/318686/original/file-20200304-66099-1vpokf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/318686/original/file-20200304-66099-1vpokf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318686/original/file-20200304-66099-1vpokf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318686/original/file-20200304-66099-1vpokf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318686/original/file-20200304-66099-1vpokf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318686/original/file-20200304-66099-1vpokf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318686/original/file-20200304-66099-1vpokf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Parc-Extension on a winter morning.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Flickr)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There are inter-university networks across North America dedicated to social responsibility: The Anchor Dashboard Learning Cohort works to “<a href="https://democracycollaborative.org/learn/publication/higher-educations-anchor-mission-measuring-place-based-engagement">to mutually benefit the long-term well-being” of the campus and the community</a>, and the University Social Responsibility Network (USRN) integrates <a href="http://www.usrnetwork.org/about-usrn/background">social responsibility into institutional management, teaching and research</a>. </p>
<h2>The way forward</h2>
<p>These examples show that an expansion of universities’ activities beyond their traditional role is not only feasible, but increasingly perceived as necessary. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/318701/original/file-20200304-66112-pnrz71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/318701/original/file-20200304-66112-pnrz71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318701/original/file-20200304-66112-pnrz71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318701/original/file-20200304-66112-pnrz71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=396&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318701/original/file-20200304-66112-pnrz71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=498&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318701/original/file-20200304-66112-pnrz71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=498&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318701/original/file-20200304-66112-pnrz71.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=498&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A man stands next to a sign in Parc-Ex, Aug. 31, 2019, during a community event where people expressed their concerns regarding the gentrification of the multicultural borough.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.homelesshub.ca/blog/homelessness-hardship-and-public-action-gentrifying-areas-case-park-extension-montreal">An open letter written by academics and community activists based in Parc-Ex</a> argues for the need for MIL campus to implement a robust campus-community strategy and to hold <a href="https://ricochet.media/fr/2731/ouverture-du-campus-mil-rien-a-celebrer-a-parc-extension">a genuine dialogue between the university and the community </a> to mitigate its impact on low-income residents.</p>
<p>If the Université de Montréal continues to fail to work together with surrounding communities they will continue to be responsible for the displacement of many of the city’s most vulnerable residents. These are communities who rely on affordable housing, viable public transportation to get to work, historical sites of prayer and essential community services based in Parc-Extension.</p>
<p><em>The authors belong to a research collective that includes: Shazma Abdulla, Jenny Cartwright, Simone Chen, Kiley Goyette, Karine Saboui and Andrés Salas.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/131834/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emanuel Guay is affiliated with the Comité d'action de Parc-Extension (CAPE) as a volunteer. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aaron Vansintjan, Alessandra Renzi, Tamara Vukov, and Vijay Kolinjivadi do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Gentrification often leads to the eviction of poor and largely racialized populations. When a university campus drives the change, they can choose to do something about it.Alessandra Renzi, Associate professor of Communications, Concordia UniversityAaron Vansintjan, PhD Candidate, Film, Media, and Cultural Studies, Birkbeck, University of LondonEmanuel Guay, PhD candidate in sociology, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)Tamara Vukov, Associate Professor, Department of Communication, Université de MontréalVijay Kolinjivadi, Postdoctoral researcher, Institute of Development Policy, University of AntwerpLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/597262016-06-09T01:52:37Z2016-06-09T01:52:37ZAre some students more at risk of assault on campuses?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125773/original/image-20160608-3516-ouqmp1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Who is more at risk of assault on campus?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pennstatelive/9032657005/in/photolist-eLbJeB-edmejy-ieKABP-eavRfN-8xbeR1-oUoY8a-qqQuoP-gK2NT2-edmhfo-egXTi4-egveDL-fyk2Kz-8xb3pX-p9t2tQ-ebwXDM-8xCPoS-eanEMs-h5HSoV-8xe4NC-G9pfPt-gtMj2z-8xe4DA-fJvnQv-ehxKqT-8xcG86-nVwRNT-rZmaBT-oY5fc9-CPjh7J-eavLiA-eP9vCV-e6FBmM-oDFwCe-8xCz7f-o2T42n-egvso7-hsSwkj-qhsfxT-eEQpPj-e2Jpo1-eavY3U-ngFAbd-padWnE-e6FypF-nA3FJq-sa3sZh-eahs6Z-8VpVzp-eeaUiS-hsTTcC">Penn State</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When students come to pursue their educational interests, they believe they are entering a safe environment. But while colleges are thought of as “ivory towers,” they can also be places where students could become victims of a crime.</p>
<p>In my research on victims of crime, I have found that particular types of students are more exposed to risks in a college environment. The risks are often tied to the party culture endemic on college campuses, where alcohol consumption is a major feature. </p>
<h2>Who is on campus</h2>
<p>Often these students choose to enroll in universities in the U.S. for a quality education or to be able to <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/11/18/456353089/u-s-colleges-see-a-big-bump-in-international-students">pursue the major and career path</a> of their choice. </p>
<p>For almost all young people, this is the first time that they are away from home, responsible for themselves, without adult supervision and an abundance of unstructured time. Part of college culture involves spending time at parties and bars, recreational drug use and engaging in other risky behaviors (e.g., binge drinking, hooking up).</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125775/original/image-20160608-3506-vxui0v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125775/original/image-20160608-3506-vxui0v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125775/original/image-20160608-3506-vxui0v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125775/original/image-20160608-3506-vxui0v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125775/original/image-20160608-3506-vxui0v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=476&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125775/original/image-20160608-3506-vxui0v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=476&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125775/original/image-20160608-3506-vxui0v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=476&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Alcohol consumption exposes students to risks.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/codnewsroom/14992312948/in/photolist-oQPwjh-7LXzaG-oQPwZq-4Yo6S-dNC5q9-26qyPH-oQPcvC-bMrRJF-7yJGFA-9j2pms-6XXG3F-dkjCfY-fviEZ7-p85foa-5eRnmr-7xEjtw-6acG1t-bUEb7C-2ph39M-2ppg84-nVKS4d-oQPz5N-2RJiJa-oQPxcu-p8iQ1e-p6gRG7-p8gUcS-p6gRmC-7KheKR-5tU5yC-p6gLSh-p6gRqA-7xPwQ2-p6gLVo-p8gXcu-7AXDDC-p8gVLU-p6gQw1-p8gWwb-oQNFyx-p83md6-7LTBeM-Kzbc9-p83nYF-oQPDmn-p8iL3z-oQPyBo-oQP8L3-p8iQaT-p8iLjM">COD Newsroom</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Alcohol consumption becomes a major feature of such activities. Data indicate that about <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1615519/pdf/amjph00445-0027.pdf">65 percent of college students</a> consume alcohol in a given month, and less than half of college students <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3908712/">engage in binge drinking</a>. </p>
<p>Research shows that such behaviors <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00380237.2000.10571174">increase the likelihood</a> of being a crime victim. </p>
<p>Drinking alcohol can increase the chances of being a crime victim because <a href="http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/media/journal/118-abbey.pdf">alcohol use impairs</a> judgment and perception, decreases the ability to recognize and react to risk, impairs decision-making and delays reaction time.</p>
<h2>Are all college students at risk?</h2>
<p>Research shows about a third of college students could be <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1745-9125.1998.tb01262.x/epdf">victims of a crime during a given year</a>. However, the risks could be different for different ethnic and racial groups on campus.</p>
<p>For example, there could be a higher risk for some groups such as non-Hispanic white men. This group faces the <a href="http://bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/vvcs02.pdf">highest risk</a> – most likely a <a href="http://www.jsad.com/doi/pdf/10.15288/jsa.2004.65.115">result of participation</a> in the <a href="http://homepages.wmich.edu/%7Ejbrusk/racealcoholbehavior.pdf">party culture</a>. White, male college students drink alcohol at greater levels and engage in more risky drinking than do female or African-American college students. </p>
<p>But there is a small percentage of international students who come to American campuses as well. In 2015, there were 1.13 million international college students enrolled in the U.S., with the <a href="http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2014/11/17/number-of-international-college-students-continues-to-climb">largest percentage</a> coming from China.</p>
<p>What is the risk international students face of being a victim?</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125776/original/image-20160608-3513-134mwzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/125776/original/image-20160608-3513-134mwzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125776/original/image-20160608-3513-134mwzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125776/original/image-20160608-3513-134mwzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125776/original/image-20160608-3513-134mwzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125776/original/image-20160608-3513-134mwzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/125776/original/image-20160608-3513-134mwzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">International students face lower risks of assault.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ifesworld/8361481160/in/photolist-dJSM3h-afd7qS-dErCkz-dEx1UU-5B3A2R-9NJybd-afajcg-9M2DUT-ea1YLg-dErCvX-7kpqom-afd6ZN-8SxTyh-bbPsw2-bttEaU-afajuB-9NH9LR-afd6YJ-nTHoFR-9chSab-p6vQv5-7bBNoe-9NJAiA-2SZ3Ju-46uZse-n1TaXZ-r9aZeQ-576zTv-afd6X7-9NF1UU-afd6Zh-dYDAdY-boiid3-9LPBnH-afd6YU-9NBTQp-9bzhff-5B3zPg-6fSXcE-afajiX-bEBEhc-oTKMju-qU3xbM-diJrSR-5B7R3Q-9R9FtS-afaiTB-nJKaaL-6fSSyE-6fNEBM">IFES - International Fellowship of Evangelical Students Follow</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Our research explored this possibility, given that international students may have unique experiences before and while attending college in the U.S.</p>
<p>Our study used data from the Fall 2012 American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment II. <a href="http://www.acha-ncha.org/docs/ACHA-NCHA-II_ReferenceGroup_ExecutiveSUmmary_Fall2012.pdf">This study</a> is a national survey of college students that is done in the fall and spring. Our study sample included 26,012 students, 8.6 percent of whom were international students.</p>
<p>We found that overall, when asked about their experiences from the previous 12 months, international students were less likely to be “violently victimized” – that is, physically assaulted and/or verbally threatened – compared to domestic students. A physical assault might include being hit, punched, kicked, bitten or even shot, while a verbal threat might be experienced when a person is told that he or she is going to get beaten up or is going to be shot. </p>
<p>Nineteen percent of domestic students in our study indicated that they had been physically assaulted or verbally threatened, compared to 17 percent of international students.</p>
<h2>Female international students are safer?</h2>
<p>Subsequently, we looked at differences in risk for male and female international college students. We found that male international students were less likely to be victims of a crime, and so were international female students.</p>
<p>Our study found 22 percent of male international students had been assaulted or threatened, compared with 26 percent of male domestic students. Fourteen percent of female international students had been assaulted or threatened, while 16 percent of female domestic students faced these experiences. </p>
<p>These differences may seem small, and in magnitude, they are. But, we used a large sample of over 26,000 students, which leads us to feel confident that our findings are unlikely to be a result of a problem with our sample. Also, when you consider how many students attend college, a two percent difference (such as what we found between female international students and female domestic students in their risk) could be tens or hundreds of thousands of students. </p>
<p>In an additional set of analyses, we included other factors that previous research has shown to be related to risk on campus, such as alcohol consumption and being a first-year college student. We found that female international students faced fewer risks than did female domestic students. In fact, female international students’ odds of being harmed were 14 percent lower than female domestic students. </p>
<p>And why might this be the case? We found that female international students tended to have a less risky profile than their domestic student counterparts – they binge-drank less, were less likely to use drugs, were less likely to be a first-year undergraduate and were less likely to have a disability. </p>
<p>While there are still some unanswered questions, we believe there must be something unique about how female international students experience college. It is possible that female international students may not be fully engaging in college life. It is possible they might be under <a href="http://jsi.sagepub.com/content/12/2/181.full.pdf+html">increased levels of guardianship</a> or they may experience <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2005-04428-005">culture conflict</a>.</p>
<p>Colleges should work to ensure that international students are a thriving part of the campus community while ensuring that they remain safe. Colleges should also provide culturally sensitive victim responses to international students.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/59726/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Leah Daigle receives funding from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council of Georgia to perform research on the civil legal needs of crime victims in Georgia. </span></em></p>In 2015, an unconscious woman was raped near a dumpster on Stanford University campus. Such assaults are not uncommon. But who is most at risk?Leah Daigle, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Georgia State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.