1

Reviewing “Strategies for Supervising Student and Staff Activists on College Campuses”

Emma Stubbe

Department of Higher Education and Student Affairs, Western Carolina University

HESA 593: Emerging Issues in Higher Education & Student Affairs

Dr. Dustin Evatt-Young

April 16, 2023

2

Reviewing “Strategies for Supervising Student and Staff Activists on College Campuses”

In the field of higher education and student affairs, I have witnessed and been involved in

many conversations about what counts as activism, when professionals can engage in activism,

and how student affairs professionals can support student activists. Considering historic issues of

oppression and current political issues, this conversation is ongoing and gets more dynamic as

time progresses. Evans and Stewart (2021) examine this concept in the article “Strategies for

Supervising Student and Staff Activists on College Campuses” and discuss concepts such as staff

and administration involvement with student activists, challenges with student activism, and

strategies in supporting student activists. Although this article could be amplified with further

research and data surrounding the topic, the authors offer considerate and robust findings from

literature that can assist student affairs professionals in supporting student activists.

Summary

Evans and Stewart’s (2021) article begin with situating student and staff activism in

higher education. They do so by defining activism, acknowledging current gaps in research about

student activism, and identifying current challenges within student activism. Evans and Steward

provide three major points that tend to cause tension between supervisor and supervisee activists

which are “(a) differing belief in the necessity of activism, (b) conscious or unconscious

upholding of power, and (c) differing strategies of approach” (p. 65). The first portion of the

article is followed by the authors’ discussion of two theoretical frameworks: Power-Conscious

Framework (PCF) and Identity-Conscious Supervision (ICS) (Evans & Steward, 2021). Evans

and Steward (2021) provide the three main components of PCF: “(1) power is omnipresent, (2)

power and identity are inextricably linked, and (3) identity is socially constructed” (p. 66). Evans

and Steward also provide the three components of ICS as the focus of their article which are
3

“managing power, acting with courage, and creating a strong sense of self” (p. 66). Finally,

Evans and Steward (2021) finish the article by offering strategies for supervisors including

practicing self-awareness, knowing historical context, managing personal behaviors,

understanding structures and systems, interrogating the role of power, and practicing solidarity

with supervisees.

Analysis

This article contains the content that Evans and Steward stated they would cover in their

thesis in the introduction section – they offered the issue and challenges in student activist

supervision, stated strategies on how to support student activists, and provided multiple

perspectives to help current and future supervisors understand this concept. The authors were

able to support their arguments and suggestions through outside literary support and by drawing

on their personal experiences. I particularly liked how the authors began the article by stating

their identities, how they both held oppressed identities, and the positionality of their identities in

higher education and student affairs work. The authors effectively applied their argument to

relevant literary articles while also identifying the gap in the work due to the lack of research

about student activists.

As I stated in the introduction, identifying and supporting student activist work is

contextually relevant in current student affairs work. From my experience, student affairs

practitioners’ involvement in student activist work depends on the context of physical location,

institution, and department. This topic can be challenging to navigate in my current position in

an identity-based center (Intercultural Affairs), as our mission seemingly supports student

activist work, but typically, staff are unable to be vocally transparent about this in a political

sense. Our current staff within the department are like-minded regarding student activist work,
4

but we are also faced with different forms of constraints from upper-level administration. It has

been an interesting journey discovering what is and is not supported by higher administration (or

what higher administration does or does not speak on) in terms of student activism and activism

in general. Considering my experience thus far, I particularly liked this article as it provided

realistic structure for supporting student activists while also encouraging student affairs

professionals to push the envelope.

Conclusion

Evan and Stewart (2021) provide useful tools that can be adapted into the realm of higher

education and student affairs. Their article was able to carefully consider how minoritized

students are negatively affected by oppressive systems in higher education and intentially curate

strategies to help combat those effects. Since student activism is something that is relatively new

in academia, I recommend that there should be further research conducted surrounding student

activism – possibly co-lead by a student-activist or a student (graduate or undergraduate) on

campus. Further research, in addition to existing literature and campus climate surveys, could not

only help to support current student activists, but could also help to create easier acceptance and

positive climate surrounding activism on campus.

Activism is important to help students feel a sense of belonging while navigating

oppressive systems created and maintained by local, state, and federal policies. Not only do

formal politics uphold oppressive systems, but these systems are also upheld by social constructs

that are constantly reinforced by the people within them. Every higher education institution is a

microcosm of the society it is placed in, and that is why student activism is so important. Higher

education and student affairs need students, staff, and faculty that are willing and able to speak

against oppressive bodies. Due to the current nature of higher education and student affairs, and
5

the politics and systems that exist within each institution, there needs to be structure that

provides support to those of us who are supporting activists on campus – students or otherwise.
6

Reference

Evans, M. E., & Stewart, T. J. (2021). Strategies for supervising student and staff activists on

college campuses. New Directions for Student Services, 2021, 63–71.

https://doi.org/10.1002/ss.20397