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Browsing by Author "Poon, OiYan, committee member"

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    Coming to terms with myself: exploring the development of emerging white racial justice accomplices in college
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Ash-Balá, Ellie, author; Muñoz, Susana, advisor; Barone, Ryan, committee member; Jackson, Jessica, committee member; Poon, OiYan, committee member
    Many of the conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education rightly focus on the experiences of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) students and how to support them on their educational journey. Fewer of the conversations involve naming and interrogating the oppressive systems that cause these students to need additional support in the first place. Additionally, education scholars highlight the difficulty of engaging White students in conversations about race. When challenged, White students often get stuck in emotional turmoil—experiencing emotions such as guilt, fear, and defensiveness—and they spend the bulk of their energy trying to prove they are not racist instead of learning, growing, or fighting racism. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of White students and how they develop as White people committed to racial justice while in college, with a particular emphasis on navigating emotionality. This study employed a critical qualitative approach using constructivist grounded theory methodology. Informed by sensitizing concepts from critical whiteness studies and the literature on White emotionality, I generated a model for the development of emerging White accomplices. The model identifies five critical characteristics that make up the emerging accomplice mindset: curiosity, agency, empathy, acceptance of discomfort, and persistence in the journey. These characteristics empower and sustain White students as they develop in their commitment to racial justice and enable them to constructively navigate challenges they encounter. Insights gleaned from this study can inform educators as they seek to strategically empower White students to move through their guilt and insecurities to take actions as racial justice accomplices. 
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    Complicating understandings of dis/ability apparentness: developing a scale of dis/abled apparentness in educational settings
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Wilke, Autumn K., author; Dockendorff, Kari, advisor; Poon, OiYan, committee member; Daum, Courtenay, committee member; Archibeque-Engle, Shannon, committee member
    This research study presents the Scale of Dis/ability Apparentness in Education Settings (SDAES) to explore the complex and dynamic nature of dis/abled apparentness among college students. The study combines qualitative and quantitative data to examine five key domains: Environment, Ableism, Identity, Taking Action, and Embodied Dis/ability, shedding light on the intricate interplay between these domains and the influence of demographics and dis/ability contexts. The findings challenge the binary concept of visible and invisible dis/ability, emphasizing the nuanced and ever-changing nature of apparentness. Key implications for practitioners include addressing experiences of ableism, prioritizing dis/ability identity, and recognizing the importance of self-reported visibility. Researchers are urged to diversify samples, disaggregate data, and further investigate the role of socio-economic status and other identities in dis/abled apparentness. Overall, the SDAES offers a comprehensive framework to understand the multifaceted experiences of dis/abled college students in educational settings and highlights the active agency of dis/abled individuals in shaping their apparentness.
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    Wicked problems, complexity, and mid-level leadership in higher education: an action learning research project
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Ferris, Sean, author; Barone, Ryan, advisor; Poon, OiYan, committee member; Williams, Elizabeth, committee member; Johnson, Jennifer, committee member
    Public research universities in the United States face myriad problems, many of which result in inequitable outcomes and experiences for people from marginalized populations. How stakeholders understand, value, and pursue solutions within the complex organizational context of public higher education further complicates problems of inequity and injustice. Challenges of this type can be understood as wicked problems (Rittel & Webber, 1973) and the organizational setting of public higher education a complex adaptive system (Lohmann, 2006; Mandviwalla & Schuff, 2014). A significant gap exists in the scholarship informing how higher education leaders understand and pursue solutions to the wicked problems they face within the complex adaptive systems of public universities. For this research, I used action learning methodology to explore leadership with a small group of midlevel professionals from public universities working to address challenges of inequity and injustice. Through the action learning methodology, the research process catalyzed learning and impact for participants in their local settings. Together, the participants and I generated knowledge on leadership to address wicked problems in public universities and share the research experience through the participants' accounts of practice and our practitioner learning.