Interview with Dr. Kristen Renn from Michigan State University

Today we’re speaking with the Educational Administrator for higher, adult, and lifelong education, Kristen Renn from Michigan State University.

How Do You Introduce The Work That You Do?

Kristen states that she studies college student learning, development, and identities. Further, she says she specifically looks at how students of color, LGBTQ students, and low-income students experience higher education.

What Have You Found Surprising Because Of The Pandemic?

Kristen shares that she grew up in higher ed and always noticed it was resistant to change. At the beginning of the pandemic, she recalls she and other staff received a text that the whole school was going virtual in 19 minutes. Kristen says that if you had told her a year ago that all these teachers could make the switch to online learning in days or weeks, she wouldn’t have believed you. Kristen was floored by what higher ed could do but says it came at the expense of certain demographics.

How Have Students Been Affected?

Already being prone to more mental health issues, Kristen shares that the LGBTQ community has seen a further spike. However, she’s seen some good come to the LGBTQ community as well, one example being the chosen name initiative. In an attempt to not out transgender students, students can identify their chosen name and pronouns to be addressed by. This is something Kristen would like to see implemented when students return to campus.

What Can We Learn From The Pandemic?

There have been positives from Covid that Kristen hopes to continue with. One being compassion. In a time when students could see into their teachers homes, see their cat for example, there has been a bigger sense of connection. Kristen hopes we can bring that more personal touch to students even after they’re back on campus. Also, Kristen points out that we need to understand that many students may have lost someone to Covid and will need all the compassion they can get.

What Do Administrators Get Wrong And What Are Successes?

While we can attune ourselves to more overt transgressions, it’s harder to see how everyday things affect students. We can find these areas of opportunity through a campus climate audit. Kristen says we should be walking through processes, looking at forms, looking at programs and services, etc to look for signs of welcoming and inclusion.

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Welcome to innovating together, a podcast produced by the University Innovation Alliance. This is a podcast for busy people in higher education who are looking for the “aha moments” that can propel their work forward. Innovating Together curates the best insights, research, and experts. To connect with us further, visit www.theuia.org.