Social Justice Advocacy: Issues of Rights, Responsibilities,

Collegiality and Civility In Higher Education

Scott Meyer, MSW, Ph.D.

August, 2013

Colleges and Universities are essential components for the creation of a global effort to assure that the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights is translated in the most effective fashion possible. To best promote these principles, campus faculty members must strive to serve as the finest possible role models for their students. This means, faculty must take a lead role in demonstrating how assuring basic human rights is vigilantly balanced with the notions of personal responsibility to others, respectful and civil forms of disagreement and especially careful attention to never eroding a cohesive campus community of caring scholars while passionately pursuing any one particular social justice issue.

Here are some thoughts on the easiest ways to move in such a direction:

• Practice individual and group reflective practice to best assure that every action we take (i.e. names of social action efforts, statements made both publicly and privately, etc.)do not come across as offensive to others who may hold opposing views and those who have yet to take a position on the particular issue. A best way to do this is to be transparent. That is enlist assistance from a trusted colleague who may hold an opposing view and get their ideas on how to best move forward without offending others and eroding civility and collegiality.

• If it becomes evident that a colleague or groups of colleagues have felt insulted, oppressed, marginalized, treated in a fashion that was less than straight forward and honest, etc., than consider offering a sincere apology to the colleague(s) and take action steps to correct the things that created the feelings, outcomes, etc.

• Assure equality in any competitive actions to gain an outcome on the issue. Things like equal rights to organize around the issue, equal external supports (consultants, paid advocates, etc.), funding to assure no unfair resource and/or socio-economic advantages in pursuit of one’s position on the issue, etc. take place. Work collegially with representatives from both sides of the issue to best assure such inequalities do not take place.

• Finally (while I suspect there exist many more creative ways to move towards a goal of fair, ethical and collegial actions on opposing sides of crucial social justice and rights issues, the key to assuring no erosion of collegiality is to have all faculty agree that such erosion prevention remains a priority above all.

If we are unable to model civility and collegiality for our students, we need to seriously consider the types of citizens we are creating. We should not undermine what we believe in. Specifically, a free democratic society in which all members have their rights upheld and protected while allowing others the right to dissent and disagreement in a collegial, research and factually based environment. At a moment in history where higher education is an endangered species, the most crucial thing more important than winning or losing mentality regarding most (and perhaps all) social justice related disagreements, is never eroding caring, kindness and empathy among a group of caring scholars. If civility, collegiality and kindness prevail, a more just world will unfold regardless of who “wins or loses” on pressing social justice issues passionately disagreed upon.