Equity
The events of 2020 brought to the fore issues that are at the core of our shared mission to improve access to education and knowledge not just for the privileged few, but for everyone. This is easy to say and difficult to do. Through two virtual Next Wave 2021 events, we brought forward people leading change through their actions driving racial and socioeconomic equity in higher education.
Advancing Equity from the University to America’s Prisons
March 23, 2021
Poet, scholar, and advocate, Reginald (Dwayne) Betts shares his personal journey, perspective on ways to address racial inequities in higher education and cultural institutions, and his ambitious Million Book Project — an initiative that will bring curated 500-book Freedom Libraries to prisons in every state in the U.S., Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. Laura Brown, former JSTOR Managing Director and now Senior Advisor for Ithaka S+R, moderates.
Democratizing Access to Education
February 3, 2021
Watch Ithaka S+R Managing Director Catharine Bond Hill in conversation with Shai Reshef, President, University of the People, the first non-profit, American-accredited, tuition-free online university. UoPeople is dedicated to opening access to higher education globally. Its enrollment grew dramatically in 2020 to more than 50,000 students from 200 countries and territories, and includes underserved populations like refugees and undocumented immigrants. The discussion focuses on how the pandemic and growing economic and social inequities are shaping UoPeople and the lessons from their approach that might guide the work of others.