Student Lived Experience

Scholars at the intersections of Education, Ethnic Studies, Black and African American Studies, and Women’s/Gender Studies have theorized several approaches to advancing racial justice in higher education teaching in the United States.

Nontraditional students hold valuable life experiences that go beyond the typical college years, while transfer students arrive with academic credits from other institutions, eager to finish their degrees at UC Berkeley. When these diverse pathways converge at UC Berkeley, they enrich our community with unique experiences that differ from those of first-year entrant students.

Gender-just teaching, or teaching that seeks to advance gender justice, draws on feminist and transgender educational frameworks that center the experiences of students marginalized on the basis of gender.

Centering disability seeks to identify and disrupt the systemic influences of ableism and intersectionality, as well as other systemic barriers that lead to the exclusion and discrimination of people with disabilities.

International and multilingual students enrich our classrooms and campuses with invaluable knowledge, diverse perspectives, and rich lived experiences, challenging educators to adopt inclusive and equitable practices.