Higher Education – Open And Just

Two components of Ernest L. Boyer’s research on higher education include the principles of having an open and just campus community. While these may seem obvious, it wasn’t always the case on many of the universities and colleges across the United States. Dr. Boyer encouraged campuses to develop open policies, which meant a place where freedom of speech would never be questioned and where civility and respect for a variety of opinions and beliefs was held sacred.
A just community was also required in order to help all students and faculty feel actively involved in learning, growing and developing. Just campuses focus in on the individual and how they have a right to be honored, respected and valued for their uniqueness and diversity. This needs to be provided both in the social policies and learning experiences within the school itself but also within actively promoting and recognizing diversity in all forms. Cultural centers on campuses and fair and equitable policies with all aspects of campus life are good examples of combining open and just communities.
Changing the way that higher education views diversity and individualism helps bring the learning community together. This provides opportunities for not only learning about subject matter but also connecting within the campus community as a personal growth and development experience. Higher education programs now include these principles as key cornerstones in policies and programs.