Ep. 126: Voices of Student Success: The Role of Belonging in Campus Conflict, Protests

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, colleges and universities have seen heightened tensions on campus as student protesters demand change from their administrators.

Anti-war protests on college campuses are not a new phenomenon, with many institutions seeing similar unrest during the 1960s during the Vietnam War. The University of South Carolina was one such institution, which saw a general unrest among its student body amid racial tensions, the anti-war movement and other institutional grievances which came to a head in May 1970.

The University of South Carolina took an unconventional approach to mitigate student frustrations, which included implementing a comprehensive University 101 course that infused feelings of belonging among participants. The initiative was largely successful, with the university experiencing no student riots for another 50 years.

In this episode, John Gardner, one of the professors who helped create the first-year seminar at USC and founder of the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education, reflects on the protests of the 70s and shares how campus leaders today can learn from the past.

Hosted by Inside Higher Ed Student Success Reporter Ashley Mowreader. Read a transcript of the podcast here.

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