2016 Annual Conference

In this discussion, we will frame the grit mindset as a superficial solution to a complex problem and begin a new conversation about how faculty and administrator mindsets can better support student success.

This discussion will benefit faculty and administrators who are concerned with improving access and equity for students. Graduate students, particularly those who are interested in the aspects of critical theory concerned with power, privilege, and positionality, will find this session thought-provoking. This session will benefit anyone in education who is interested in examining common models used to promote student retention and completion, providing an opportunity to deconstruct commonly-applied models and entertain new ideas that truly embrace values of critical theory and social justice.

Grit is currently a "buzz word" in the field of education. This popular narrative has been fodder for radio talk programs and featured in TEDTalks. Education institutions across the United States are employing the grit model to attempt to increase student retention and completion. What is largely being left out of the grit discussion is how this mindset puts the onus for academic success on the backs of those who are most marginalized, calling upon these learners to “pull themselves up by their bootstraps” to achieve academic success. By reinforcing the problematic narrative of meritocracy, the grit mindset allows educators and policy makers to ignore the systemic barriers, deeply rooted in power and privilege, which work to further marginalize those from historically oppressed groups. In this roundtable discussion, we will unpack the grit mindset, noting how it serves as a form of repressive tolerance and works to celebrate the most privileged while working against equitable access for the most marginalized of students. We will discuss alternative narratives that embrace values of social justice and equity, fostering the success for all learners.