The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is one of 20 institutions participating in the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities’ Equity Roundtables — an opportunity to advance work toward educational equity for low-income, first-generation, and students of color that includes student voices and experiences in the discussions on improving student success.

Earlier this year, the APLU extended the call to engage a diverse group of university leaders and students from marginalized populations to engage in candid conversations about systemic barriers that contribute to inequitable outcomes and strategies to overcome them.

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln held its roundtable on Aug. 2, bringing together students and administrators from the University of Cincinnati and the Missouri University of Science and Technology.

“Taking the time to share with and listen to students’ voices from historically marginalized communities is key to making real and authentic progress in our work toward educational equity,” said Amy Goodburn, senior associate vice chancellor and dean of undergraduate education. “Opportunities to have these conversations are important to our continued efforts toward success for all students.”

The roundtable kicked off with each participant sharing an image or object that expressed what their education means to them. They then engaged in conversations focused on eliminating barriers to success for marginalized students on their academic journey and beyond, including career opportunities.

“These students do not have a deficit in aspiration; what they lack are the appropriate structures and supports to match their aspiration with opportunities for success,” said Moi Padilla, director of Nebraska College Preparatory Academy and TRIO Programs. “We have an opportunity to integrate these students’ perspectives into our decision-making process and enhance our communication of existing campus resources.”

Changing lives begins with understanding how to eliminate barriers and support success. A key priority of the N2025 strategic plan, the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor created the N2025 Degree Completion and Equity Report to support the university’s goals of increasing degree completion, closing equity gaps, and enhancing experiential learning that faculty and staff can use to develop equity goals for recruitment and retention. Updates to this report will be published annually in the fall.