White Institutional Presence: The Impact of Whiteness on Campus Climate

Abstract

In this conceptual paper, Diane Gusa highlights the salience of race by scrutinizing the culture of Whiteness within predominately White institutions of higher education. Using existing research in higher education retention literature, Gusa examines embedded White cultural ideology in the cultural practices, traditions, and perceptions of knowledge that are taken for granted as the norm at institutions of higher education. Drawing on marginalization and discrimination experiences of African American undergraduates to illustrate the performance of White mainstream ideology, Gusa names this embedded ideology White institutional presence (WIP) and assigns it four attributes: White ascendancy, monoculturalism, White estrangement, and White blindness. President Obama's election signifies a "momentous milestone in the history of America's most persistent domestic problem"-racism (Pettigrew, 2009, p. 290). Some media commentators and academics, as well as many Whites, believe the United States has made comprehensive progress in civil rights for minorities (Bobo & Kluegel, 1993; Kluegel, 1990) and deem this election as confirmation that the United States is now postracial (Wingfield & Feagin, 2010). This perception is advanced by the growing number of middle-class Black professionals (Allen & Farley, 1986) and an increasing number of Black elected officials (Sigelman, 1997). Though there have been significant racial changes in society, systemic, substantial, and racialized oppression has been sustained (Feagin, 2006). Systemic racism, with racial hierarchy at its heart (Wingfield

In Pursuit of Antiracist Social Justice: Denaturalizing Whiteness in the Academic Library

“…CRT scholars challenge the traditional claims by the education system to objectivity, neutrality, meritocracy, and equal opportunity (Solorzano, 1998). Gusa (2010) furthered the examination of race in higher education through the concept of White Institutional Presence (WIP). WIP is the multifaceted and often overlooked cultural domination of Whites and Whiteness in institutions of higher education that lead to discrimination and marginalization for students of color.…”

“…WIP is the multifaceted and often overlooked cultural domination of Whites and Whiteness in institutions of higher education that lead to discrimination and marginalization for students of color. In the context of CRT and WIP, Whiteness is defined as normative and persistent cultural characteristics associated with Western and Northern Europe, including language (e.g., English) and worldview (e.g., meritocracy, individualism) (Gusa, 2010).…”

“…The economic and social domination of Whites has shaped and continues to shape the development, policies, and practices of higher education in this country. Gusa (2010) identifies four ways in which WIP manifests in colleges and universities:…”

Connecting through Engagement: Latinx Student-Faculty Interaction in Community College

“…Institutions of higher education have historically been designed to support the success of White, upper middle class students (Gusa, 2010), often excluding the knowledge and experiences of Latinx students. Students of color, in addition to navigating postsecondary pathways, must negotiate an educational setting where their values, cultural backgrounds, and experiences are not the center of the institutional context (Gusa, 2010).…”

“…Students of color, in addition to navigating postsecondary pathways, must negotiate an educational setting where their values, cultural backgrounds, and experiences are not the center of the institutional context (Gusa, 2010). Hence, Latinx students must utilize other lifelines to succeed in their educational journey.…”