Betrayal U

Higher education is in trouble, and not only due to a decline of public trust. As a microcosm of our broader culture, universities are inequitable and often harmful, especially for marginalized people. This is despite the democratic promise of higher education as a path for learning and social mobility. Women, people of color, First Gen, disabled, LGBTQ+, and other minoritized groups are disproportionately harmed in educational institutions that are hierarchical and reproduce inequality. Efforts to foster belonging for faculty, staff, and students may be highly effective but are under attack.
 
Betrayal U intervenes in this context with a diverse, rich collection of essays, art, poetry, and research that explores these inequities through the lens of institutional betrayal, theorized by psychologist Jennifer Freyd. Edited by Rebecca G. MartÍnez and Monica J. Casper, this collection brings together thirty-six contributors who share personal experiences covering a range of topics in higher education. The work spans five thematic sections that examine the complexities of belonging and exclusion in academic settings.
 
The contributors share their lived experiences of academic life from diverse vantage points, showing the ways minoritized groups are made to feel unwelcome, further marginalized, and often positioned as the problem. Exhibiting courage, compassion, and a commitment to better futures, the voices in this collection offer both a searing indictment of higher education and pathways to alternative practices and structures. They shine a spotlight on academia today, including the promise of inclusion and the perils of exclusion.

Contributors
Celeste Atkins
Jasmine Banks
Krista L. Benson
Jessica Bishop-Royse
Samit Dipon Bordoloi
Monica J. Casper
Aparajita De
Kathy Diehl
Taylor Marie Doherty
Reshmi Dutt-Ballerstadt
Alma Flores
Alanna Gillis
C. Goldberg
Jennifer M. Gómez
Kristina Gupta
Jasmine L. Harris
Susan Hillock
Doreen Hsu
Jennifer Lai
Amy Andrea Martinez
Rebecca G. MartÍnez
Shantel Martinez
Sara A. Mata
Rachael McCollum
Wang Ping
Emily Rosser
AngÉlica Ruvalcaba
Brandy L. Simula
Rashna Batliwala Singh
Cierra Raine Sorin
Connor Spencer
Chantelle Spicer

Rebecca G. MartÍnez is an independent researcher and writer. Her research interests include reproductive health, Latin America, Chicanx studies, migration, and critical university studies.

Monica J. Casper is dean of arts and sciences and a professor of sociology at Seattle University. A First Gen scholar, she is the author of numerous books, essays, and articles and is also a creative writer.