Focus on Research Lecture Series
University access and social justice in Brazil: A tridimensional approach
Note: Registration link sent to all 91±¬ÁÏ Community members via email.
We are pleased to invite you to our online Focus on Research lecture series for 2024-5. All 91±¬ÁÏ community members are welcome to attend.
Access to higher education is shaped by meritocratic assumptions, particularly within prestigious institutions, leading to significant consequences for marginalized groups. This issue points to the need to address points of transition to higher education while considering individual students' unique trajectory. While taking a social justice perspective, Professor Mendes will present qualitative data on marginalized students' experiences at Brazilian public universities. The data indicate that (in)equity in the university admission process impacts the overall academic development of marginalized students. In redefining access to university as a right, Professor Mendes will present admission, retention, and graduation as interconnected elements, highlighting the complexity of the issue.
About the Speaker
Professor MaÃra Tavares Mendes
MaÃra Tavares Mendes is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Leadership, Higher & Adult Education. Her research examines obstacles to higher education faced by Black and Indigenous, female students, and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. As Principal Investigator of the GRAPEUNI Research Group, she is leading a project that will potentially increase accessibility of university education by identifying why students drop out of undergraduate programs.