The Optics of Support: 2SLGBTQIA+ Students’ Perspectives on Institutional Leadership in Higher Education During Times of Political Hostility

Quan Phan

The Journal of Higher Education, 2025, vol. 96, issue 7, 1352-1375

Abstract: Higher education institutional leaders struggle to balance student needs with external pressures from legislators and stakeholders, leading to decisions that create hostile environments for marginalized students targeted by anti-DEI legislation. While research highlights the chilling climate 2SLGBTQIA+ students face, their experiences of institutional support and leadership during politically charged times are left unexplored. Drawing on participatory action research with 2SLGBTQIA+ students, this work examines their experiences at a Midwestern institution. Findings illuminate that although students recognize the political and financial constraints institutional leaders face, they interpret inaction as a lack of care reinforcing feelings of exclusion and abandonment. As institutional leaders appear to prioritize external stakeholders over marginalized communities, students called for ethical leadership grounded in advocacy and support. These findings highlight the need for institutional leaders to prioritize ethical decision-making and visible commitment to equity, urging institutions to reassess strategies to protect and advance marginalized communities amid an increasingly hostile climate.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/00221546.2025.2557777

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