Why Educating for Wholeness, Social Justice, and Liberation Is the Future of Higher Education: A Conversation with Laura I. Rendón

Today we speak with renowned teaching and learning theorist and thought leader Laura I. Rendón, a Professor Emerita at the University of Texas-San Antonio and author of the book Sentipensante (Sensing/Thinking) Pedagogy: Educating for Wholeness, Social Justice and Liberation (2009). 

As the pandemic nears its end, Dr. Rendón believes we are now in “nepantla”, or a liminal space of inquiry and possibility, regarding the future of higher education. As we return to campuses and classrooms, we need to deeply question what “normal” should be and make sure our pedagogical choices offer a “better” normal for all students, and especially for underserved populations. We need to ask ourselves what kind of an education students now need to help society and to solve our complex problems. We should be mindful of centering equity and inclusion in all of the learning experiences that students encounter.  

Dr. Rendón discusses some of the entrenched beliefs that dictate the current culture of teaching and learning, and how they could be shifted to embrace a new vision of higher education. Transcript available at ctl.columbia.edu/podcast

Resources

• Sentipensante (Sensing/Thinking) Pedagogy: Educating for Wholeness, Social Justice and Liberation (2009) by Laura I. Rendón
• The Four Agreements (1997) by don Miguel Ruiz 
• Relationship-Rich Education: How Human Connections Drive Success in College (2020) by Peter Felten and Leo M. Lambert 
• “Dead Ideas: Reflections for Post-Pandemic Learning” (June 2021, Inside Higher Education) by Catherine Ross, Amanda Irvin, and Soulaymane Kachani