Campus Candor

The recent Supreme Court ruling on college admissions has brought a renewed focus on the importance of socioeconomic diversity on college campuses. But what does that diversity feel like for the students themselves?

With an emphasis on urban-rural divides and class differences, Campus Candor: Students’ Stories Unmasked enlists students as oral historians to document the experiences of their peers at four flagship public universities in the south and Appalachia: Kentucky, West Virginia, Florida, and Mississippi. What challenges do diverse students face in navigating not only their coursework, but also their social lives and campus traditions such as spring break, Greek culture, and even parents’ weekend, especially students with limited family resources?

University leaders know that it's not enough simply to admit diverse students: they also have to be supported. What kind of supports do diverse students need the most? Campus Candor gives voice to the ways in which the culture at state universities can be unforgiving for those with limited resources.

An emotionally resonant and critical resource by a sociologist at the University of Kentucky, Campus Candor offers insight for university leaders as well as education and sociology courses that examine issues related to inequality and sociopolitical divides.