Stewart

Saran Stewart

Associate Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs, University of Connecticut
Chapter Member: Connecticut SSN
Areas of Expertise:

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About Saran

Dr. Stewart's research explores comparative and international education, decolonizing methodologies, inclusive pedagogy, and equity in higher education. Formerly a Senior Lecturer and Deputy Dean at the University of the West Indies, Dr. Stewart has over 50 publications, including Decolonizing Qualitative Methodologies for and by the Caribbean and Black Liberation in Higher Education: Considerations for Research and Practice.

Contributions

How Higher Education Institutions Can Combat Laws Limiting Discussions of Race and Racism

  • Frank Tuitt
  • Kelly Schlabach

Publications

"BREATHE: Embracing Radical Epistemological Activist Teaching for Higher Education" (with Frank Tuitt and Kelly Schlabach). Taboo: The Journal of Culture & Education 24, no. 1 (2026).

Introduces “BREATHE” as a teaching approach that centers care, reflection, and justice in the classroom. Argues that faculty can better support students—especially those from marginalized backgrounds—by rethinking what counts as knowledge and creating more humanizing learning environments.

Black Women Academics at the Intersections: Race, Gender and Colonial Legacies in British and Caribbean Higher Education (Bristol University Press, 2026).

Examines the experiences of Black women academics working across the UK and Caribbean. Shows how race, gender, and colonial histories shape their careers—and highlights the strategies they use to navigate and challenge these systems.

"Plantation Pedagogy and the Politics of Erasure: A Critical Policy Discourse Analysis of Anti-CRT Laws in Higher Education" (with Kelly Schlabach and Frank Tuitt). The Journal of Higher Education 96, no. 7 (2025): 1409–1435.

Examines laws restricting the teaching of race and racism, arguing they erase important histories and perspectives. Shows how these policies reinforce inequality by limiting what can be taught and discussed in universities.

"Old Tactics in New Robes: Plantation Politics and the Continued Pervasiveness of Anti-Blackness in Higher Education" (with Kelly Schlabach, Frank Tuitt, and Omar Romandia). Journal of Diversity in Higher Education 18, no. 6 (2024): 883-899.

Argues that higher education institutions still rely on power structures rooted in racism, even when they appear modern or progressive. Shows how these patterns continue to shape policies, leadership, and campus experiences.

"Krik? Krak! Groundings, Liming, and Ole Talk: Understanding Caribbean Decolonial Research Methodologies" (with Shenhaye Ferguson) in Advancing Qualitative Inquiry Toward Methodological Inclusion, edited by Rhodesia McMillian and Penny A. Pasque, (Routledge, 2024), 178–194.

Introduces research approaches rooted in Caribbean culture and ways of knowing. Shows how these methods challenge traditional academic norms and create more inclusive, community-centered research practices.

Race, Equity, and the Learning Environment: The Global Relevance of Critical and Inclusive Pedagogies in Higher Education (with Frank Tuitt and Chayla Haynes). (Taylor & Francis, 2023).

Brings together scholars from around the world to explore how teaching practices can better address race and inequity. Across chapters, shows that inclusive, critically engaged pedagogy improves learning and belonging for diverse student populations.

"Transforming the Classroom at Traditionally White Institutions to Make Black Lives Matter" (with Frank Tuitt and Chayla Haynes). To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development 37, no. 1 (2018): 63-76.

Explores how faculty at predominantly white institutions can redesign their classrooms to better support Black students. Finds that inclusive teaching strategies—like building trust, validating student experiences, and addressing bias—lead to more equitable outcomes.

"An Alternative Approach to Standardized Testing: A Model That Promotes Racial Equity and College Access" (with Chayla Haynes). Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs 2, no. 1 (2016).

Proposes a different approach to student assessment that reduces reliance on standardized tests. Finds that more holistic methods can expand college access and better support students from underrepresented backgrounds.