Debates about cultural appropriation and free speech at elite universities have consumed both the Left and Right lately. While some college administrators have acquiesced to student demands around these issues, with many incoming student orientation programs incorporating the language of social justice and intersectionality, the underlying class dynamics of these schools remain unchanged. Amid left-sounding rhetoric from the top, workers at these elite colleges continue to run into barriers when organizing on campus.

Barnard College, a women’s liberal arts college where I am a student, exemplifies the ability of progressive rhetoric and class inequality to coexist. From its Social Justice Institute to its Zine Library, Barnard showcases its feminist credentials, marketing itself as an institution dedicated to “address[ing] issues of gender in all of their complexity and urgency.”

In recent years, Barnard has hosted commencement speakers such as Sheryl Sandberg and Hillary Clinton. It even awarded a Medal of Distinction to Lena Dunham. Yet at the same time, Barnard administrations past and present have come into conflict with workers on campus.