Strategies for Faculty-Student Engagement: How Community College Faculty Engage Latino Students

Abstract

Student-faculty engagement has been identified as the best predictor of Latino student persistence (Hurtado & Carter, 1997). This study explores the strategies that community college faculty employ to engage Latino students. Findings indicate that knowledge, appreciation, and sensitivity to Hispanic cultures and an understanding of the preferred learning styles of Latino students are important considerations to establishing classroom environments that engage Latino students and, thus, facilitate their retention and academic success.

A Conceptual Model on the Impact of Mattering, Sense of Belonging, Engagement/Involvement, and Socio-Academic Integrative Experiences on Community College Students’ Intent to Persist

“…Critics contend that the model places significant onus on the student, while de-emphasizing the role of the institution and institutional agents-faculty, staff, administrators-in promoting or impeding student success and retention (Bensimon, 2007). Additionally, researchers have noted that Tinto's model does not sufficiently 20 account for the experiences of impacted groups such as traditionally underrepresented ethnic minorities, first-generation to college, and low-income students, or students attending commuter institutions and community colleges (Bean & Metzner, 1985;Bensimon, 2006Bensimon, , 2007Cejda & Hoover, 2010;Rendón, Jalomo, & Nora, 2000;Tierney, 1992).…”

“…These "socio-academic integrative moments" transpire during events or activities when students interact with institutional agents and other students (DeilAmen, 2011). Researchers have found that for community college students, student-faculty interactions of an academic and social nature serve as vehicles for imparting important information to students, increase their comfort in college, and are precursors to student retention (Cejda & Hoover, 2010;Deil-Amen, 2011). …”

“…In recent years, for example, research has substantiated the key role that institutional agents play in facilitating or impeding student success, both in and out-of-the classroom (Barnett, 2010;Bensimon, 2007;Braxton & McClendon, 2001;Cejda & Hoover, 2010;Deil-Amen, 2011;Karp et al, 2010;Lundberg & Schreiner, 2004;Stanton-Salazar, 1997). Deil-Amen (2011) and Cejda and Hoover (2010) found that for community college students, student-faculty interactions of both an academic and social nature served as vehicles to imparting important information to students, increased their comfort in college, and were precursors to student retention. The importance of these interactions as perceived by students is that they occur concomitantly.…”

Exploring Student Success Courses With a Latinx Perspective: A Focus on Students and Outcomes

“…When racially or ethnically underrepresented students arrive on a community college campus, there may be little that validates their background or ways of knowing or instances to see themselves in the curriculum (Rendón, ). Particularly important for engaging Latinx community college students is for faculty to show knowledge, appreciation, and sensitivity to Latinx culture (Cejda & Hoover, ). A culturally‐infused college success course potentially can serve that function, helping to create a hospitable campus environment and positive college experience that all students should expect to encounter.…”

Determinants of Faculty-Student Engagement for Southeast Asian Men in Community College: An Exploratory Analysis

“…In this study, Southeast Asian men refers primarily to men who self-identify as being of Hmong, Cambodian, Laotian, or Vietnamese descent. This study's focus on facultystudent engagement is critical, as prior research on college students, in general, has regularly demonstrated the integral relationship between faculty-student engagement and student success, including enhanced noncognitive outcomes (e.g., motivation, academic-self-conception, satisfaction) (Komarraju et al, 2010;McClenney, 2004), academic performance (e.g., retention, achievement, goal completion) (Bush & Bush, 2010;Cejda & Hoover, 2010;Chang, 2005;Cole, 2008Cole, , 2010Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005;Price & Tovar, 2014;Thompson, 2001;Wood, 2012aWood, , 2012b and student learning (Lundberg, 2014;Lundberg & Shreiner, 2004).…”