The Intentional and the Grassroots Hispanic-Serving Institutions: A Critical History of Two Universities

Abstract

This study examines the institutional histories of Loma Verde University and Azul City University and their development over time into Hispanic-Serving Institutions. Utilizing a theoretical framework of transformational change, we focus on various aspects of these institutions, including curriculum, the allocation of physical spaces, and the creation of programs that specifically serve Latinx students. The study makes use of archival documents that tell the story of the struggles at each institution to cultivate a campus that addressed the needs of Latinx students to promote their long-term academic success. The findings suggest that these institutions were on paths that were heavily influenced by their local contexts and student population; that the transformational process to serving Latinx students was long and faced setbacks; and that their successes came in different forms. These conclusions indicate that the histories of Hispanic-Serving Institutions may be as rich and diverse as the Latinx population itself, furthering the notion that these institutions are unique among other types of Minority-Serving Institutions.

“People around Me Here, They Know the Struggle”: Students’ Experiences with Faculty Member’s Mentorship at Three Hispanic Serving Institutions

“…Importantly, in addition to these commendable goals, HSIs are diverse institutions that have various cultures and have, at times, struggled to embrace this designation [15]. Indeed, by virtue of the demographic-contingency of the HSI designation, some campuses have not yet persisted from merely being "Latinx-enrolling" to "Latinx-Serving" [16,17].…”

Is “Business as Usual” Enough to Be Hispanic-Serving? Becoming a Hispanic-Serving Research Institution

“…Considering how slow higher education is to change, a complete identity turnaround may not be possible-at least not immediately. This is echoed by participants who indicate that this process "doesn't happen overnight" and is supported by Doran and Medina's (2017) suggestion that HSIs develop over time.…”

“…In related work, Doran and Medina (2017), employing a transformational change framework, studied the histories of two institutions as they developed over time into HSIs. Findings indicate that these HSIs were each influenced by local context and their student population.…”

Equity versus Excellence: Is the Pursuit of “Tier-1” Status Compatible With Social Justice?

“…In particular, we would like to better understand the relationship between diversity and inclusion on the part of faculty and staff with that of students. We would also like to see further exploration of the lessons offered by "grassroots" HSIs (Doran & Medina, 2017). It would be especially valuable to study public institutions that manage to achieve high levels of inclusiveness, community engagement, and excellence in teaching and scholarship simultaneously.…”