Academic and Professional Aspirations of Latina/o Undergraduate and Graduate Students in a Research-Intensive Hispanic-Serving Institution

• In Event: Bridging Multiple Worlds: Innovative Partnerships to Educate Diverse Democracies Within Culturally and Socioeconomically Diverse Communities

Abstract

Objectives
This paper examined Latina/o undergraduate and graduate students’ aspirations and Latina/o STEM graduate students’ academic and professional aspirations and experiences developing STEM identities in a research-intensive Hispanic-Serving Institution.

Theoretical Framework
These two studies drew from Bridging Multiple Worlds Theory (Cooper, 2011); student engagement model (Nora, 2002); cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT; Vygotsky, 1978; Williams, Davis, & Black, 2007; Yamagata-Lynch, 2010); cognitive script theory (Schank & Abelson, 1977); and Diverse Learning Environments (DLE) model (Hurtado et al., 2012). These theories framed analyses of academic and professional aspirations of Latina/o undergraduate and graduate students, as well as graduate students’ identity development, disciplinary integration, and factors promoting or constraining academic success.

Methods
In the first study, a survey based on the DLE model (Hurtado et al., 2012) was given to 650 sophomores and juniors. It measured academic experiences and degree aspirations, general climate, climate for diversity, habits of mind, and retention/achievement. Because response rates were especially low for African American students, responses of Asian American (20.8% of sample), Latina/o (20.2%), and White students (47.5%) were analyzed (46% male, 54% female).

In the second study, 16 STEM graduate students self-identifying as Latina/o completed a survey and participated in semi-structured individual interviews, analyzed with grounded theory (Strauss & Corbin, 1998). Respondents were asked to describe their pathways from undergraduate enrollment through graduate school, including undergraduate research participation, faculty mentorship, and peer support.

Results
In Study 1, students from all three ethnic groups reported similar experiences of interpersonal validation, discrimination, and bias. White students reported higher academic validation in the classroom and academic program involvement, and Latina/o students, the lowest involvement. Latina/o students reported lower satisfaction with the racial composition of faculty and staff. All three groups reported high GPA and degree aspirations, most planning at least a master’s degree.

Study 2 revealed that cognitive and non-cognitive skills in enacting scripts of STEM graduate student life were vital for meeting expectations of students’ respective fields. Mastering lab research, conference presentations, and publications were essential. Faculty mentorship, peers’ social and academic support, and involvement in undergraduate research programs were valuable for learning academic expectations in graduate disciplines, but gender differences emerged in faculty mentorship opportunities and peer support, and students pursuing non-academic professions lacked faculty support. Finally, students experienced daily stress from having to “prove themselves” while navigating ethnic and gender boundaries.

Significance
These studies reveal the crucial role of students’ engagement in departmental life of research-intensive Hispanic-Serving Institutions for launching their professional careers. The first study revealed that academic experiences and degree aspirations of Asian, Latina/o, and White students reflected not only their family demographics but validation by faculty, staff, and peers; their involvement in scholarly programs and research opportunities; campus and classroom climate; and their own academic performance. The second study illuminated how Latina/o STEM graduate students learned departmental cultural expectations from faculty mentorships and peer support and that mastering publication, conference presentations, and small team activities promoted students’ professional development. Together, these findings can advance institutional development of Hispanic- and other minority-serving institutions.

Authors

• Henry L. Covarrubias, University of California - Santa Barbara

• Priscilla Pereschica