Hispanic-Serving Institutions' Organizational Strategies to Advance Equity for Minoritized Students in Science

• In Event: Equitable Education Systems and Perspectives on Institutional Change

Abstract

Advancing equity-centered STEM higher education requires studying organizational contexts, like those in many Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), that have demonstrated equitable outcomes for minoritized students. Here, a framework grounded in empirical research on HSIs, HSI “servingness,” is applied to examine four HSI computer science departments’ organizational behavior to advance minoritized student success. This multiple ethnographic case study involved 103 interviews with faculty, administrators, staff and students, and 69 observations of class, professional club, and faculty meetings. Results indicate that the departments’ organizational practices of: (1) using data in race-conscious and intersectional ways to improve student support; (2) creating career support structures; and (3) cultivating a talent development mindset each contribute to more inclusive and equitable climates for minoritized STEM students. 

Author

• Anne-Marie Nunez, University of Texas - El Paso