Institutional Advocate: Nepantlera/o/x supporting transfer STEM students of color

• In Event: Exploring Supports for STEM Students Spanning the Transfer Trajectory From Community College to University

Abstract

The Transfer Advocacy Group (TAG) project supports transfer STEM students of color (STEM TSOC) by including them in group discussions about the exacerbated effects of institutional racism, thus instigating change at their bachelor-degree granting institution (BDGI). In these groups, we include Institutional Advocates—stakeholders who are supporting STEM TSOC navigate the BDGI. In this paper we examine how and what institutional advocates do to support STEM TSOC.

To ground our work, we draw parallels between institutional advocates supporting STEM TSOC navigating the BDGI and Nepantlera/o/x/s navigating Nepantla. Nepantla is Gloria Anzaldúa’s theory (2015) about the liminality between a dominant and non-dominant space, which is a state of mind where a person questions old beliefs, acquires new beliefs and changes worldviews. Nepantleras, are people navigating Nepantla, who gain mestiza/o/x consciousness—a knowledge and wisdom depth to resist assimilation and instead center historically marginalized people’s strength (Aguilar-Valdez at al., 2013).

We used the extended case method (Burawoy, 1998; Morales-Doyle, 2017) and adapted Acevedo’s (2020) work on Nepantlera high school teachers for institutional advocates. We developed a priori codes from Acevedo’s study and allowed new codes to emerge. We analyzed a 1.5-hour interview with "Marie," an institutional advocate at a predominantly white, large BDGI in the Midwest working with STEM TSOC. For this proposal, we briefly outline two emergent codes.

Marie has a detailed understanding of supporting STEM TSOC at BDGI. Mestiza consciousness involves recognizing the actions and choices STEM TSOC make to navigate traditionally white academic paths. She is aware of the degree requirements and the prerequisites for pursuing further education, which she calls trackings (e.g., medical school, graduate school). She also knows about BDGI's lack of support for STEM TSOC, such as late admission notices compared to first-time college students and delays in transferring credits from associate-degree institutions.

Marie articulates how being mindful of the language has an impact on STEM TSOC. Furthermore, Marie is intentional about her word choice in representing STEM TSOC experiences that describe the barriers faced at the BDGI.

Marie’s mestiza consciousness is from her disposition about “what informs [her] work is … what [she] learned about [STEM TSOC] in general and just knowing what they need... And definitely learn about their wants … and their values and like working within that, working to support that.” Combined with her thoughtful language – the impact words can have – is the relentless effort an institutional advocate does in supporting STEM TSOC at a BDGI, which aligns with Acevedo’s (2020) work about understanding students’ “types of support” (Acevedo, 2020, p.10)

Institutional advocates play a crucial role in addressing institutional racism as Nepantleras supporting STEM TSOC navigating their BDGI. Marie serves as an extended case study of Acevedo’s (2020) work. We focus on emerging codes of Mestiza/o/x consciousness and thoughtful language, which involves representing students and exposing the barriers they face, as resources and tools for institutional advocates address institutionalized racism while supporting STEM TSOC.

Authors

• Camila Monsalve Avendaño, Michigan State University

• Vashti Sawtelle, Michigan State University