Latinx Staff and Faculty Labor and Impact at California and Colorado Hispanic-Serving Institutions

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 9:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Addressing Campus Climate and Representation Issues in Higher Education

Abstract

This paper seeks to reimagine "servingness" at Hispanic-Serving Institutions through Latinx Faculty Representation and Staff Mentorship as pathways to equity. First by examining how staff mentorship and faculty representation support first-generation Latinx students at two public HSI in the southwestern U.S. Guided by Garcia’s “servingness” framework and equity-minded theory, the study analyzes institutional barriers, mission alignment, and the critical role of faculty and staff of color. Findings show mentorship is often informal and driven by the invisible labor of underrepresented educators. The paper argues for institutionalizing mentorship and increasing Latinx faculty and staff representation as strategic, equity-centered practices essential to fostering student retention, degree completion, and long-term success within Hispanic-Serving Institutions.

Authors

• Yazmin Alexandra Perez, Claremont Graduate University

• Elizabeth Lopez, Claremont Graduate University