Combining Leadership, Activism, and Applied Research to Create a New Latina/o/x Studies Minor in Sociology

• In Event: 1255 - Section on Latina/o Sociology Refereed Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 3. Educational Challenges and Success

Abstract

This presentation summarizes the events and processes that led up to creating a new Latina/o Studies Minor in Sociology at Texas State University, one of the largest Hispanic Serving Institutions in Texas. The focus of this paper is to describe how collective advocacy, leadership, activism and protest and applied research, evaluation and assessment was utilized to implement a new Latina/o Studies Minor academic program at a 4 year university designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution. I will also describe how assessment and evaluation and community involvement of various stakeholders to mobilize and sustain a commitment to include Latina/o Studies. In addition, I will delineate and reflect on the practices and dynamics of advocacy by faculty and staff, student protests and leadership of key groups that cultivated and facilitated the process of creating a space for the creation a new academic program in Latina/o Studies. Lastly, I will reflect on the new socio-cultural and socio-political formations that have occurred in in the first year of implementing Latina/o Studies at Texas State.

Authors

• Gloria P. Martinez-Ramos, Texas State Unviersity

• Bob Edward Vasquez, Texas State University