Gina A. Garcia

Making a Difference in Science Education The Impact of Undergraduate Research Programs

To increase the numbers of underrepresented racial minority students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), federal and private agencies have allocated significant funding to undergraduate research programs, which have been shown to increase students’ intentions of enrolling in graduate or professional school. Analyzing a longitudinal sample of 4,152 aspiring STEM majors who completed the 2004 Freshman Survey and 2008 College Senior Survey, this study utilizes multinomial hierarchical generalized linear modeling and propensity score matching techniques to examine how participation in undergraduate research affects STEM students’ intentions to enroll in STEM and non-STEM graduate and professional programs. Findings indicate that participation in an undergraduate research program significantly improved students’ probability of indicating plans to enroll in a STEM graduate program.

Does Percentage of Latinas/os Affect Graduation Rates at 4-Year Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Emerging HSIs, and Non-HSIs?

As the population of college-aged Latinas/os grows, the number of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) increases. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the percentage of Latinas/os has an effect on the institutional graduation rates of Latina/o students attending HSIs, emerging HSIs, and non-HSIs. Data were drawn from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and the sample included 296 institutions. A structural equation model was used to confirm predictors of graduation rates.

When Parties Become Racialized: Deconstructing Racially Themed Parties

Racially themed parties are all-too-common occurrences on college campuses. Using critical race theory as a lens, this article provides a contemporary overview of these events and deconstructs these incidents as examples of overt forms of racism often emanating from subtle, everyday occurrences of covert racism or racial microaggressions. Implications for future empirical research and professional practice are provided in hopes of better responding to and prevention of racially themed parties.

Defined by Outcomes or Culture? Constructing an Organizational Identity for Hispanic-Serving Institutions.

While Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) enroll at least 25% Latinx students, the perennial question facing HSIs is, “What does it mean for postsecondary institutions to be Latinx-serving”—essentially an organizational identity question. Guided by the extant literature on organizational identity, culture, and institutionalism and using an in-depth case study of a federally designated, four-year HSI, this study focused on the way members construct an organizational identity for serving Latinxs. Findings suggest that while members constructed an ideal Latinx-serving identity based on legitimized outcomes (i.e., graduation), they constructed their current identity from environmental cues about cultural practices. Using two theoretical lenses, I present a typology that considers outcomes and culture in a Latinx-serving identity. Future research should explore the construction of a Latinx-serving identity in a nuanced way.

Identity Salience for Latino Male Collegians at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Emerging HSIs, and Non-HSIs

This article challenges the notion of underachievement of Latino male collegians by examining those who successfully enter higher education. Using in-depth interviews, we analyze the way three different institutional types contribute to the racial/ethnic identity salience of Latinos, looking specifically at the curricular and co-curricular structures available at a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and emerging HSI in comparison with non-HSIs. Findings reveal differences in identity salience based on the college context.

Institutional Agents at a Hispanic Serving Institution Using Social Capital to Empower Students

As enrollment-driven postsecondary institutions, Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) must actively find ways to better “serve” their students. Guided by Stanton-Salazar’s social capital framework, this study sought to understand how institutional agents use various forms of capital to develop structures that support and empower minoritized students. Using data from a study of one 4-year, master’s granting HSI, we highlight how four institutional leaders serve as empowerment agents for students, seeking ways to challenge the status quo while developing the structures and policies necessary for serving minoritized students.

Decolonizing Hispanic-Serving Institutions: A Framework for Organizing:

Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) should realign their organizational approach in order to liberate themselves and their students. As colonized institutions enrolling colonized people, HSIs must recognize their history of colonialism before moving toward an organizational model grounded in decolonization. The Organizational Framework for Decolonizing HSIs has nine elements and is grounded in organizational theory, yet it challenges the white normative ways in which postsecondary institutions have been studied and the models that have been used to organize them.

Bandwidth Recovery: Helping Students Reclaim Cognitive Resources Lost to Poverty, Racism, and Social Marginalization

In the book, Bandwidth Recovery: Helping Students Reclaim Cognitive Resources Lost to Poverty, Racism, and Social Marginalization, the author Cia Verschelden highlighted the deleterious effects of racism on student cognitive capacities as grounded in scholarship on critical race theory and students’ sense of belonging on campus. The central argument is that minoritized students often experience uncertainty of self and disidentification with academia as a result of racism and poverty. Verschelden described numerous theoretical models that attempt to address these negative experiences, and provided practical recommendations for creating an academic environment conducive to learning for minoritized students.

Contexts That Matter to the Leadership Development of Latino Male College Students: A Mixed Methods Perspective

Abstract: As the number of Latino males entering college increases, there is a need to understand their unique leadership experiences. This study used a convergent parallel mixed methods design to understand what contexts contribute to Latino male undergraduate students’ leadership development, capacity, and experiences. Quantitative data were gathered by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) and further elucidated by one-on-one interviews with 24 Latino males attending four institutions in two regions. Contexts that influenced Latino males’ leadership development included fraternities, ethnic student organizations, and internships. Peer contexts were also significant. Practical implications for working with Latino male college students are offered.

The Convergence of Social Identities and Environmental Contexts in Facilitating Latino Male Resilience

While Latino/as are the largest racial/ethnic group in the United States, they continue to face challenges throughout their educational careers. Latino males, in particular, are said to be vanishing from higher education, earning fewer degrees than their female counterparts. Using in-depth interviews with 24 Latino male collegians, we sought to understand the process of resilience for this population, looking specifically at the factors that enhance their educational access and success within postsecondary institutions. The data demonstrate the social identities and environmental contexts that foster resilience for Latino males, despite adversities they may face. Four main themes arose, illuminating the challenges Latino males may face in their path to college and elucidating the ways they use their identities as motivation and the educational contexts that support their resilience. We highlight resilience as a process, calling for educators to consider the ways in which they can support Latino males’ aspirations into and through college.