Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs; postsecondary institutions that enroll 25% or more Latinx students) are increasing in significance. But to what extent do students attending an HSI, or an emerging HSI (enrolls 15%–24% Latinx students), identify with an organizational identity for serving Latinx students? There is a need to understand how members identify with an organizational identity because it affects satisfaction, sense of belonging, and success. Using secondary data from two qualitative research projects, the purpose of this study was to understand students’ identification with an identity for serving Latinx students. Data indicate that students’ levels of identification vary based on individual racial/ethnic identity. Implications are discussed.

Abstract: Broadening participation in computer science for women and underrepresented minority students remains an area of concern for many colleges and universities. Yet, little is known about the role of department chairs in initiating and leading efforts to recruit and retain women and students of color. Interviews with 15 department chairs participating in a nationwide effort to diversify computer science provide greater understanding about the change process and reveal insights about the barriers to and challenges in broadening participation. The findings illuminate the ways that department chairs grapple with both internal and external factors that impact their ability to diversify their departments.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: The changing demographics of higher education have led to an increase in the number and type of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). As research universities continue to see a rise in the enrollment of Latino/a students, a better understanding of the implications of this change within the existing institutional context will be essential to best serve this growing community of students. We position our study within a tradition of organizational culture theory that points to the importance of organizational actors’ interpretations, perspectives, and actions in order to understand an organization’s general behavior and change. By acknowledging the importance of graduate students within research universities, we focus on their perspectives at an Emerging Hispanic-Serving Research Institution (HSRI) and ask, “What are the organizational culture implications of an HSI designation for a research university?” Our analysis revealed four important themes: communicating institutional pride as an HSRI, engaging the benefits of an HSRI, operationalizing a serving mission, and involving graduate students as institutional actors at HSRIs. Institutional recommendations that follow from our findings include providing clear communication regarding HSI status, objectives, and commitment; assessing the campus climate; and increasing graduate student involvement as key leaders within HSRIs.