“At the End of the Day…the System Should Be Supporting”: Latina Undergraduates Share How Higher Education Professionals Can Support their Success
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32674/r08d7z34Keywords:
Latina undergraduates, LatCrit, sense of belonging, student success, testimonio, validationAbstract
In this study grounded in a LatCrit framework, 11 Latina undergraduates at a Predominantly White Institution in the Western U.S. share the systemic institutional barriers inhibiting their abilities to reach their goals and graduate from college. Through their testimonios, they revealed challenges navigating their higher education institution, including lack of validation, racism, and discrimination. They also share potential solutions to support them as they navigate higher education, including bolstering sense of belonging through affinity groups, validation from faculty & staff, and recognizing their labor to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. By listening to Latina undergraduates, higher education professionals can be encouraged to develop more equitable and culturally enhancing practices that support Latina undergraduates in navigating higher education and reaching their goals.
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