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1. Proceedings: Accelerating the Impact of HSI STEM Education and Research on Innovation Ecosystems, HSI Conference: Accelerating the Impact of HSI STEM Education and Research on Innovation Ecosystems

   Romañach, R. J. ; Lugo, J. E. ; Morales-Velez, A. ; Córdova, U. M. ; Hughes, K. S. ( October 2019 , Proceedings: Accelerating the Impact of HSI STEM Education and Research on Innovation Ecosystems, HSI Conference: Accelerating the Impact of HSI STEM Education and Research on Innovation Ecosystems)
2. HSI Students' Experience with "Servingness" During COVID-19

   Hug, S. ; Jurow, A. ; Thiry, H. ( January 2021 , Dialogues in social justice)

   In March of 2020, higher education institutions across the U.S. closed their doors and converted to remote and online learning due to the COVID-19 health crisis. As the country adjusted to the “new normal” of living and working at home, the economic and psychological impact of self-isolation and business closures were felt strongly by those who were most economically and socially vulnerable. In this context, the evaluation team of the Computing Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institutions (CAHSI) implemented a survey of students studying computer science at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) across the country to understand the impact of COVID-19 on their lives. In this paper, we identify the contexts in which students at HSIs continued (or failed to continue) their academic pursuits under great hardship. Our analysis highlights how the multidimensional framework of “servingness,” defined as a critical organizational, interactional, and ideological approach that many HSIs use to support their students, was experienced by students during the pandemic (Garcia et al., 2019). We argue that the practices and structures of servingness contributed to sustaining students’ well-being, dignity, and learning amid uncertainty. 

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3. Persistence Priorities and Financial Servingness in an Emerging HSI

   https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE58773.2023.10343220  

   Hug, Sarah ( October 2023 , IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE))

   As the demographics in the United States college-going population continue to shift, the number of HSIs grows annually, yet research in higher education indicates a difference between enrolling Hispanic students in great numbers and serving the Hispanic/LatinX population [1,2] Servingness is embodied in structures and practices that constitute HSIs and is manifested in the acts of institutional agents who interpret policy, advocate for students, and access resources on behalf of students. This paper describes the findings from an initial case study of a public US East Coast Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution recently funded by the National Science Foundation to provide scholarships for high-achieving students with great financial need. To understand the financial barriers students face in attending college in a post-pandemic context, the first author interviewed key stakeholders at EAST STEM University. The research question driving the study was: How is EAST STEM changing its infrastructure to develop diverse support structures that serve students? Data for this pilot case study were collected from unstructured interviews with the lead faculty member of the grant in the computer science department, document analysis of institutional data (e.g., contextual data from the US Department of Education, publicly available information from Excellencia in Education, institutional profile data from the Institute of Educational Statistics), and from formal interviews with key stakeholders across the university. Interviews were transcribed and coded using emerging themes with Dedoose software. The staff interviewed in this study span five administrative offices and academic departments. Findings from this case suggest the institutional goals of promoting diversity and increasing persistence were values aligned with the acts of servingness utilized at East STEM University to advocate holistically for student needs [3]. Interviews with institutional agents indicate two ways the institution supported student progression through the major-through human resource allocation and through financial prioritization for equity. Within this institutional context, institutional agents enacted servingness through their emphasis on equity and persistence priorities, with, in some cases, a critical lens supportive of student success[4]. Key to their efforts in promoting persistence for students were three actions-creating space for one-on-one engagement with students, advocating on students' behalf across multiple administrative offices, and adapting and reinterpreting policies to support continued student enrollment. This study illustrates how institutional agents aligned serving with a key institutional initiative and how that alignment created space for innovation in meeting undergraduate students' financial needs. 

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4. Latinx Students’ Sense of Belonging in Engineering/Computer Science at an HSI

   Esquinca, Alberto ; Mein, Erika ; Mucino, Helena ( January 2021 , Proceedings of the Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity)

   null (Ed.)
5. Resilience in Action through Culture: Latinas Successfully Navigating STEM Spaces at an HSI

   https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14080848  

   Perez, Emma Claudia ; Gonzalez, Elsa Maria ; Sanchez_Hernandez, Isabella ( August 2024 , Education Sciences)

   Though research on the perspectives and assets of communities of color in higher education has grown, understanding how underrepresented groups in STEM use those assets to navigate and succeed in STEM fields is still in progress. In this study, Latina students majoring in STEM fields in a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) were interviewed about their college experience and persistence. A Latine resilience model and an HSI servingness framework guided the analysis. Qualitative methodology via case study served to understand this research. Evidence gathered in this study demonstrates how social climate experiences and cultural background influence resilience and success strategies among diverse Latina STEM majors in an HSI. The STEM social climate or culture seemingly clashed with participants’ cultural backgrounds. Perhaps most pertinent to their cultural background and resilience as Latinas were the specific success strategies or assets that participants utilized to navigate the STEM experience. Participants gravitated to diverse spaces, desired more women and ethnic representation in their STEM departments, and practiced prosocial or communal motivations. Understanding STEM culture in conjunction with the assets and strategies that Latinas utilize as ethnic women is important for HSIs as they consider how they truly serve their constituents.

    

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