Journal of Hispanic Higher Education

In this article, we share our conceptualization of what we term as a servingness praxis framework, which includes building blocks that derive/bridge/expand on the theoretical concept of “servingness” introduced by Gina A. García. We draw on Gonzalez, Moll and Amanti’s work on Funds of Knowledge (FoK) and Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Pedagogy (CLSP). We define and explain how the relational, experiential, and reciprocal building blocks expand on servingness, shifting from theory to practice.

This paper used survey data to examine the college satisfaction and adjustment of Latinx transfer and nontransfer students. College satisfaction was measured by incorporating academic, institutional resources, and inclusive experience tenets. Multiple linear regression analysis showed two components of college satisfaction were associated positively with students’ college adjustment. First-generation students had lower college satisfaction than their non-first-generation peers. This study enriched existing literature by introducing new tools to examine Latinx transfer and nontransfer college experiences.

This study examines how STEM programs can be intentionally designed to serve as mechanisms for organizational transformation. Grounded in organizational change theory and findings from a multi-site qualitative case study of the Meyerhoff Adaptation Project, the study presents four design principles that illustrate how intentional choices can reconfigure structures, cultures, and power dynamics, which enable inequity within higher education. The principles offer guidance for developing sustainable, equity-centered STEM initiatives that advance institutional change.

Pedagogy del Corazón is a heart-centered framework grounded in cariño (critical care) and culturally sustaining pedagogy. This article examines how 11 practitioners of Color in Texas enacted cariño in community colleges. My analysis emerged four themes: (1) Cultural Navigators and Mirrors of Possibility, (2) Validating Agents: ¡Sí Se Puede!, (3) Familia Counterspace, and (4) Stop the Spirit Killers. Cariño showed up in acts of care and resistance and cultural modeling that nurtured healing-centered learning.

This historical accounting focuses on the founding of Gamma Phi Omega, the first Latina sorority founded at Indiana University during a time of racial tensions on campus. This work contributes to historical scholarship about the Latina college experience by describing how a small group of Latinas navigated predominantly white spaces and were able to create an all-women organization that produced community leaders and advocates tasked with creating culturally affirming spaces for Latinxs on campus.