The present study sought to examine unique challenges that first-generation Latino male students (FGLMs) face, along with contributing factors that helped to shape their college experience when adjusting to two community colleges in southern California. The selected institutions were large community colleges located in urban settings within Los…

Using a phenomenological approach, we examined the sense of belonging for first-generation Latino men enrolled in a developmental mathematics course at a Hispanic-Serving Institution. The focus was on faculty-student interactions that fostered a sense of belonging. Data were collected through individual, semistructured interviews. Participants…

This dissertation explores academic persistence among Latinx students at City College of San Francisco (CCSF), using cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) to emphasize the culturally-mediated nature of goal directed human activity. The study investigates factors related to persistence within the context of CCSF's Metro Transfer Program…

This study was conducted to examine the impact of spirituality and religion on a student's College experience at a large Hispanic-serving community college in South Texas. The problem is that in the realm of higher education literature and research, there is scant information regarding spirituality and religion as factors in a student's motivation…

To understand how to best support Latino male community college students, we used the Socio-Ecological Outcomes (SEO) model to examine factors associated with their achievement and college satisfaction. Specifically, we leveraged data from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) and situated our study in developmental…

The purpose of this study was to better understand the perceptions and experiences of students in a learning community that incorporated culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) into its curriculum. The field site of this instrumental case study was a community college learning community situated in a Hispanic Serving Institution in Texas. Data from…

This paper explores Latino male community college students' perceptions of their course-related interactions with faculty at a Hispanic Serving Institution in California. Using a Critical Race Theory in Education framework, we qualitatively examine the ways in which race and racism shape students' descriptions of these interactions and the extent…

The Latino population in the United States has grown significantly over the last decade, and Latina representation has grown more quickly than that of Latinos. Expanding Latina representation in postsecondary programs is critical to meeting the nation's future workforce and civic leadership needs. This fact sheet provides an overview of the Latina…

Latinas often experience a double bind as they navigate STEM trajectories, a result of multiple layers of marginalization associated with their intersecting identities. Although developing robust science identities is key to the persistence, success, and sense of belonging of minoritized students in STEM (Carlone & Johnson, 2007; McGee, 2020),…

This qualitative case study examined how California Community College Presidents (CCCPs) make meaning of leading a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) to evaluate how CCCPs respond to Latinx student success gaps and support initiatives at their campuses. Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) have been more visible within community college…

This chapter describes various strength-based theoretical perspectives useful in understanding the experiences of Latinx community college students. We highlight key findings from studies that utilized these perspectives and conclude with recommendations for practitioners and leaders to consider as they support Latinx students.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were high rates of food and housing insecurity and unmet childcare, clothing, and physical and mental health needs among community college students. There was a growing body of evidence linking these unmet needs to adverse educational outcomes. In response, many community colleges had started to develop basic…

For many Latinx community college students, grades are a key indicator of academic success and therefore research in non-cognitive factors such as grit and growth mindset is needed. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if, and to what extent, there is a relationship between grit and growth mindset of Latinx…

The purpose of this multicase study was to investigate and understand how institutional agents foster a culturally engaging campus environment to facilitate completion for Latinx students at federally designated Hispanic-serving community colleges in New Jersey. This multicase study focused on institutional agents at two New Jersey community…

Marketing strategy involves selecting a target market and determining the desired product positioning to attract the desired customers (Silk, 2006). Recently, community colleges have seen a decrease in student enrollment. In some cases, this was brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic; in other cases budget constraints have posed challenges to…