Defining Servingness: Understanding How HSIs Truly Serve Latinx Students

Introduction

The American higher education landscape is rapidly diversifying, with Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) at the forefront of this change. As highlighted in the American Council on Education’s Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education report, HSIs are experiencing significant growth, largely driven by the increasing enrollment of Latinx students. These institutions, defined by a minimum 25% undergraduate Latinx enrollment, now represent the largest and fastest-growing segment of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), enrolling a substantial 66% of all Latinx students nationwide.

However, the designation of HSI status, based purely on enrollment numbers, begs a critical question: Does simply enrolling Latinx students equate to truly serving them? This essay delves into the complex concept of “servingness,” arguing that it transcends mere enrollment and requires a multidimensional understanding of how HSIs can effectively cater to the unique needs of their diverse student populations. The idea of servingness, as conceptualized by Garcia, Núñez, and Sansone (2019), moves beyond numerical representation to explore the practical and philosophical dimensions of genuinely supporting Latinx student success.

The Elusive Definition of Servingness

Defining “servingness” within the context of HSIs is not straightforward. The federal definition of an HSI is primarily quantitative, hinging on the percentage of Latinx undergraduate students enrolled. This definition, rooted in the Higher Education Act, focuses predominantly on student demographics—specifically Latinx and low-income status—while offering minimal guidance on the institutional practices that constitute “serving” these students effectively. Consequently, HSIs are often left to independently interpret and implement what servingness means in practice.

One common approach to defining servingness, particularly for HSIs, is through grant-seeking. Federal agencies like the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Science Foundation offer grants aimed at enhancing HSIs’ capacity to serve their students. While these grants provide resources and a framework for improvement, they also present a paradox. Although agencies share broad goals of expanding institutional capacity and boosting student achievement, the specific activities and definitions of servingness are largely determined by the grant programs themselves and the institutions applying. This autonomy allows HSIs to tailor their approaches but simultaneously hinders the development of a unified, universally accepted definition of servingness.

Furthermore, the inherent diversity within the Latinx student population and across different HSIs complicates the quest for a singular definition. Latinx students are not monolithic; they encompass a wide array of nationalities, including Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, and many others, each with distinct cultural backgrounds and experiences. HSIs also serve students from various socioeconomic backgrounds, immigration histories, and levels of college preparedness, as well as other racial and ethnic groups. This diversity underscores that a one-size-fits-all approach to servingness is unlikely to be effective.

Adding another layer of complexity is the diversity among HSIs themselves. Nearly half are two-year institutions, which naturally have different missions and student bodies compared to four-year universities. Sector also plays a role, with roughly 70% of HSIs being public and 30% private, leading to variations in funding models, governance, and institutional priorities. These institutional differences necessitate context-specific approaches to servingness, making a universal definition even more challenging to achieve.

Despite these challenges, the need to define and understand servingness is crucial. HSIs are increasingly vital for providing not just access but also pathways to graduation and upward mobility for Latinx students. Recognizing the multidimensional nature of servingness is the first step toward developing effective strategies and practices.

The Multidimensionality of Servingness

Given the difficulties in creating a simple definition, a more nuanced understanding of servingness is needed. The Multidimensional Conceptual Framework of Servingness, developed by Garcia, Núñez, and Sansone (2019), offers a valuable lens. This framework posits that servingness is not a singular concept but rather a multifaceted construct comprising both indicators of serving and structures for serving.

Indicators of Serving: Measuring Impact

Indicators of serving are the measurable outcomes that reflect how well an HSI is serving its students. These indicators fall into two broad categories: academic and nonacademic outcomes.

Academic Outcomes: These are the traditionally measured metrics of student success, including:

• Persistence and Retention: Students staying enrolled from semester to semester and year to year.
• Graduation Rates: The percentage of students completing their degree programs.
• Transfer Rates: For two-year HSIs, the success of students transferring to four-year institutions.
• Course Completion Rates: Students successfully finishing their enrolled courses.
• STEM Degree Completion: Particularly emphasized by federal agencies, success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.
• Labor Market Outcomes: Students’ success in finding employment and career advancement after graduation.

While crucial, focusing solely on academic outcomes provides an incomplete picture of servingness.

Nonacademic Outcomes: These encompass the broader aspects of student development and well-being that contribute significantly to their overall success, including:

• Academic Self-Concept: Students’ beliefs in their academic abilities and potential.
• Leadership Identity Development: Cultivating students’ leadership skills and aspirations.
• Racial Identity Development: Supporting students in understanding and affirming their racial and ethnic identities.
• Critical Consciousness: Developing students’ awareness of social justice issues and their role in addressing them.
• Graduate School Aspirations: Encouraging and preparing students for advanced studies.
• Civic Engagement: Fostering students’ involvement in their communities and democratic processes.

Research indicates that nonacademic outcomes are profoundly important for the academic success of Latinx students. Moreover, HSIs have shown particular strength in fostering these nonacademic outcomes, further highlighting their importance in the context of servingness.

Student Experiences: Beyond outcomes, the daily experiences of students on campus are also critical indicators of servingness. Positive and validating experiences are essential and include:

• Sense of Belonging: Feeling accepted, valued, and connected to the campus community.
• Positive Interactions: Meaningful and supportive interactions with peers, faculty, and staff, particularly those from similar racial and ethnic backgrounds or who speak Spanish.
• Mentoring and Support Programs: Access to programs designed to guide and support students’ academic and personal growth.
• Cultural Signifiers: Visible representations of Latinx culture on campus, such as art, events, and inclusive spaces, that create a welcoming and affirming environment.

Conversely, negative experiences, such as discrimination, racial microaggressions, and a lack of validation, undermine servingness. Therefore, assessing and improving student experiences is a vital component of defining and enacting servingness.

Structures for Serving: Institutional Transformation

Structures for serving represent the organizational elements and institutional frameworks that enable HSIs to effectively serve Latinx students. These structures often require significant transformation to become truly student-serving. Key structures include:

• Mission and Purpose Statements: Explicitly acknowledging and prioritizing the HSI identity and commitment to serving Latinx students in the institution’s guiding statements. Many HSIs currently focus more broadly on access and diversity without specifically highlighting their HSI status or Latinx student focus in their mission.
• HSI Grant Activities: Strategically leveraging grant funding to develop and implement programs that directly address the needs of Latinx students and align with servingness principles. It is crucial that grant proposals and funded activities are intentionally designed to serve Latinx students and address racial equity.
• Decision-Making Processes: Ensuring that decision-making processes are inclusive, equitable, and consider the perspectives and needs of Latinx students at all levels of the institution.
• Equity-Minded Leadership Practices: Cultivating leadership that is committed to equity, understands systemic barriers, and actively works to create a more just and inclusive campus environment.
• Policies: Reviewing and revising institutional policies to ensure they are equitable and support the success of Latinx students, addressing potential biases and barriers.
• Curricular and Co-curricular Structures: Developing and implementing culturally relevant and responsive curricula and co-curricular programs that reflect the diverse backgrounds and experiences of Latinx students. Transformations should be systemic rather than isolated initiatives.
• Institutional Advancement Activities: Engaging in fundraising and development efforts that prioritize initiatives aimed at serving Latinx students and strengthening the institution’s HSI identity.
• Compositional Diversity: Increasing the representation of Latinx faculty, staff, administrators, and graduate students across all levels of the institution. Diversity in personnel is crucial for creating a supportive and culturally competent environment for Latinx undergraduates.
• Community Engagement: Building strong partnerships with the surrounding Latinx communities to create mutually beneficial relationships and ensure the institution is responsive to community needs.

Transforming these structures is essential for HSIs to move beyond simply enrolling Latinx students to genuinely serving them.

Servingness in Action: Practical Examples

To illustrate how servingness translates from theory to practice, Excelencia in Education’s “Growing What Works” database provides valuable examples of HSI programs and initiatives. This online resource showcases programs that effectively transform structures to enhance indicators of serving. Here are a few examples:

California State University, Dominguez Hills: Encuentro Hacia el Exito (Encounter to Excellence)

CSU Dominguez Hills implemented “Encuentro Hacia el Exito,” supported by an HSI Title V grant, to improve retention rates for academically underprepared Latinx students. This program offers a summer bridge component and ongoing support services. Early data indicate higher first-year retention rates for program participants compared to non-participants. Here, first-year retention rates serve as an academic indicator of serving, while the summer program and support services represent structures for serving.

University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP): Center for Community Engagement

UTEP’s Center for Community Engagement focuses on connecting students and faculty with community-based activities that promote civic engagement and student learning. Through internships and service-learning projects, students have demonstrated increased self-confidence and commitment to social change. The Center for Community Engagement acts as a structure for serving, enhancing nonacademic outcomes such as leadership development, self-concept, and critical consciousness.

CUNY Lehman College: Multilingual Journalism and Mass Communication Program

CUNY Lehman College’s Multilingual Journalism and Mass Communication Program trains journalists to meet the needs of a multicultural and multilingual society. Offering courses in ethnic media, marketing, and bilingual journalistic writing, the program boasts graduates working in major media companies. This program exemplifies transforming curricular structures to serve Latinx and multilingual students. Labor market outcomes for graduates serve as indicators of serving, demonstrating the program’s impact.

Valencia College: DirectConnect to UCF

Valencia College’s DirectConnect partnership with the University of Central Florida (UCF) and other Central Florida colleges aims to increase transfer and degree completion rates for Latinx students. The program provides preferential admission to UCF, joint advising, and aligned course offerings. Valencia College has seen an increase in Latinx students transferring to UCF due to this initiative. Successful transfer rates are the academic indicator, while shared advising and articulation agreements are structures for serving within the DirectConnect program.

These examples demonstrate diverse approaches to servingness in practice, highlighting the importance of context-specific strategies and the integration of both indicators and structures for serving.

Recommendations for HSI Leadership

To effectively define and enact servingness, HSI leaders should consider the following recommendations:

1. Leverage Grant Opportunities Strategically: Utilize HSI grant opportunities to foster institutional dialogue and planning around servingness. Embrace and articulate the value of the HSI identity as a core institutional strength and commitment.
2. Adopt a Race-Conscious Approach: Define and implement servingness through a race-conscious lens, creating a campus environment that affirms the race, ethnicity, language, and cultural experiences of Latinx and other minoritized students.
3. Embrace Student Diversity: Recognize and value the diversity within the student body, seeking ways to identify, acknowledge, and build upon the cultural wealth and knowledge students bring to campus.
4. Prioritize and Measure Broad Outcomes: Measure a range of academic and nonacademic outcomes to gain a comprehensive understanding of servingness and student success.
5. Proactively Address Racial Inequity: Actively work to prevent negative racialized experiences on campus through ongoing anti-racism training for faculty and staff and by implementing equitable policies and practices.
6. Transform Institutional Structures: Commit to transforming all institutional structures—governance, leadership, curriculum, policies, and community engagement—to enhance the institution’s capacity to serve students equitably.

Conclusion

In conclusion, as race and ethnicity remain critical factors in higher education access and outcomes, and as the Latinx student population continues to grow, HSIs will remain essential institutions. However, simply enrolling Latinx students is insufficient. True servingness requires a transformative approach where HSIs actively cultivate their racial-ethnic identity and strive for equitable experiences and outcomes for their students. HSI leaders must embrace this challenge, transforming their institutions to genuinely serve Latinx students by empowering faculty, staff, and students to drive meaningful change. While progress is evident in existing HSI initiatives, sustained and widespread commitment to servingness is crucial to fully realizing the potential of these vital institutions.

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