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Promoting Culturally Engaging Campus Environments for Undocumented Students: The Role of Institutional Agents

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Promoting Culturally Engaging Campus Environments for Undocumented Students: The Role of Institutional Agents
Language: English
Authors: Cinthya Salazar (ORCID 0000-0002-2584-3376), Cristina Nader, Juan David Velasco Zuñiga, Andrea Romero Viruel
Source: Innovative Higher Education. 2025 50(4):1247-1280.
Availability: Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 34
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Undocumented Immigrants, College Environment, Sense of Belonging, Cultural Relevance, Public Colleges, College Faculty, Teacher Role, Inclusion, School Personnel
Geographic Terms: California, Texas
DOI: 10.1007/s10755-024-09775-9
ISSN: 0742-5627
1573-1758
Abstract: Existing research clearly shows that the experiences of undocumented students are highly dependent on the campus environment and their interactions within the setting (Cisneros et al., 2022 "Journal of Diversity in Higher Education", 15(5), 607-616; Shelton, 2019 "Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice", 56(1), 92-104). It is common for undocumented students to feel ostracized and experience a campus setting that is unwelcoming despite attending college in states that offer them access to in-state resident tuition (ISRT) rates and state financial aid (Negrón-Gonzales, 2017 "Journal of Hispanic Higher Education", 16(2), 105-122; Salazar et al., 2023 "Journal of Hispanic Higher Education", 22(2), 161-174). In this study, we used Museus' (2014) Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) model to examine institutional agents' role in promoting a culturally engaging campus environment for undocumented college students. We used a participatory action research approach and a multiple qualitative case study research design to analyze data from 35 undocumented students attending public universities in California and Texas. The data revealed incongruencies in how faculty affected participants' sense of inclusion via curricula and one-on-one interactions. Furthermore, findings showed how personnel working at undocumented student resource centers promoted equity through culturally responsive practices. Grounded in our findings, we discuss innovative implications for higher education research, policy, and practice, such as including immigration content in the classroom across majors to increase culturally relevant opportunities and facilitate positive student-faculty interactions for undocumented students.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1480386
Database: ERIC
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Abstract:Existing research clearly shows that the experiences of undocumented students are highly dependent on the campus environment and their interactions within the setting (Cisneros et al., 2022 "Journal of Diversity in Higher Education", 15(5), 607-616; Shelton, 2019 "Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice", 56(1), 92-104). It is common for undocumented students to feel ostracized and experience a campus setting that is unwelcoming despite attending college in states that offer them access to in-state resident tuition (ISRT) rates and state financial aid (Negrón-Gonzales, 2017 "Journal of Hispanic Higher Education", 16(2), 105-122; Salazar et al., 2023 "Journal of Hispanic Higher Education", 22(2), 161-174). In this study, we used Museus' (2014) Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) model to examine institutional agents' role in promoting a culturally engaging campus environment for undocumented college students. We used a participatory action research approach and a multiple qualitative case study research design to analyze data from 35 undocumented students attending public universities in California and Texas. The data revealed incongruencies in how faculty affected participants' sense of inclusion via curricula and one-on-one interactions. Furthermore, findings showed how personnel working at undocumented student resource centers promoted equity through culturally responsive practices. Grounded in our findings, we discuss innovative implications for higher education research, policy, and practice, such as including immigration content in the classroom across majors to increase culturally relevant opportunities and facilitate positive student-faculty interactions for undocumented students.
ISSN:0742-5627
1573-1758
DOI:10.1007/s10755-024-09775-9