Serving Undocumented Latino/a Students – Understanding Campus Climate Leslie Jo Shelton, Ph.D. University of Arkansas [email protected] @LeslieJoShelton Research Questions How do undocumented Latina@ college students demonstrate resilience as they navigate higher education? 1. How does being undocumented shape a student’s college experience? 2. What factors contribute to overcoming challenges these students encounter in higher education? Definitions and Terminology Latino/a Undocumented Resilience Critical Race Theory (CRT) and LatCrit Campus Climate Study Background   Problem Statement   65,000 undocumented U.S. high school graduates a year (American Immigration Council, 2011)   7,000-13,000 undocumented students enrolled in college in the U.S. (Educators for Fair Consideration, 2012)   Policy; Awareness; Dehumanizing and Silencing   Significance   Economic, Ethical, and Humanistic   Purpose of Study and Contributions   Student narrativesà Fill gaps in literature à Raising awareness and informing practice Policy Context www.americasquarterly.org Study Background   Literature Review   Immigration and Higher Education Policy   Design   16 participants   Seeking participants   Two rounds of semi-structured interviews   Skype audio/phone   Various four-year PWIs across the U.S.   Counter stories Findings: Perceptions of Campus Climate   Desire for “typical college experience”   Social interactions   [White students] “…just didn’t want anything with me. Like they’d just turn around and walk away or, you know, they’d say really rude things as well. A lot of racist comments. I just kinda got used to it…” -Zoe   Coming out   “Sometimes when you tell some people, you know, their perspective changes about you and they think less of me, and sometimes they don’t even want to talk to you.” -Alexa   Other undocumented students   College “wasn’t a friendly environment,” but I “made it through the environment because of the people I surrounded myself with.” -Maria Discussion and Implications   Campus Climate   Sense of belonging and mattering   Microaggressions   Campus Services   Identity-based spaces   Educator skills   Ethic of Care   Grounded in voice and relationships   Student affairs values Suggestions for Practice   Educator efforts   Raising awareness   Training   Resources   Support network   Ethic of care   University resources         Personnel Peer and educator mentor programs Physical spaces Inclusive practices   Benchmarking and Surveys Limitations   Interview Method: Skype or phone vs. Face to face   Heavy presence of students from states like CA   Various levels of “out” with status   Identity-based differences between interviewer and participants Future Research   Longitudinal study of original participants   Diversify sample   Collaborations with K-12 regarding educational pipeline Thank you! Leslie Jo Shelton, Ph.D. University of Arkansas [email protected] @LeslieJoShelton