¿Qué pasa, HSIs?

Nerding out on Governing Boards at HSIs

In this episode we nerd out on all things governance in higher education, with a focus on governing boards and trustees in HSIs. The role of governing boards in advancing servingness is an understudied topic, despite the importance of gaining support from trustees in order to advance equity and social justice goals. Dr. Demetri L. Morgan joins the conversation, bringing a wealth of knowledge on the topic. He is an associate professor of education at the University of Michigan's Marsal Family School of Education in the Center for the Study of Postsecondary and Higher Education. His research focuses on the critical role that higher education institutions play in fostering a diverse democracy and researches the influence of culturally sustaining governance on institutional transformation. In this episode we discuss the crucial role of governing boards in HSIs, talking about an article we published entitled, “Mission-based vs. enrollment-based institutions: Segmented governance at a Catholic Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).” We discuss the intricacies of developing this study and the ways we combined two theoretical frameworks to make sense of the fiduciary duty of obedience that trustees have and the ways they must uphold an historic (Catholic) mission as well as an emerging (HSI) mission.  
Guest: 
Demetri L. Morgan (he, him)
Associate Professor of Education, University of Michigan 
@DMorganPhD
Download the Article (open access):
Garcia, G. A. & Morgan, D. L. (2025). Mission-based vs. enrollment-based institutions: Segmented governance at a Catholic Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). The Review of Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1353/rhe.0.a952249 
APA Citation for this Episode: 
Garcia, G. A. (Host). (2025, March 23). Nerding out on Governing Boards at HSIs (No.605) [Audio podcast episode]. In ¿Qué pasa, HSIs?. https://www.ginaanngarcia.com/podcast/ 
Show Notes:
https://marsal.umich.edu/directory/faculty-staff/demetri-morgan
https://www.aaup.org/programs/academic-freedom/center-defense-academic-freedom/fellows 
Trustees’ handling of Nikole Hannah-Jones’ tenure application shows how university boards often fail the accountability test: https://theconversation.com/trustees-handling-of-nikole-hannah-jones-tenure-application-shows-how-university-boards-often-fail-the-accountability-test-161622
ASHE Presidential Podcast Politics: Governance and Governing Boards 
Morgan, D. L. (2021). Nuancing political identity formation in higher education: A phenomenological examination of precollege socialization, identity, and context. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 14(1), 12–24. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000153 
Rall, R., Morgan, D., & Commodore, F. (2020). Toward culturally sustaining governance in higher education: Best practices of theory research, and practice. Journal of Education Human Resources, 38(1), 139-164. https//doi.org/10.3138/jehr.2019-0006
Morgan, D. L., Rall, R. M., & Commodore, F. (2023). “Getting to where we need to be”: (Re)envisioning postsecondary education through the Equity X Governance paradigm. In L. W. Perna (Ed.), Higher Education: Handbook of Theory & Research (38th ed., pp. 1–62). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-94844-3_8-1

Transformation Teams Leading HSIs

What happens when a group of 15 change agents from across campus come together to build an HSI movement? That was the guiding question for a small grant project funded by the Student Experience Research Network (SERN). With the grant we launched “HSI Transformation Teams” at two community college campuses–Santa Rosa Junior College and Fullerton College. In this episode we talk about how the teams came together to transform HSIs in practice, in community, and with the purpose of fostering collaborative research-practice-policy partnerships. Members of the transformation teams learned about HSI scholarship and engaged in participatory action research to develop action-based solutions to address the most pressing concerns on their campus. Our guests on this episode co-led the transformation teams, offering knowledge on the process, the challenges faced, and the wins experienced over the year. Dr. Robert Holcomb, Vice President of Academic Affairs/Assistant Superintendent at Santa Rosa Junior College, and Dr. Julio Flores, Dean of Counseling & Support Services at Santa Rosa Junior College provide insight into their process and are joined by Dr. Flor Huerta, Dean of Counseling & Student Development at Fullerton College. Listen and learn about what happens when a group of dedicated practitioner-activists ignite servingness.
Guests:
Flor Huerta (​​she/her/ella)
Dean, Counseling and Student Development, Fullerton College
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/flor-huerta-ed-d-049943173
Instagram: @dra.florhuerta
Robert "Bobby" Holcomb (he/him)
Vice President of Academic Affairs/Assistant Superintendent, Santa Rosa Junior College
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robert-holcomb-ph-d-25608620
Instagram: @robert__holcomb
Julio R. Flores (he/him/él)
Dean, Counseling and Support Programs, Santa Rosa Junior College
Attachments / Show notes:
https://academicaffairs.santarosa.edu/

Federal Politics of HSIs Under 47

The new presidential administration took office on January 20th, 2025, launching a new era of federal politics for colleges and universities that many of us are trying to navigate. But how do we move forward when 47’s administration is releasing daily attacks on public education, research, academic freedom, access, and equity? On this episode of ¿Qué pasa, HSIs? we discuss the current federal climate and offer advice for remaining focused on doing good work in solidarity across racial-ethnic groups. Our guest, Dr. Cristóbal Rodríguez, is a policy expert and scholar activist with a track record of advocating for Latine populations. He was appointed in 2022 by President Biden to serve on the White House Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics and Latinos. He shares his experience and some recommendations made by the commission despite it being dismantled as a direct result of one of many executive orders signed by 47. He also talks about state policy implications and the ways we can leverage local governments, policy intermediaries, associations, and state-wide HSI consortia. We don’t have all the answers, but Dr. Rodríguez offers tips on navigating these tumultuous times.
Guest:
Cristóbal Rodríguez (he/him/él)
Associate Provost for Equity, Western Michigan University
Chair, American Association for Hispanics in Higher Education
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cristóbal-rodríguez-25656453 
Instagram: @dktrcrodriguez
Attachments / Show notes: 
Reports by White House Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics and Latinos
https://www.aahhe.org/
Rodríguez, C. (2019). Achievement, politics, and policy shifts: Expert report on achievement for Martínez/Yazzie v. New Mexico. Association of Mexican American Educators Journal, 13(3), 116-138. http://dx.doi.org/10.24974/amae.13.3.455
Rodríguez, C., Martinez, M. A., & Valle, F. (2016). Latino educational leadership across the pipeline: For Latino communities and Latina/o leaders. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 15(2), 136-153. https://doi.org/10.1177/1538192715612914
APA Citation:
Garcia, G. A. (Host). (2025, February 23). Federal Policy and Politics of HSIs (No.603) [Audio podcast episode]. In ¿Qué pasa, HSIs?. https://www.ginaanngarcia.com/podcast/episode/b4693131/federal-politics-of-hsis-under-47

Building a Graduate-Going Culture at HSIs

What is a graduate-going culture? Drawing from the college-going culture research, I define a graduate-going culture as one where faculty, staff, and administrators are dedicated to promoting students’ aspirations for graduate school, including planning and preparation. I argue that HSIs should prioritize building a graduate-going culture that provides students with the awareness, knowledge, and skills needed for pursuing and successfully entering graduate programs, including master’s, doctoral, and professional  programs. This is essential to HSIs where a large percentage of students are first-generation to college and therefore first-generation to graduate school. The development of a graduate-going culture can be liberatory for students of color and first generation students who may not see themselves as graduate students. Moreover, HSIs are relying on the development of stronger pathways for people of color to enter faculty and administrator positions that require graduate degrees. For this conversation I am joined by Dra. Yvette Martínez-Vu, a grad school and productivity certified coach, and Dra. Miroslava Chávez-García, a professor of history and faculty director of the McNair Scholars Program, who wrote the book, Is Grad School For Me?: Demystifying the Application Process for First-Gen BIPOC Students. We discuss the book, which is an accessible, easy-to-read guidebook for first-generation, low-income, students of color interested in pursuing graduate school, and explore the ways that HSIs can use the book and other resources to build a graduate-going culture.
Yvette Martínez-Vu (she/her)
Certified coach, consultant, author, and speaker
Founder of Grad School Femtoring, LLC
Website: www.gradschoolfemtoring.com 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gradschoolfemtoring/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvettemartinezvu/ 
Miroslava Chavez-Garcia (​​she/her)
Professor of History, Faculty Director of the McNair Scholars Program
UC Santa Barbara
Website: https://history.ucsb.edu/faculty/mchavezgarcia/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miroslava-chavez-garcia-779919222/
Attachments / Show Notes: 
https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/podcast/
https://gradschoolfemtoring.com/6-strategies-for-surviving-a-toxic-graduate-school-advisor/ 
https://www.edexcelencia.org/research/publications/hispanic-serving-institutions-with-graduate-programs-ghsis
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/10/03/key-facts-about-us-latinos-with-graduate-degrees/ 
https://www.hispanicoutlook.com/articles/closing-the-gap-pew-study-calls-for-more-latino-graduate-students
Garcia, G. A. & Guzman-Alvarez, A. (2021). Descriptive analysis of graduate enrollment trends at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs): 2005-2015. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 20(2), 196-212. https://doi.org/10.1177/1538192719835681
APA Citation: 
Garcia, G.A. (Host). (2025, February 9). Building a Graduate-Going Culture at HSIs (No.602) [Audio podcast episode]. In ¿Qué pasa, HSIs?. https://www.ginaanngarcia.com/podcast/episode/9be76898/building-a-graduate-going-culture-at-hsis

Liberatory Outcomes in HSIs

We kick off season 6 of ¿Qué pasa, HSIs? with a conversation about advocacy for Latine college students and HSIs. We learn with Dr. Patrick Velasquez, a Chicano educator who serves as Co-Chair of the San Diego Chicano/Latino Concilio on Higher Education and works directly with HSIs in the San Diego region. Patrick is a huge advocate for liberatory outcomes in HSIs and successfully advocated for the addition of an undergraduate, liberatory Institutional Learning Outcome that emphasizes anti-racism and social justice for San Diego State University students. In this episode we talk about the process of ensuring that the campus will commit to liberation as an outcome. We also discuss liberatory education as an essential concept for HSIs, calling attention to the decades of research on diversity, social justice, culture, power, and liberatory pedagogies. 
Attachments / Show notes: 
https://sdclchighered.org/
https://sdclchighered.org/position-papers
Velásquez, P. M. (2024). Cuba’s potential contribution to the success of Chicano students in the U.S.: Directions to decolonize the Raza community. Regeneración: A Xicanacimiento Studies Journal 1, 1. https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/rxsj/vol1/iss1/9 
https://www.higheredjobs.com/blog/postDisplay.cfm?post=2256&blog=28
https://studentexperiencenetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/SERN_Garcia_042122.pdf
Garcia, G. A. (2021). A love letter to HSI grant seekers/implementers and the federal agencies that fund them: Defining servingness in research, practice, & policy. Journal of the Alliance for Hispanic Serving Institution Educators, 1(1), 1-14​.
APA Citation: 
Garcia, G.A. (Host). (2025, January 26). Liberatory Outcomes in HSIs. (No.601) [Audio podcast episode]. In ¿Qué pasa, HSIs?. https://www.ginaanngarcia.com/podcast/

Emerging with Intentionality and Joy: Cal Poly SLO

We conclude season 5 with a conversation on emergence and the active process of becoming a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (SLO) is one of the last institutions in the 23-campus Cal State system to become an HSI. Comparatively, many of the 23 CSUs have been HSIs for over 20 years, which put Cal Poly in an interesting position to act with intention and joy. And that they did. Dr. Beya Makekau, Associate Vice President of Strategic Planning & Networks, and Dr. Denise Isom, Interim Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion, join us for an invigorating conversation about intentionality in this work. They describe how they are flipping the narrative on emergence and leaning into the joy and opportunities of doing important work to bring Latine identities into the campus infrastructure. They also describe strategies for engaging the entire campus community so all members can take responsibility for servingness work. Beya and Denise offer so many ideas, you will definitely need to take notes. UPDATE: Since recording this episode, Cal Poly SLO has reached the 25% eligibility threshold; congratulations to them!!! 
Guests: 
Dr. Beya Makekau (she/her/ella), Associate Vice President of Strategic Planning & Networks, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
www.linkedin.com/in/dr-beya-makekau-23a8ab88
Dr. Denise Isom (she/her), Interim Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Show Notes:
https://diversity.calpoly.edu/hsi
https://mustangnews.net/cal-poly-students-respond-to-the-universitys-efforts-to-becoming-an-hsi/
https://mustangnews.net/cal-poly-is-working-toward-hispanic-serving-institution-status/
APA Citation: 
Garcia, G.A. (Host). (2024, December 15). Emerging with Intentionality and Joy: Cal Poly SLO. (No.510) [Audio podcast episode]. In ¿Qué pasa, HSIs?. https://www.ginaanngarcia.com/podcast/ 

HSIs Enacted Across Space & Time

In this episode of ¿Qué pasa, HSIs? we learn about enacting servingness across space and time. We focus specifically on the similarities and differences of emerging as a community college HSI and a four-year R1 HSI. Yesenia Escobar Mendoza talks about her experience as a counselor at San Jose City College working in a center that was created with a Title V grant and carrying on the HSI legacy over time. She stresses the importance of Title V grants in building a culture of servingness, but believes that the people hired by the grants are even more essential. Elizabeth Gonzalez shares stories of success from UCLA, an emerging HSI, suggesting that her time working at San Jose City College and UC Santa Cruz prepared her to build strategic partnerships across campus at UCLA. She teaches us about the collaboration and strategy necessary to emerge as an intentional HSI. They are joined by Daniela Cortez Bravo who serves as a HSI student liaison at UCLA, bringing student voice to the work and to the podcast. We compare and contrast servingness across spaces and time while honing in on key strategies for success.
Guests: 
Elizabeth Gonzalez (she/her/they), Inaugural HSI Director, UCLA
IG: @Hacia_elsol | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/egonzal5 | Facebook: www.facebook.com/haciaelsol 
Yesenia Escobar Mendoza (she/her/ella), Counselor, San Jose City College 
IG: @yeseniaescobar 
Daniela Anais Cortez Bravo (she/her/hers), HSI Student Liaison, UCLA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniela-cortez/
 
Attachments / Show Notes: 
https://hsi.ucla.edu/
https://ucla.app.box.com/v/HispanicServingInstitution 
@ucla_hsi 
https://sjcc.edu/students/academic-programs/metas/default.aspx 
https://the-roar.net/?p=8995 
APA Citation: 
Garcia, G.A. (Host). (2024, December 1). HSIs Enacted Across Space & Time (No.509) [Audio podcast episode]. In ¿Qué pasa, HSIs?. https://www.ginaanngarcia.com/podcast/  

Stories of Transformation & Healing

Class is in session with Dr. Alexandro Jose Gradilla, an activist professor at Cal State Fullerton who is grounded in liberatory and decolonial praxis. In this episode we learn how to utilize both federal and private foundation grants to enhance servingness with and for Latine undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty. In his words he provides us with a “hometown buffet” of things you can do as a faculty member at an HSI including building pathway programs, designing and developing curriculum, and advocating and changing policies that harm students. Dr. Gradilla shares stories of success in institutional mentoring and building curriculum that serves both the Cal State University system and the California Community College system. He has been a co-PI on Title V, Part B grants that are making an impact and is currently the PI for a Mellon Foundation grant that funded two programs at CSU Fullerton: the Escritores Promotores and the Social Justice and Storytelling Institute Summer Program. Dr. Gradilla is a storyteller, an activist, and a healer with a clear vision for what servingness is and should be. Beware, this episode will ignite your desire to make change on your campus and in your community!
Guest: 
Alexandro Jose Gradilla (El/He), Associate Professor Chicana/o Studies, CSU Fullerton 
IG: @amoxpoa @escritorespromotores | X: @ajgradilla
LinkedIn http://linkedin.com/in/alexandrojosegradilla
APA Citation: 
Garcia, G.A. (Host). (2024, November 17). Stories of Transformation & Healing. (No.508) [Audio podcast episode]. In ¿Qué pasa, HSIs?. https://www.ginaanngarcia.com/podcast/
Attachments / Show notes: 
https://hss.fullerton.edu/latinxlab/storytelling.html
https://hss.fullerton.edu/latinxlab/escritores-promotores/
https://hss.fullerton.edu/chicano/faculty/facultyprofile/a_gradilla.aspx

The New England HSI Movement

Let’s welcome New England to the mic! In this episode we learn about the HSI Movement taking place in Massachusetts and across the New England region. Our guests include Dra. Elisa Castillo, the Assistant Vice President of Hispanic and Minority Serving Initiatives at Salem State University, and Julissa Colón, the Founding Director of El Centro at Holyoke Community College. These mujeres are fierce and claiming their role as leaders in the HSI movement. They describe the New England Hispanic and Minority Serving Institution Conference which was funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Education and talk about the many ways the state is supporting their HSI efforts. Elisa shares the journey of Salem State, an emerging HSI that has laid out a “Roadmap to Servingness” while Julissa contrasts that with the story of Holyoke Community College, one of the first HSIs in the Massachusetts with a longer history of servingness. They talk extensively about the unique identities of the Latines they serve including Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, and Brazillians and describe the need for Caribbean-specific servingness (think, Bad Bunny, Portuguese, and mofongo). The energy in this episode is high and the knowledge-sharing is abundant. Wepa!
Guests: 
Elisa Castillo (she/her/ella)
Assistant Vice President for Hispanic and Minority Serving Initiatives, Salem State University
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisa-castillo-phd-9192384 
Julissa I. Colón (she/her)
Director, El Centro, Holyoke Community College
Facebook: Julissa Colon | Instagram: @jewelsjuliecolon | 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julissa-colón-mpa-9b50981bb/
APA Citation 
Garcia, G. A. (Host). (2024, November 3).  The New England HSI Movement (No.507) [Audio podcast episode]. In ¿Qué pasa, HSIs?. https://www.ginaanngarcia.com/podcast
Attachments / Show notes: 
https://www.salemstate.edu/hsi
https://www.salemstate.edu/hsiconference
https://www.salemstate.edu/sites/default/files/pdfs/The%20SSU%20Roadmap%20to%20Servingness_10_23_WEB.pdf 
https://www.hcc.edu/courses-and-programs/academic-support/el-centro
https://www.masslive.com/news/2023/09/julissa-colon-helps-latinx-students-succeed-at-holyoke-community-college.html 
https://www.hcc.edu/about/news-events-and-media/news-stories/julissa-colon

Research Spotlight: Dual Enrollment & Promise Programs

In this episode of ¿Qué pasa, HSIs? we spotlight empirical research that is relevant to HSIs. Our guest, Rogelio Salazar, is a doctoral candidate in the Higher Education & Organizational Change program at UCLA's School of Education. Guided by critical frameworks and methodologies that center an intersectional lens in interrogating P-16 policy, their research demonstrates how policies, organizational processes, and practitioners can disrupt or exacerbate existing educational inequities. We talk about dual enrollment (DE) and state promise programs, and specifically the ways that racially minoritized students benefit from or are disadvantaged by these programs. We also discuss mentoring practices for Latine students in HSIs, guided by an article published in the Journal of the Alliance of HSI Educators. Throughout this plática Rogelio offers best practices for ensuring that policies advance equity in practice for Latine, Black and first generation students.
Guest: Rogelio Salazar (he/him/el), PhD candidate, UCLA
Social Media: 
X: _rogeliosalazar
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogeliosalazar007/ 
Website: https://linktr.ee/rogeliosalazar
APA Citation: 
Garcia, G. A. (Host). (2024, October 20). Research Spotlight: Dual Enrollment & Promise Programs. (No. 506) [Audio podcast episode]. In ¿Qué pasa, HSIs?. https://www.ginaanngarcia.com/podcast/
Attachments/Show Notes: 
Salazar, R. (2024). Working towards an equitable future in California dual enrollment programs. UC Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher Education. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8682z75j
Salazar, R. (2023). An analysis of statewide college promise programs: Towards a racially equitable future. In D. A. Smith, C. M. Cain, J. N. Friedel (Eds.), New Directions for Community Colleges (p. 111-127). https://doi.org/10.1002/cc.20591 
Salazar, R. (2021). Mentorship experiences of Latino students among university mentors of color in a California State University Hispanic Serving Institution. Journal of the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institution Educators, 1(1), 15-35.