The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded Florida State University $299,659 for an impactful project led by Dr. Faye R. Jones, Associate Faculty Researcher at the College of Communication and Information (CCI), Dr. Marcia A. Mardis, Professor at the School of Information, CCI Associate Dean Ebe Randeree, and project evaluator Dr. Lara Perez-Felkner, Professor in Higher Education at the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences.
Entitled “BCP-DP: HSI (R)evolución: Building Authenticity at Institutions Emerging to Serve Latiné Students,” the project aims to understand transitioning from an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution (eHSI) to a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). The focus is on developing frameworks that promote cultural authenticity and responsive practices, particularly within Computing, Information Science, and Engineering (CISE) fields. This project is also advised by distinguished researchers from two NSF Centers to Broaden Participation in Computing (BPC), the STARS Alliance and the Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI), and CCI’s Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication (CHMC).
Jones emphasized the importance of the project, explaining that the low representation of Latiné students and faculty in CISE has many human, social, economic, and political implications for students, educational institutions, and our nation. “Only 0.1% of faculty in computing and engineering are Latinos, making it nearly impossible for technological advances to reflect the needs of 1/5th of the U.S. population, and the nation’s largest minority, which is inclusive of all racial groups,” Jones added.
Through this project, Dr. Jones indicated the research team will visit current HSIs to gather data about successful strategies for serving Latiné students. These insights will inform the creation of a “servingness” toolkit to share with 412 current eHSI leaders designed by an expert group of researchers, educators, and practitioners. With the toolkit, educational leaders can authentically serve Latiné students and better understand how to build a culture of belongingness. These efforts will have nationwide reach since eHSI exist in 43 U.S. states including Alabama, Hawaii, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, and not just geographically concentrated HSI states such as California, Texas, Puerto Rico, New York, and Florida.
“HSIs are not cookie-cutter institutions,” said Jones. “The toolkit will allow institutions to adopt and adapt strategies best suited to their unique communities and educational missions.”
Highlighting Florida’s Latiné population, which makes up nearly 27% of the state, Jones underscored the need for institutions to reflect and support Latiné values, whether in language, cultural representation, or academic opportunities. “Servingness means that Latiné students can come to campus and feel that they belong, that they can express themselves freely in English or Spanish and be understood.” An HSI should constantly be monitoring institutional measures that support the success of all students, faculty, and staff, and especially those that are a part of their institutional designation.
“I earned all of my degrees at FSU, and I am where I am right now because of a community of Seminoles who cared and whose support I knew I could count on,” added Jones.
Looking forward, Jones sees the potential for FSU to extend this outreach beyond the United States, connecting with Latin American students, faculty, and professionals through research and exchange programs. “As a premier research institution in Florida, we are well-positioned to become a national leader in expanding Latiné participation in STEM education,” she stated. “We’re building more than pathways; we’re creating a community that celebrates inclusive excellence and supports the next generation of Latiné computer scientists, information specialists, and engineers.”
HSI (R)evolución will also air a video podcast series of HSIs nationally and prominent Latiné leaders in computing, research, education, and servingness. Stay tuned!
