FEBRUARY 10, 2014
www.HispanicOutlook.com
Inequality at Four-Year Colleges
VOLUME 24 • NUMBER 09
Texas Consortium Helps Latino Males
by Carlos D. Conde
LATINO KALEIDOSCOPE
About the Poor, Jesus Said
ccording to Matthew 26:11, Jesus said: “The poor you will AHealways have with you but you will not always have me.” also said in Deuteronomy 15:11, “For there will never
cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you saying you shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and the poor in your land.” Fast Forward – way forward – to President Lyndon B. Johnson in his first State of the Union message in 1964, and like most politicians, he may have viewed himself as a latterday savior but he wasn’t in the category of our Redeemer. Nevertheless. “This administration here and now declares war on poverty in America, The richest nation on earth can afford to win it. We cannot afford to lose it.” Fifty years later, the war continues and it’s hard to say if we’re winning or losing considering the pile of money and rhetoric that has been poured into it. Succeeding presidents have taken up the challenge, all with mixed results. President Nixon created his anti-poverty agency which lasted a little longer than he did. With poverty still dancing all around him, an unenthused President Reagan famously said,“In the 60s, we waged a war on poverty and poverty won.” President Clinton’s Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 to “end welfare as we know it” didn’t do it. Fifty years later, President Obama observed the anniversary of Johnson’s declaration without ceremony and with an acknowledgment that maybe the Good Lord and the other gods were right. Struggling they may be, the poor are still among us in greater numbers as the president declared, and anti-poverty challenges may be turning out to be a bummer. Or to paraphrase Alabama Gov. George Wallace’s famous anti- civil rights declaration, we may have welfare yesterday, welfare today and welfare forever. “In the richest nation on earth, far too many children are still born into poverty and far too few have a fair shot to escape it and Americans of all races and backgrounds experience wages and incomes that aren’t rising, making it harder to share in the opportunities a growing economy produces,” stated President Obama. It sounds like an oblique suggestion that as dreadful as it seems, someone has to be poor and those poor individuals will always be amongst us.
Being poor is a relative sort of thing. Some people in Africa or Latin America may still live in abject poverty but in the U.S. it’s more of a societal comparison between the haves and have- nots that cuts across all segments of the American mosaic but more among the minorities. A college kid can be living on an income below the poverty rate but actually be very comfortable thanks to parents and other sources. Very few people in the U.S. actually starve to death but they do go hungry due to the inability to afford food. Poverty is more a source of deprivation, particularly among the neglected segments of our society. A valiant effort has been made in confronting it as our leaders tell us although the figures defy the commitment when there are still a lot of poor folks suffering the pangs of poverty. About 50 million Americans live below the poverty line which the federal government defined in 2013 as an annual income of $23,550 for a family of four. Twenty six percent of Hispanics live below the poverty line compared to national average of 14.3 percent. Cubans have the lowest poverty levels at 16.2 percent and Dominicans the highest at 28.8 percent. The percentage of Latinos living in poverty is a mixed bag but it is among the highest, if not the highest when you include the number of illegal residents. Predictably and particularly in Washington, no one can agree on how to pursue this eternal battle of destitution. Republican leader, Paul Ryan, says the poor don’t need more programs which adversely affect the poor. They need reforms. “Despite trillions of dollars in spending, 47 million Americans still live in poverty today. And the reason is simple: Poverty isn’t just a form of deprivation; it’s a form of isolation.”
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Carlos D. Conde, award-winning journalist and commentator, former Washington and foreign news correspondent, was an aide in the Nixon White House and worked on the political campaigns of George Bush Sr. To reply to this column, contact Cdconde@aol.com.
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MAGAZINE® FEBRUARY 10, 2014
CONTENTS
Inequality Growing at Public Four-Year Colleges by Angela Provitera McGlynn
Page 8
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10 Latino Education Conference Focuses on Teachers, Parents and STEM by Michelle Adam 12 American Dream Vanishing for Today’s First-Generation College Grads by Frank DiMaria
Bilingualism and Cultural Identidad as Pathway to STEM by Paul Hoogeveen
Page 10
Texas Consortium Launches Initiative to Help Latino Males by Marilyn Gilroy
You can download the HO app Page 14
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Published by “The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Publishing Company, Inc.”
Executive Editor – Marilyn Gilroy
Managing Editor – Suzanne López-Isa News & Special Project Editor – Mary Ann Cooper
Administrative Assistant & Subscription Coordinator – Barbara Churchill
Washington DC Bureau Chief – Peggy Sands Orchowski
Contributing Editors –
Carlos D. Conde, Michelle Adam
Contributing Writers –
Gustavo A. Mellander
Art & Production Director –
DEPARTMENTS
Latino Kaleidoscope
Avedis Derbalian
3
by Carlos D. Conde
About the Poor, Jesus Said
Interesting Reads
Book Review
by Mary Ann Cooper
Uncensored
by Nydia C. Sánchez
by Peggy Sands Orchowski
Targeting Higher Education
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16 17 20
Language, Legal Obstacles and Hispanics in America
Disadvantage: Hispanics
by Miquela Rivera
Angel M. Rodríguez
Article Contributors
Frank DiMaria, Paul Hoogeveen, Angela Provitera McGlynn, Miquela Rivera, Nydia C. Sánchez
Editorial Policy
The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine® is a national magazine. Dedicated to exploring issues related to Hispanics in higher education,The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine® is published for the members of the higher education community. Editorial decisions are based on the editors’ judgment of the quality of the writing, the timeliness of the article, and the potential interest to the readers of The Hispanic Outlook Magazine®. From time to time, The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine® will publish articles dealing with controversial issues. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and/or those interviewed and might not reflect the official policy of the magazine. The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine® neither agrees nor disagrees with those ideas expressed, and no endorsement of those views should be inferred unless specifically identified as officially endorsed by The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine®.
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Sagrado: A Photopoetics Across the Chicano Homeland
Scholars’ Corner
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Back Cover
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Esquina E ditorial
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naction and fear are two of the most powerful negative forces in life, so it’s not surprising that these two forces profoundly affect higher education in the United States. As we report in this issue of HO, Latino males have fallen significantly behind in college enrollment and graduation rates. Research shows that fewer than two in five bachelor’s degrees attained by Hispanics are earned by males. At the associate’s degree level, males earned only 37.5 percent of twoyear degrees conferred on Hispanics as compared to 62.5 percent earned by females. That’s a classic example of inaction, not only on the part of the student, but also on the part of the student’s family and advisors in not motivating and educating him to make better choices. The good news is more attention is being paid to Latinos, especially in places like Texas where a statewide initiative called “Texas Education Consortium for Male Students of Color” has been developed to encourage Texas higher education institutions to create “male-focused student programs” to increase the success of minority male students. In terms of fear, the economic downturn in the United States has created a sense of despair, especially among minorities, who are starting to believe the American Dream is out of reach for them. Also in this issue, we explore these fears in our report on Jennifer M. Silva’s new book Coming Up Short: Working-Class Adulthood in an Age of Uncertainty. The one thing that dispels inaction and fear is enlightenment. The more informed we are and the more we impart that information to others in each issue of HO, the less influence inaction and fear have in society. That continues to be our goal. ¡Adelante! Suzanne López-Isa Managing Editor
The Hispanic Outlook, with an elite targeted audience of academics on college campuses across America, has been serving the higher education community for 24 years. Focusing like a laser beam on Hispanics in higher ed online and digitally, our exposure is now global. Visit us online or download our free app for your iPad, iPhone or Android devices.
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Interesting Reads
Memories of a Ballplayer: Bill Werber and Baseball in the 1930s by Bill Werber and C. Paul Rogers III Bill Werber’s claim to fame was unique: he had a direct connection to the 1927 Yankees’ “Murderers’ Row,” a team hailed by many as the best of all time. Werber played with or against some of the most productive hitters of all time, including Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio. Rich in anecdotes and humor, Memories of a Ballplayer is a cleareyed memoir of the world of big-league baseball in the 1930s. 2000. 250 pp. ISBN: 978-0910137843. $14.95 paper. Society for American Baseball Research, Phoenix, Ariz., (800) 969-7227, www.sabr.org Tejano Empire: Life on the South Texas Ranchos by Dr. Andres Tijerina (Author), Ricardo M. Beasley (Illustrator), Servando G. Hinojosa (Illustrator) Texans of Mexican descent built a unique and highly developed ranching culture that thrived in South Texas until the 1880s. In Tejano Empire historian Andrés Tijerina describes the major elements that gave the Tejano ranch community its identity. After the introduction’s historical overview of the region, the chapters address specific elements of the lives people led in the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas: work ways and tools, housing and ranch layouts, family networks and authority patterns, education and the arts, religion and daily prayer. 2008. 192 pp. ISBN: 978-1603440516. $19.95 paper. Texas A&M University Press, Galveston, Texas, (979) 8451436. www.tamu.edu/upress. Never Fade Away by William Hart At a state university in mid-1980s Los Angeles, freshman English routinely turns ethnic minority and immigrant students into ex-students – until an untenured instructor bucks the system. Hart takes on a relationship between a student and a teacher, which begins when a Vietnamese student signs up for an ESL language course taught by a Vietnam vet with a negative outlook on life. Stories of her life, dovetailing with his own experiences in the war, change his life. 2002. 208 pp. ISBN: 978-1564743862. $12.95 paper. Daniel & Daniel Publishers, McKinleyville, Calif., (707) 8393495; www.danielpublishing.com/
Sagrado: A Photopoetics Across the Chicano Homeland by Spencer R. Herrera, Robert Kaiser and Levi Romero 2013. 160 pp, University of New Mexico Press, ISBN: 9780826353542. $29.95.
We
tend to designate places of worship or shrines to the dearly departed as sacred places. Every place else is just that – every place else. If you draw nothing more from a book such as Sagrado: A Photopoetics Across the Chicano Homeland it is that there is spirituality and sacredness in any place where members of society, however few they might be, come together in a common task. The term sagrado comes from the term un lugar sagrado, meaning a sacred place. Its existence where two or more are gathered in the name of community is a testament to a Hispanic heritage that seeks out ways to sanctify even the most ordinary tasks to give them meaning and to draw strength from the sense of belonging and community they foster. The poetic images found in this book will stay with you long after you finish reading it. One of the book’s biggest fans is Rudolfo Anaya, author of Bless Me, Ultima. He offered high praise for the authors. “Sagrado’s three talented artists represent the best in contemporary Chicano poetry, art and history. One of the most important books I've read recently.”And Anaya isn’t alone in his accolades. Author Sandra Cisneros sums up Sagrado perfectly noting “These poems are photos, these photos are poems.” As powerful as the writing is, it is the collection of photos that are touching and inspiring, but also haunting at the same time. Hispanics are seen in all walks of life. We see them everywhere and anywhere. They can be seen at a charro arena behind a rock quarry, on the pilgrimage trail to Chimayó, a curandero’s shrine in South Texas, or at a binational Mass along the border. The thing about these sagrados is that they have no agenda. Through the photos, prose and poems the sagrados in this books are moments frozen in time which take readers in a journey across the Chicano Southwest. It exposes life the way it is and celebrates a people undaunted by circumstance or the upheaval and changes they face regularly. The portrait painted of the people on the pages of this book is one of resignation, but at the same time, determination. They seem at times weary and at other times hopeful. It’s clear that the bond that unites them is a community that is ever-evolving and adapting while remaining loyal and true to their close-knit society. The authors of Sagrado are Spencer R. Herrera, who is an associate professor of Spanish at New Mexico State University; Robert Kaiser who is a freelance photographer in Las Cruces, N.M.; and Levi Romero, native of Embudo, N.M., who is author of two collections of poetry, A Poetry of Remembrance: New and Rejected Works (2008) and In the Gathering of Silence(1996). Romero was awarded the honorary post of New Mexico Centennial Poet Laureate in 2012. His cultural studies work focuses on cultural landscapes and sustainable building methodologies of northern New Mexico. He teaches in the Chicana and Chicano studies program at the University of New Mexico. Reviewed by Mary Ann Cooper
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Inequality Growing at Public Four-Year Colleges REPORTS
We
by Angela Provitera McGlynn
know that private elite institutions are mostly inaccessible to low-income students, and to a slightly lesser degree, minority students – and that has been their history. In the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce publication titled, Separate and Unequal: How Higher Education Reinforces Intergenerational Reproduction of White Racial Privilege, Anthony Carnevale and Jeff Strohl describe the polarization found in higher education. Essentially, the data showed that Hispanic and black students were greatly underrepresented according to their share in the college-age population in America’s top 468 schools. Carnevale and Strohl say that top school graduates, predominantly white, have much better chances of attending graduate school and having better economic outcomes. They say that Hispanic and black students are much more likely to enroll in overcrowded, underfunded, open-access community colleges where the graduation rates are extremely low with more students leaving with a certificate or an associate’s degree if any credential, with few transferring to four-year institutions, few going on to graduate school, and needless to say, few unlikely to reap the economic benefits of their more elite cohort. This data is not all that surprising since we know that the most elite colleges are very costly and spend their resources on the best and the brightest – translation, the best prepared students by virtue of their socioeconomic status. The lack of economic diversity among elite institutions is old news. It is disheartening to note that the strongest impact on SAT scores is the socioeconomic status of students’ families. What is somewhat surprising and very distressing is that four-year public col8
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leges, the traditional haven for middleclass and poorer students, are moving in the same direction as elite institutions. Concern for their rankings and short-fall funding from their states have pushed these institutions toward offering scholarship money to wealthier students rather than to needier students. The Chronicle of Higher Education in conjunction with ProPublica has
State colleges and universities have always offered the most affordable educations other than two-year community colleges. When these four-year institutions raise their tuitions, as many have had to do because of underfunding by states, if they don’t offer financial aid to low-income students, those students might be “squeezed out” of higher education entirely. And this decline in stu-
THE DECLINE IN GRANTS TO LOW-INCOME STUDENTS Portion of institutional grants given to students in the lowest and highest income quartiles.
34% 30%
29% 26%
25% 23%
22% 19%
19%
16%
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
Students in the lowest quartile of income Students in the highest quartile of income
Source: ProPublica analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education National Postsecondary Student Aid Study
published an article entitled, “The Quest by Public Colleges for Revenue and Prestige Squeezes Needy Students.” Public universities, which enroll far more students than elite private colleges, have shifted their priorities and funding away from low-income students. From 1996 through 2012, the past 16 years, public colleges and universities have been given a declining portion of grants, measured by both number of grants and dollar amounts, to students in the lowest quartile of family income despite the recession beginning in 2008 which hit this demographic the hardest. 0 2 / 1 0 / 2 0 1 4
dent aid for the needy corresponds with the growing numbers of students in the low-income bracket. Analyzing Pell Grant data, Thomas G. Mortenson, a senior scholar at the nonprofit Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education, found that over two decades, four-year state institutions have been educating a shrinking portion of the nation’s lowestincome students. Those students have increasingly fallen to the nation’s vastly underfunded community colleges and to the controversial for-profit colleges. Community College Week recently
showed a table of Pell Grants based on the Congressional Budget Office that supports Mortenson’s findings. Showing the trend from the 2008-09 academic year to the 2012-13 academic year, after a period of rapid growth in Pell grants, the last two years have shown a slow-down. With shrinking federal Pell Grant money and four-year public colleges offering more money to wealthier students, the gap between the haves and the have-nots can only grow. The motivations of four-year public colleges to go in this direction are multifaceted. Some college officials defend the policy of attracting more students with monetary resources saying they will have more revenue to offer needy students. That might be part of the picture. However, Dean Donald E. Heller of Michigan State University’s College of Education said in The Chronicle of Higher Education, “But I don’t think that’s really the motivating behavior for many institutions. The more dominant motivating behavior is interest in highachieving students, which will help them with their institutional prestige.” So the two predominant motivations are that some institutions are trying to raise their academic images and other public colleges are trying to raise revenue – and many institutions are trying to accomplish both goals. To reach their goals, colleges offer aid to wealthier students, particularly out-of-state students who will have to pay higher tuition or they offer aid to high-achieving students to boost their rankings. Modeling after private college practices, public colleges are engaging in what has been called “financial-aid leveraging.” The Chronicle-ProPublica article explains the process this way: Instead of offering a needy student a sum of $12,000 which will be the only package that will allow that student to attend the college, the institution divides the money among four students, offering each $3,000. These students are less financially needy but each provide higher SAT scores and more tuition dollars than the needier student would have. Now the college has more revenue and can go up in the college-ranking system so as to attract other wealthier and high test score students, and there is an additional benefit. They have now
enhanced the probability that those students they have accepted will graduate and graduation rates are increasingly being used as accountability for funding. Anthony Carnevale points to the accountability movement, an effort by states to reform higher education by linking funding for public colleges to student outcomes and graduation rates, as one of the factors driving colleges to admit high-achieving wealthier students. The federal government is following suit hoping to tie funding to academic performance measures. Carnevale says that unless policymakers create incentives to enroll and support underserved populations of students, colleges could be driven further away from educating low-
However, the trend discussed in the Chronicle-ProPublica analysis is helping to promote an already inequitable higher education system. In the past, higher education was a stepping stone for upward mobility, part of the American Dream. Although where one starts in life, whether born into a lower-class family or a middleclass, upper-middle class, or wealthy family, has always promoted or constrained opportunity, at least getting a college degree once meant there was greater potential for success and movement. If public four-year colleges and universities continue to become elitist institutions interested in educating only those born into privilege, it does more than adversely affect the poor. As a nation, we
Public universities, which enroll far more students
than elite private colleges, have shifted their priorities and funding away from low-income students.
income and minority college students. This financial-aid leveraging practice is so widespread it can be found in many institutions’ strategic planning documents where they state as a goal “becoming more selective each year and aligning financial aid to better attract top students.” It is understandable that many public institutions are scrambling for resources as states continue to cut funds for higher education. It is also reasonable to expect colleges to fulfill their missions not only providing access to college but also promoting quality educations for their students and increasing graduation rates. Accountability does have a role to play in funding. 0 2 / 1 0 / 2 0 1 4
will not thrive in a global economy where the fastest growing demographic groups are low-income young people coming from predominantly Hispanic and African-American backgrounds who are being left behind by a society not invested in their academic and career success. Angela Provitera McGlynn, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, is an international consultant/presenter on teaching, learning, and diversity issues and the author of several related books.
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CONFERENCES
Latino Education Conference Focuses on Teachers, Parents and STEM
W
by Michelle Adam
hile some might hold the impression that Hispanics – and especially those new to the U.S. – don’t come with strong educational values or a firm educational background, The Latino Institute, Inc., knows that this is often far from true. For the past 10 years, this advocacy group has invited educators and Latino parents to conferences where they are exposed to who Latinos truly are and their possibilities for success in education. Last October, the institute held its 10th annual Latino Education Conference in Newark, N.J., with a specific focus on Latinos and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics disciplines (STEM). More than 700 Latino parents and about 300 teachers, in addition to other school personnel and college students from northern and north central New Jersey, attended the event. “There has been a lot of negative focus on our children, and children in general regarding the STEM fields. But I think is it important for our parents and teachers to set the tone and instill in their children that they are ready for STEM – to help them feel more comfortable so we can produce more researchers, scientists, and engineers,” said Carmen Torres, vice president of The Latino Institute. “Math and science seem to be subjects that many of our children fear, but not because they can’t do it. Sometimes it can be because of the cultural barriers or because the teachers are stern.” The battle to improve the number of students, and especially minority students, in STEM fields is being waged across the country – and with its annual conference, the institute put its “drop in the bucket” toward this effort. As they have in the past, members of the institute used this event to develop pathways to
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educators so they can more effectively work with Hispanic children in the classroom, and reached out to Latino parents, teaching them how to better advocate for their children. On the first day of the conference about 300 teachers and education professionals participated in a full day of events designed specifically for them. The keynote speaker, Dr. Charles Mitchel, addressed the educators in a motivational speech on “Teaching and Leading in the Turbulent Times: A Call to go Deeper.” As associate dean and executive director of the Academy of Urban School Transformation and the Institute for International Schools at Seton Hall University, Mitchel inspired teachers to rise up to the challenge and not give up when confronted with urban teaching environments that have become more and more difficult for Latino students, or any students, to succeed in. “We try to give teachers who are not of Latino backgrounds a sense of who their Latino students are culturally so they can have more success with them in the classroom,” said Torres. Teachers also were invited to take part in one of two master workshops, including a three-hour workshop session with Dr. Juán A. Aparicio, Aida Margarita Hernández, and Viviana van Vliet of the Museo de Arte de Ponce of Puerto Rico. The workshop facilitators demonstrated how to teach math and science through the arts. The class gave instructors a taste of a 12-day program hosted by the institute every summer in Puerto Rico. In addition to this master class, educators learned from the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra how music can aid in teaching math to children. Several Puerto Rican professors presented additional workshops on high-stakes testing, and on producing rubrics for math and science classes. A Mexican delegation from Allianzas Educativas also talked to teachers about how they how they can help schools and communities improve teaching
in Mexico. Allianzas Educativas is a Mexican organization that helps improve education there by the coordinating efforts of business, universities, and social and government organizations. The second day of the institute’s conference was dedicated to educating parents, of which more than 700 attended. The institute began focusing on parents 10 years ago when it held its first conference and drew about 2,000 parents who received information on New Jersey’s Abbott Ruling, which provided monies to poorer urban schools that previously were receiving low funding. “People tend to think that new Latino arrivals to the U.S. come without much education, but this is often quite the opposite. We have an array of parents who have degrees from their countries, but their languages or other issues keep them from participating in this community,” said Torres. “That was a belief we had to break down, and we wanted to achieve that by bringing everyone under one roof.” The most recent conference drew a smaller number of parents, mostly due to budget constraints, who participated in workshops designed to explain and empower their parental roles. They attended the second of two master workshops on the emergent bilingual child and later academic success, taught by Dr. Elizabeth Ijalba from Queens College of the City University of New York. “Parents often ask us if learning two languages is confusing for their children. They express this concern after their children go to pre-school and begin to learn English,” said
Torres. “This workshop looked at what to consider when raising a bilingual child, on the benefits of bilingualism, and on how to implement bilingualism at an early age.” Keynote Speaker Juán Cartagena, president and general counsel of Latino Justice, PRLDEF, also gave an inspiring speech on his own mother’s involvement in his education. He shared how he was able to succeed because of her input, despite the fact that she didn’t come from a highly-educated background. Workshops also were held on cyber-bullying; the impact of poor structural issues in schools on their children’s education; Mexico’s education system and the successes Allianzas Educativas has achieved there; and the pluses and minuses of high-stakes testing; and about high school summer medical enrichment programs available at the University of Medicine
and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). This last workshop was presented by college medical students from the university who are also a part of the institute’s Latino Scholar’s program. Currently, about 150 students participate in the program, which supports outstanding college sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are planning to enter graduate or professional schools. The program provides mentoring, advice, networking opportunities and limited financial support for the scholars. “These students come back and share what they are doing with those at the conference,” said Torres. “It is a big circle.” College students receiving support from the Latino Institute provide guidance to parents and students at their conferences, and hopefully the success of each year’s gathering extends far beyond that specific year and creates a stronger Latino community that grows with the successful education of each individual. “Each year is a tremendous success. For us, every time we do this we receive a lot of feedback on what people have learned. And now we have people calling us to find out when the next event is,” said Torres. “People here have a sense of camaraderie and end up collaborating on efforts to improve their school communities. This gives me a sense that this has been successful.” 0 2 / 1 0 / 2 0 1 4
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FINANCE
American Dream Vanishing for Today’s
First-Generation College Grads
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by Frank DiMaria
oung Americans have been hit hard by six years of an economic downturn, a downturn that is causing a generation to lose the financial stability hard-won by their parents and grandparents before them and see their American Dream slip away. Dr. Jennifer M. Silva, postdoctoral fellow at The Saguaro Seminar: Civic Engagement in America at Harvard University, interviewed several recent college graduates to gauge their feelings about their station in American society and to examine their expectations for the future. She tracked down young men and women from working-class families who are trying to
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“grow up,” meaning they are searching for stable jobs, looking to move out of their parents’ houses and are starting their own families. She went to service sector workplaces, military bases, colleges and traditional blue-collar workplaces in Lowell, Mass., and Richmond, Va. She asked these young Americans, whose parents did not earn college degrees: “What is it like to grow up today and what stands in your way?” When she completed the interviews she published her findings in a book called Coming Up Short: Working-Class Adulthood in an Age of Uncertainty. She concluded that young Americans face any number of obstacles preventing them from living stable, adult lives. For many recent college graduates, according to Silva, for many recent graduates coming of age is not just being delayed, it’s being fundamentally dismantled by drastic economic restructuring, profound cultural transformations and deepening social inequality. Silva calls the family the sole safety net for young Americans and insists that it is up to the family to launch young men and women into the future. “The young men and women I spoke with didn’t have neighborhoods, communities or other networks that could provide them with support and guidance as they attempted to figure out how to get into college, where to go and how to pay for it,” says Silva. “Their parents, who didn’t have college degrees and were often economically unstable, also didn’t have the information they needed to make good investments in their future.” Wealthy parents with advanced degrees can call friends to get their children an internship or a job interview or can afford tuition for graduate school. Parents with only a high school diploma are themselves struggling in the job market and growing increasingly insecure about their once stable jobs while seeing their pensions and benefits erode. Without college diplomas these parents don’t have the tools and knowledge to help their children navigate the new labor market, in which a college diploma is vitally important. “Working-class youth
don’t have these supports. They are on their own,” says Silva. Each generation has its obstacles. But at least past generations had expectations of a “traditional adulthood,” says Silva. Individuals from these generations would graduate high school at age18 and move out of their parent’s house. Men would find a job and start supporting a family and women would take charge of the household and raise the children. As it turns out these expectations never materialized for some individuals of past generations either, as many baby boomers have struggled through tumultuous adulthoods. “Growing up used to mean passing through a series of rituals – getting a good job, finding a partner, buying a home, becoming financially independent, having a family. But for working-class kids today, stable blue collar jobs are harder and harder to find,” says Dr. Silva. Many from working-class backgrounds might spend years in college, earn a degree but have no idea how to use that degree to get a good job. Most end up with crippling student loan debt that precludes them from moving out on their own and supporting themselves. This kind of economic insecurity makes it difficult for recent college graduates to enter into serious romantic relationships – after all, they can barely take care of themselves. Men and women today are more likely to remain unmarried; to live at home and stay in school for longer periods of time; to drift from job to job; to have children out of wedlock; to divorce; or not to have children at all. “Some of these changes are positive – but they have fundamentally changed what it means to grow up. I don’t think that the men and women I spoke to will suddenly reach adulthood in a few years, because the stable jobs and relationships that underlie traditional adulthood are gone,” says Silva. “Instability is here to stay.” No matter the generation, growing up has never been easy, but it’s always been far more difficult for the working class. Past generations, however, have always had a set of economic and social institutions designed to support the transition to adulthood on which to rely. “For example, the availability of blue-collar jobs that paid a family wage,” says Silva. In past generations, Silva says, there was an expectation that marriages should last forever. She acknowledges that young people today have more freedom than the young of the past. Women especially can pursue higher education, advance in professional careers, choose if and when to have children and leave abusive marriages. But that’s not the entire story. “Just as many social freedoms for young people have expanded, economic security – well-paid jobs, access to health insurance and pensions, and affordable education – have contracted for the working class. These youth have to figure out what it means to be an adult in a world of disappearing jobs, soaring education costs, shrinking social support networks and fragile families,” she says. Many of the young Americans Silva interviewed shared their nostalgic, idealized view of what it means to be an adult, a view, surprisingly, not based on their parents or grandparents experiences. Some males said they visualize themselves grow-
ing old with a wife, sitting on a porch surrounded by white picket fences. Some women yearned to be taken care of by their future husbands and envisioned themselves barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen. These yearnings, Silva says, are the result of their unstable lives. This idealized view, says Silva, is a direct result of their anxiety. Their daily lives are unstable, they’re constantly worrying if they will get enough hours at work to pay their bills, they wonder if they’ll have a place to stay and if their parents’ marriages will last. All of this is a huge burden on working-class youth. “They have grown up shouldering so much economic and social uncertainty that they long for security, even if that security means giving up some of the freedoms they have gained,” says Silva. To break from their working-class upbringing, many enroll in college, following a dream to better themselves through education. But all too often education, the one institution designed to help them reach this goal, leaves them feeling powerless. While middle-class children inherit the skills, resources, social networks and knowledge required to succeed in a competitive, individualistic economy, working-class children do not possess those skills. “They feel like they enter into a social contract where if they work hard, take the right classes and go to college, then they were promised a good life,” says Silva. “But over and over again, they experience betrayal within the sphere of higher education. For many, the confusion surrounding financial aid and majors, combined with their debt and the challenge to balance work and school and family, makes achieving their goals impossible. They don’t know how to navigate the system effectively. And for those who graduate without the knowledge and connections to use their degrees, higher education feels like a broken promise.” Young working-class men and women need new definitions of dignity and progress that do not reduce their coming of age content with insecurity and loss, Silva says in the book’s conclusion. “The health and vibrancy of all our communities depend on the creation and nurturance of notions of dignity that foster connection and interdependence rather than hardened selves,” she writes.
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Bilingualism STEM INITIATIVES
and Cultural
Identidad as Pathway to STEM
A
by Paul Hoogeveen
new bilingual-oriented education research project is underway in the Anaheim City District in California. If successful, it might chart a new course in improving participation rates of bilingual Hispanics in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The project, called Transforming Academic and Cultural Identidad through Biliteracy (TACIB), is spearheaded by Dr. Mark Ellis, associate professor of secondary education at California State University-Fullerton (CSUF0), and co-directed by CSUF colleagues Natalie Tran, Sam Behseta, and Armando M. Martínez-Cruz. Developed in partnership with the Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD), Orange Country’s Discovery Science Center, and the California Association for Bilingual Education as supporting partners, it will run for a three-year period, fueled by a recently awarded 1.5 million dollar grant. The project takes direct aim at the disparity between projected job growth in STEM and low participation rates by Hispanics in STEM programs at four-year colleges and universities. The U.S. Department of Education projects a rise in STEM job growth of nearly 34 percent by the year 2020. Only 16 percent of high school seniors show aptitude and interest in STEM and just half of students in four-year institutions go on to work in a related career despite the United States investing about $3 billion a year in STEM-related projects. For Hispanics, the rate is much lower: According to the Department of Education, only about 2 percent of Hispanics earn a four-year degree in natural science or engineering by the age of 24. According to Ellis, AUHSD – not only a district with a large Hispanic population, but also one of the largest sites in which CSUF places teacher candidates that re-working on their credentials – was a natural choice for a project partnership. “TACIB grew out of a conversation among folks involved with another NSF-funded project, Fullerton Mathematics Teaching Fellows and Master Teaching Fellows, involving CSUF and AUHSD,” said Ellis. “The conversation was about the district’s interest in providing more dual language (English/Spanish) course pathways for students coming from
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Anaheim City School District’s dual immersion programs. At that time NSF had just released guidelines for the Mathematics Science Partnership grant program, and we decided to go for it.” The primary goal of TACIB is to improve learning outcomes in STEM disciplines for fifth- through eighth-grade bilingual students in a predominantly Latino community, and to make these improved outcomes sustainable. By stimulating greater interest and personal investment in science, math and technology among these bilingual Hispanic students, their participation rates in STEM at the post-secondary level should increase. Broadly speaking, the project seeks to rework STEM curricula and instructional approaches in a way that leverages the linguistic, cultural and familial resources of bilingual Hispanic learners; put in place teachers who have been specifically trained for this project to teach STEM courses using approaches developed for the project; and evaluate the effectiveness of the project over time, both in terms of student academic performance and their development of a STEM-relevant cultural identity. To achieve these aims, TACIB will focus on professional development of bilingual teachers, development of approaches to curriculum that capitalize on bilingual students’ cultural and familial backgrounds, and utilization of experimental analytical methodologies to gauge the success of the program over its initial three-year stretch (from 2013 through 2016). Primary aspects of teacher preparation will involve professional development in strategies to implement Common Core Mathematics and Next Generation Science standards. Teacher candidates who are bilingual would also have the opportunity to earn bilingual authorization via a pair of courses offered by CSUF, and would be able to collaborate with math and science faculty mentors. They would also participate in classroom visits, as well as roundtables to discuss the challenges of helping students develop “habits of mind” in approaching STEM disciplines. In middle school classrooms, the pedagogical approach will incorporate strategies reflective of new standards in math-
ematics and science that are being implemented through “TACIB gives us the opportunity to talk to families in the California. But pedagogy will also be specially tailored for project in their own language – linguistically, culturally and TACIB in a number of ways. socially,” he continued. “Of particular importance is being “Promoting student discourse about mathematics and sci- able to relate to them as coming to another culture, another ence will be central to these classrooms,” said Ellis. “Having language and another set of social and school norms. At the teachers who are trained in strategies of bilingual teaching, same time, it is important to respect, use and nurture their which stresses the importance of building academic language cultural and linguistic backgrounds. While education is a prialong with content knowledge, will be an asset the teachers ority for Latino families, many of them do not know how to bring to this effort. Another instructional strategy the teachers encourage their kids to pursue it. TACIB will provide an involved with this project will bring – and that the project will opportunity to involve parents in school activities.” strengthen – is their use of culture to promote STEM learning. According to Martínez-Cruz, one of the ways parents would This simply means teachers will use their knowledge of stu- be involved will be through interviews regarding their use of dents’ culture to motivate them and support their learning.” mathematics and science. These would be used to produce Also central to TACIB is the idea of fostering what the project directors call “Identidad.” As Ellis described it, prior research indicates that a high percentage of students lose interest in STEM disciplines beginning in middle school and throughout high school. “Thus,” said Ellis, “one of our project’s primary goals is to reinforce and increase students’ identity toward STEM such that they are better able to see themselves in STEM and, turning it around, able to see STEM within themselves and their culture and community.” A primary way of fostering Identidad is to leverage bilingual Hispanic students’ cultural, familial, and community backgrounds. TACIB co-director Dr. Armando Martínez- TACIB Co-Directors (l. to r.)- Dr. Natalie Tran, Dr. Sam Behseta, Dr. Mark Ellis, and Dr. Armando M. Martinez-Cruz Cruz, who was born and raised in Mexico City, provided both personal and academic “mini-clips” developed as openings for particular math or sciperspectives on this idea. ence lessons. Parents would also document their work activi“Both of my parents had a difficult childhood and received ties with photography and explain in the mini-clips how the little education,” said Martínez-Cruz. “My dad completed ele- photographs demonstrate the use of mathematics and science. mentary school and my mom dropped out school in the mid- In these ways, he said, parents would actually be contributing dle of second grade. Both however valued education and to the curriculum development at the Anaheim schools. encouraged their kids to attend school. Their lack of familiarAt this point in time, TACIB is just barely getting off the ity with education made them believe that a bachelor’s degree ground. After initial design of materials is completed, classwas the end of schooling. However, when I was in high room implementation will begin in the 2014-15 academic school, my classmates talked about graduate school and their year, in grade seven only. In 2015-16, eighth-grade students interest in it. They had learned about it through their parents will be included, with the oldest cohort of students participator siblings. Later I had the opportunity to attend graduate ing in the project entering high school when initial funding school at Ohio State.” ends in 2016. But Ellis pointed out that classroom instruction Martínez-Cruz, whose field is mathematics education, said is not the only point of contact with students in the project. that as a result of his background he has naturally been drawn “We will begin after school STEM activities (led by to working with Latino students. Experiences like his are a key Discovery Science Center) in spring 2014 with fifth- and sixthexample of the need for development of Identidad. graders who are in a dual-immersion program now and, we
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anticipate, will enter the dual language math/science pathway we’re creating for grade seven in fall 2014 (and seventh and eighth grades in 2015). The after school component will follow the students into grades seven and eight as we go into years two and three. This is also a way for us to involve families in STEM activities, as each semester Discovery Science Center will work with the two districts to host family events that include presentations by the students related to their after school program activities.” Ellis and his team hope that TACIB, as a prototype, will ultimately provide a framework from which similar models can be developed for other school districts with large bilingual
Latino populations. Before that can happen however, it will be important for them to obtain additional NSF funding for full implementation over a five-year time frame, so that the project can continue working with students and tracking their participation rates in STEM disciplines into college. Said Ellis: “This is, of course, just our intention, and depends on not only our findings from the present study, but also many other variables related to NSF funding which comes from Congress.”
Scholars’ Corner Many Latina/o college students are first-generation college students. This means that many Latina/o parents are limited in the traditional ways of helping prepare their children for college because they have not attended college themselves, and they might speak a different language, or they are unfamiliar with the U.S. education system. Studies on familial influences on Latina/o high school students’ college choice and college students’ persistence and success tend to focus on the role of parental involvement, parental aspirations, and parental motivations. Meanwhile, the influence of siblings, if studied, is rarely distinguished from the influence of parents or is looked at from a deficit perspective (i.e., sibling caretaking as a pull factor for college students). My research examines the role of first-generation Latino/a college students on their siblings’ college choice, engagement, and success. As the first in my family to go to college and the oldest of five children who have each pursued a degree at my alma mater, my interest in exploring the role of siblings in the college experience of first-generation Latina/o students comes from recognizing that my story is that of many Latinas/os, and it is a story that is being missed and overlooked in today’s research. Through my research, I intend to increase awareness of the various resources students, families, and communities draw from to facilitate the educational success of Hispanics. Participating in the 2013 American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) Graduate Student Fellow Program allowed me to share my focused research agenda with a network of distinguished Latina/o faculty and graduate students across multiple disciplines. They understood my personal connection to my research, encouraged me, and provided me with valuable insights on how to shape my broader research goals. As a doctoral student with hopes of joining the Latina/o professoriate, this opportunity for community and mentorship is crucial to my success in the field. The structure of the program and the dialogue it facilitated fostered a sense of intimacy and allowed deep connections to develop. Like me, many fellows, past and present, feel that they are part of the familia now, a familia that extends beyond the current cohort to those of the past and also to those of the future. By Nydia C. Sánchez PhD Student, University of North Texas, Robert B. Toulouse School of Graduate Studies, Higher Education Program, 2013 American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education Graduate Fellow
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UNCENSORED
by Peggy Sands Orchowski
FEMINIST ICON SAYS COLLEGE HAS BEEN OVERSOLD – Gloria Steinem, the icon of the women’s liberation movement in the late 1960s and 70s, the founder of Ms. magazine and the Women’s Media Center, wowed an audience at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., in November with her energy, ideas and yes, stunning good looks (she is 79 – born in 1934 – going on 39!). She also remains provocative. In answer to my question about if she regarded it as a “win, a good thing” that 60 percent-and-growing of college students are female (and an even higher percentage for Hispanic and black females), she replied immediately: “It is not so much a problem about men but a fact that college itself has been so oversold! Women should be able to have a wide range of jobs and equal salaries as men in the workplace without having to go to college (and go into huge debt).” It’s a good point. New studies show that now increasingly, men are dropping out of college to work as apprentices, study part time at night, and get professional certificates, while women remain in college, incur huge debt in majors that increasingly won’t enable them to pay back their debts if they even are able to land a job.
UN
HISPANIC IMMIGRANT FAMILIES REMAIN RELATIVELY STRONG – In December the president switched from health care to a new/old focus on income equality in the United States (MSNBC) commentator Chuck Todd calls it his “deja pivot”). He emphasizes an increase in the minimum wage and more unemployment insurance. But a report by the department of sociology at Ohio State University last September puts the onus for poverty and income gaps on another factor altogether – “balkanized” American families. “For all U.S. born children, living arrangement was a strong indicator of poverty,” the report found. “Children are much less likely to live in poverty and instead more likely to benefit in education from family stability, increased parent time and higher economic resources,” the study concludes. Among minorities, some 54 percent of Hispanic children were living in families with a married father and mother either both working (33 percent) or where only the father worked (21 percent). Only 29 percent of black children lived in such dual-income (24 percent) or single-income (5 percent) families. Similarly 9 percent of Hispanic children were living with their grandparents while 15 percent of black children did. “An overwhelming majority of immigrants’ children, regardless of educational level, embrace marriage and eschew divorce, cohabitation and remarriage after divorce,” the report concludes. “More children of immigrants live in traditional male-bread-winning, femalehomemaker types of families.” This speaks well for the continuing growth in educational attainment for Hispanic kids.
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HIGHER ED REAUTHORIZATION WILL DEPEND ON TWO LITTLE-KNOWNS – Two highly regarded, community college and Hispanicoriented top officials in the U.S. Department of Education will be replaced by two relatively unknown educators who have fairly minimal experience in higher education. In 2014, the positions of undersecretary held by Martha Kanter – the first woman and former community college president to hold that post – and Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education Eduardo Ochoa (who actually left in 2012 but hasn’t been replaced) will be filled by nominees Ted Mitchell and Erika Miller respectively. Mitchell was at one time the president of Obama’s alma mater Occidental College, but is now the CEO of NewSchools Venture Fund which focuses on K12 education. Miller is vice president of The Education Trust which also mainly focuses on K-12. Neither of the positions are policymaking, however, but rather implementation. And the reauthorization of the higher education act is going to focus on a key aspect of K-12 reform: teacher education. Obama’s two nominees have superb backgrounds for that issue.
THE ONE UNIVERSAL WORD IN EVERY LANGUAGE – There is perhaps no greater challenge to globalization vs. national culture than language. There are many words that are simply untranslatable from one culture to another – even between Western cultures. Words like Ojala! in Spanish and Schadenfreude in German come to mind. But what about words for modern tech devises, such as a mobile phone for instance? In German mobile phones could be called a “Digitalhandgehoffendemobiltelefonapparat.” Many Germans these days however shorten that to a “Handi.” Recently a team of Dutch linguists worked to find a universal word used in all languages. “Mama” and “papa” were candidates. But the most common word in the world they found? It’s “Huh?” Margaret (Peggy Sands) Orchowski was a reporter for AP South America and for the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. She earned a doctorate in international educational administration from the University of California-Santa Barbara. She lives in Washington, D.C., where she was an editor at Congressional Quarterly and now is a freelance journalist and columnist covering Congress and higher education. 0 2 / 1 0 / 2 0 1 4
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PROGRAMS/INNOVATION
Launches Initiative to Help Latino Males
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by Marilyn Gilroy atino males have fallen significantly behind in college enrollment and graduation rates. Research shows that fewer than two in five bachelor’s degrees attained by Hispanics are earned by males. At the associate’s degree level, males earned only 37.5 percent of two-year degrees conferred on Hispanics as compared to 62.5 percent earned by females. As concerns about lagging educational outcomes for Latino males have grown, several states are developing initiatives to improve the success rates for minority males. Texas, which has one of the largest Hispanic populations in the nation, has launched the Texas Education Consortium for Male Students of Color, a new statewide network of school districts, community colleges and public universities. The consortium’s goal is to encourage Texas higher education institutions to create “male-focused student programs” to increase the success of minority male students. The effort will led by Dr. Victor Sáenz, associate professor in the department of educational administration at the University of Texas at Austin who has been instrumental in developing programs which use mentors to help Latino males succeed. “We’re committed to addressing the state policy imperative to improve the educational outcomes for male students of color,” Sáenz said. States such as Ohio and Georgia have similar initiatives, but the Texas Education Consortium for Male Students of Color is unique because it represents all sectors of education with the participation of two K-12 school districts, eight community colleges and four public universities. The consortium was formed in part as a response to the “Closing the Gaps” report from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board which calls for increasing college participation and success for all students, but emphasizes the need to improve educational outcomes for Hispanic and AfricanAmerican males. In the latest progress report, the board found a growing gender gap in college enrollment and Hispanic males in particular have the lowest participation rate. Specifically, only about 4.1 percent of the Hispanic male population in Texas participated in higher education in the fall of 2012, a rate which was 1.7 percent below that of female
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Hispanics. It would take about 88,000 more male Hispanic students to enroll in order to catch up to female Hispanic students. In addition, the report says male college-going rates need to improve: just 47 percent of Hispanic males who graduated from high school in 2012 went directly to college the following fall, compared with 56 percent of Hispanic females. The report sets a target date of 2015 for increasing college enrollment and closing the achievement gaps. Officials say narrowing the gender gap for educational attainment among students of color is not just a statewide priority but also a national one as the Hispanic population continues to grow and become critical for an ethnically diverse workforce. Professor Luis Ponjuan of Texas A&M University has been conducting research on how to ensure that minority males persevere and earn a higher education credential. “This collaborative project allows the state’s two leading research institutions to leverage resources and advance the Latino and African-American male educational agenda at the state and national levels,” said Ponjuan, who will serve the consortium’s chief external evaluator. As Ponjuan said in a recent interview, the consortium is responding to a demographic reality in which more Latinos are enrolling in higher education but some of these students are underprepared to be successful. “We are trying to ensure that these students actually complete a degree,” said Ponjuan. “This is an historic program because we are focused on what two-year and four-year institutions in the six largest metropolitan areas in the state of Texas are doing to increase access and degree completion.” Funding for the consortium comes from multiyear grants through the Greater Texas Foundation, TG, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The monies will be used to develop statewide initiatives that work across the spectrum to target Latino males from a young age and move them through to college success. There are proven models of practice to draw upon that include transition and bridge programs for high school students as they adjust to college. These programs have put support and resources in place to get males to enroll in college and make it to the finish line.
The consortium will be trying to help students like Hector tional opportunities available for our males through their Funes, a Texas A& M engineering major, who said he felt poor- schooling,” he said. “Latino males are simply not keeping ly prepared when he began his college studies. pace with their female peers and other male peers for over “The kind of information that other students and my peers two decades now on important educational outcomes like colreceived was much vaster than mine,” he said in a video about lege enrollment and degree attainment.” the program. “Their physics and math knowledge was much This is not to downplay the economic imperative to educate greater than my own. I was playing a catch-up game and get- Latino males in light of the demographics in Texas and nationting Bs or Cs and even failing classes along the way.” ally, says Sáenz. However, he prefers to use arguments that Research has shown many minority male students are build the on the framework of equity. behind because they have been impacted by the quality of edu“Everyone cares about equity, and there is interest convergent cation offered to them in high school. Advanced classes in that idea across all groups, men and women alike,” he said. math and science often are less available in schools with high numbers of low-income or underserved minority students. But family education and income level also are important pieces of the puzzle. Sáenz, who has done extensive research on the reasons Latino males are struggling and what can be done to effect change, says the role of the family figures prominently in the educational aspirations of young Hispanic males. “We [researchers] were intrigued by the complex role of family members (i.e., mother, father, siblings) in influencing the higher education pathways for Latino males in Texas colleges,” he said. “Almost all males, for example, spoke about the positive influence of Dr. Victor Saenz (center) and project staff members female figures in their lives juxtaposed with the challenging relationships that they have Some researchers also say that minority male success has with males in their lives.” been impeded because of common practices and policies in the Sáenz explains that these young males face day- to-day obsta- public schools. They point to studies showing black and Hispanic cles when considering whether or not to pursue higher education. males are disciplined more than other students and receive high “The Latino males in our research talked about the often levels of suspensions for minor infractions, which means they competing realities of their economic situation and their desire miss valuable class time and fall behind in their studies. to support and provide for their family,” he said. “These realities “Two of our consortium members are school districts, and compete with their desire to attain a degree, and sometimes they we do intend to have all of our sites look closely of their data, win out. Colleges need to acknowledge these very real challenges whether it be matriculation rates, discipline rates, or other and find ways to leverage the value systems that so many of our variables,” said Sáenz. “This is a key strategy needed to first Latino males have, such as strong work-ethic and fulfillment of acknowledge the structural challenges that may be perpetuatresponsibilities to family, toward their academic success.” ing the educational outcomes that are so dire and sobering.” In addition to examining this issue within the social and ecoUltimately, though, Sáenz hopes the consortium will elevate nomic contexts of Latino males, Sáenz says he also hopes to influ- the tone of conversation about males of color in education ence the larger community to believe success of Latino males away from the negative and toward the positive. should concern everyone. He is trying to shift the conversation “We need to work proactively to acknowledge the many away from narratives that speak of a “male crisis” or of black and assets and positive values these young men bring with them to Latino males as “culturally damaged.” Instead, he would like the our schools and institutions, and then we can find ways to tap discourse to reflect the need for gender equity and social justice. into those assets to cultivate and nurture environments that “I often frame this as a gender equity issue because we are will breed academic success,” he said. dealing with some real inequities when it comes to the educa0 2 / 1 0 / 2 0 1 4
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TARGETING HIGHER EDUCATION
Language, Legal Obstacles and Hispanics in America
As
by Gustavo A. Mellander Hispanic Outlook readers know, Hispanics are the largest ethnic/racial group in the country. They exceed 50.5 million. Many Latinos were here long before Europeans arrived. Many have achieved professional success and served in leadership positions. Today the trend continues as they contribute to our political, social, and cultural life which has benefited all Americans. Yet despite individual and group achievements, Hispanics do not fully share in the benefits afforded to others. That is a given and fully understood by students who study reality. Demographic Changes The 2010 Census reported that the 50.5 million Latinos constitute 16.3 percent of the nation’s population. Over the past decade, that increased 43 percent and accounted for most of the nation’s population growth. Latinos are clearly destined to play a significant role in the nation’s economic and political arenas. Their success will be a barometer of America’s promise of equality, social justice and opportunity. Where Are They? A quick answer is in every state. A large percentage of Hispanics, 76 percent, are concentrated in nine states: Arizona (1.9 million), California (14 million), Colorado (1 million), Florida (4.2 million), Illinois (2 million), New Mexico (953,000), New Jersey (1.5 million), New York (3.4 million), and Texas (9.5 million). This does not include the nearly 4 million Puerto Ricans living on their island. The top five states with the largest Latino population in 2010 were, in descending order: California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Illinois. The impact of the Latino population growth cannot be overstated. Every single state saw an increase. In Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas, Latinos constitute more than one in four of the state’s residents. Their population growth was the sole source of population increases in six states: Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. In states where Latinos were once a small segment of the population, their numbers have increased and in certain cases, exponentially. For example, in nine Southern states the Latino population more than doubled: Alabama,145 percent;
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Arkansas,114 percent; Kentucky, 122 percent; Mississippi, 106 percent; North Carolina,111 percent; Tennessee, 134 percent; and South Carolina, 148 percent. Those numbers are dramatic and they are yet to be fully absorbed. The role of Latinos in adding to the formation of the United States has been all but invisible to non-Latinos as well as to many Latinos. Very few know little of the history of Latinos in the U.S. That is due in part to the general lack of information about Latinos in our classrooms. There is also misinformation as illustrated by the media’s portrayal of Latinos. While the current environment has created harsh circumstances for immigrants, especially those who are without legal status, all Latinos are vulnerable to attack. The growing rhetoric of resentment towards Latinos, regardless of status, has escalated. This environment has helped breed distrust among Latinos of our governmental systems and its officials. Diaspora The Diaspora is endemic. Latinos are comprised of various different national origin subgroups, who individually or whose ancestors, migrated to the United States years ago. Some can trace their roots in this country back several centuries while many are more recent arrivals. In order to better understand cultural and country-of-origin differences and the significance of such differences, data has been analyzed on issues specific to Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans and Dominicans. They as a group, and individually, have disparate and dynamic histories associated with their past and current relationships to their countries of national origin and the United States. Their realities are all different, not identical. The majority of Latinos are U.S. citizens, whose race, eth-
nicity and language have had a significant impact on their experiences. They have been “racialized” at different times sometimes treated as “white,” other times as other than “white” and also considered by the government to be an ethnic group consisting of individuals who “can be of any race.” Afro-Latinos and Latinos of mixed racial backgrounds, have been targets for racial oppression, both as a consequence of the legacy of racism in the U.S. and also as a result of long existing racial discrimination among Latinos. Those roots are deep and well-established in Latin America and the Caribbean. Paradigms Hispanics have faced problems in developing paradigms that address their unique experiences as an ethnic group. Scholars have worked to clarify the ways in which ethnicity differs from race, and the ways in which ethnicity might require different consideration from the historical approaches to race-based discrimination. No, it’s not easy. Latinos point to the role of language as an important defining aspect of Latino identity. Spanish has always been a source of community cohesion, but it has also been the basis for different treatment of bilingual and monolingual, or Spanishdominant speakers. Members of Latino subgroups have faced discrimination based on ethnicity and national origin. All subgroups continue to struggle to ensure that they are treated fairly. As a general matter, this common history is based on the continued treatment of Latinos as one monolithic group of outsiders. Young demographics The Latino population is a very young one. They constitute 23.1 percent (17.1 million) of children aged 17 and younger in America. Almost one out of four children in the United States is Hispanic. In comparison, there are over 33 million Latino adults, constituting 14.2 percent of all adults, or one in seven. There are more Latinos than Latinas in the U.S., but the difference is small, consisting of 50.7 percent male and 49.3 percent female. Conversely, there is a slight difference between foreign and native-born populations, with the majority of foreign-born Latinos being male. The five largest subgroup populations (in millions) are Mexican (32.9), Puerto Rican (4.7), Cuban (1.9), Salvadoran (1.8 million), and Dominican (1.5). The majority of Latinos, 74 percent, are U.S. citizens with the majority being born in the United States. Research shows that 62.9 percent of all Latinos in the U.S. are native born, compared with 37.1 percent who are foreign born. From 2000-10, the native born Latino population more than doubled, to 51.4 percent, and the foreign born has grown approximately 33.2 percent. Despite the fact that the majority, and overwhelming number of Latinos are native born, much political interest has focused on the foreign-born Latinos, specifically the noncitizen, out-of-status population, and its impact on society.
However, as the numbers reflect, this is a small portion of the U.S. Latino population, and of the total U.S. population. In March 2010, only 3.7 percent of the total U.S. population were unauthorized immigrants (both Latino and non-Latino), and constituted just over one fourth (28 per cent) of the total U.S. foreign-born population. Although it is difficult to provide accurate numbers for this population, scholars estimate that 11.2 million unauthorized immigrants (Latino and non-Latino) live in the U.S. And that represents a decrease in this population over the past several years. The majority of the unauthorized immigrant population is Latino (81 percent). Of the 18.8 million foreign-born Latinos in the U.S., 13.3 million, or 26.2 percent, are non-citizens. Of the 10.2 million total unauthorized adult immigrants in the United States (Latino and non-Latino), nearly two-thirds (63 percent) have lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years, with over one third (35 percent) living in the U.S. for 15 years or more. Notably, there are at least 9 million people in “mixedstatus” families, meaning families with “at least one unauthorized adult and at least one U.S.-born child.” There are also childless mixed-status Latino households. Thus, the rhetoric and targeting of immigrants has an impact on Latinos individually at a deeply personal level, and also impacts the communities in which they live because their family networks are destabilized by the threat of deportation and government scrutiny. Another Commission, Another Report Those of us in the academic world tire of commissions and their lengthy reports. But said modus operandi is not limited to academia; many other professions address their problems in a similar fashion with similar results. But not to be cynical, some commission findings are useful, some valid recommendations are implemented. Yet many gather dust in countless repositories. But we keep trying as well we should. In October 2010, the American Bar Association (ABA) formed a Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities. Composed of national and local leaders it reflected a broad range of the public, private, legal and non-legal sectors. Their mandate was to explore and report on the legal challenges facing Latinos/Hispanics in this country. They were also to report on Latino efforts to address legal hurdles which impede their full participation in America’s civic life. The commission held fact gathering public hearings nationwide. Its findings appear in “Latinos in the United States: Overcoming Legal Obstacles, Engaging in Civic Life.” Well-documented and thankfully well-written, it is a lodestone of information. Importance of Language Proficiency The commission noted that, “the importance of being fluent in English is highlighted by studying the problems faced by those who aren’t.” The legal issues and impediments to full access to justice for
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Hispanics can, the commission suggested, best be served by creating a permanent entity tasked with continued analysis of the legal issues affecting Latinos. Therefore, the commission recommended that a standing committee of the ABA be established. It was also recommended that the ABA take steps to ensure that this country’s core constitutional and statutory protections apply fully and fairly to all, so that Latinos can have meaningful access to justice. Changing demographics require new linguistic services. In our court system, Spanish-speaking or Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals are frequently not provided interpretive or translation services. Unable to pay for private services, they depend on family, friends, or the courts to provide such services. They aren’t always forthcoming. The ability to present your case in English is particularly critical in immigration proceedings, child custody disputes, and eviction actions. These issues plague areas where large numbers of Latinos have long called home. To highlight a specific case, the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division recently issued findings based on its investigation of the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC). They found: “that the AOC’s policies and practices discriminate on the basis of national origin, in violation of federal law, by failing to provide Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals with meaningful access to state court proceedings and operations.”
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Significant harm has been visited upon hapless Latinos as a consequence. Among other problems identified were longer incarceration as a result of continuances caused by the: “failure to locate an interpreter; serious conflicts of interest caused by allowing state prosecutors to interpret for defendants in criminal proceedings; requiring indigent litigants to proceed with domestic violence, child custody, housing eviction, wage disputes and other important proceedings without an interpreter.” In short, limited LEP individuals have suffered by policies being ignored as well as court policies and practices in many states which discriminate against those who have limited English skills. It is as simple as that. Fortunately, the ABA recently adopted a resolution on the right of language access. It is an important and welcome recognition by the ABA of the impact of language barriers on legal rights, and the urgency of addressing the need for language services in our courts. The commission commended this commitment to justice, and encouraged the ABA to reject any interpretation of their resolution that would place a financial hurdle to those in need of those services. Perhaps something useful will come out of yet another commission report. Or am I too naive? I hope not. Dr. Mellander was a university dean for 15 years and a college president for 20 years.
Hispanic Outlook.... Theres’ An App There’s For That!
Chief Audit and Compliance Officer
Office of Audit, Compliance and Ethics (OACE)
The University of Connecticut (UConn) invites applications for the Chief Audit and Compliance Officer. Reporting administratively to the University president and functionally to the chair of the Joint Audit and Compliance Committee of the University’s Board of Trustees, this position serves as the Chief Audit and Compliance Officer, who heads UConn’s Office of Audit, Compliance and Ethics (OACE).
The University of Connecticut is one of the nation’s leading public research universities. Founded in 1881, UConn is a Land Grant and Sea Grant university and member of the Space Grant Consortium. It is the state’s flagship institution of higher education with its main campus in Storrs in addition to a Law School, Medical and Dental Schools, a Health Center and five regional campuses in Greater Hartford, Stamford, Waterbury, Avery Point, and Torrington. The Law School campus is located in Hartford; the Health Center campus is located in Farmington. Both are closely linked to the main campus through academic projects.
UConn is ranked among the Top 20 public universities in the nation according to the 2014 U.S. News & Report. The University has approximately 10,000 faculty and staff and 30,000 students which includes more than 22,000 undergraduates and nearly 8,000 graduate/professional students.
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The Chief Audit and Compliance Officer should have significant leadership experience in internal audit/compliance and/or financial management, preferably in a university or academic medical environment. The successful candidate should have a demonstrated understanding of audit management, including culture, operations, financial processes, and information technology. He/She should display a demonstrated ability to oversee and lead an organization-wide, risk-based, service-driven internal audit and compliance function that is proactive, progressive and collaboratively aligned with the many disparate organizational entities that compose a university. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university is required. An advanced degree in a relevant field and a Certified Public Accountant or Certified Internal Auditor are preferred.
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In consultation with the Joint Audit and Compliance Committee, the Chief Audit and Compliance Officer is responsible for planning, leading, reporting on, and supervising all internal auditing activities, compliance activities and personnel within the framework of the OACE Charter. This position will direct a comprehensive, risk-based audit and compliance program that is designed to add value and improve operations through evaluations of internal controls, risk management, and governance processes. The Chief Audit and Compliance Officer is responsible for directing the day-to-day operation of OACE, including providing direct supervision of professional and administrative staff. He/She is responsible for these functions at the University’s main campus as well as its regional campuses, law school and Health Center.
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Initial screening of applicants will begin immediately, and continue until the position is filled. The University of Connecticut will be assisted by Ellen Brown Landers, Elizabeth Ewing and Tracie Smith of Heidrick & Struggles, Inc. For further information, please see: http://www.audit.uconn.edu/index.html. Nominations and applications should be directed to: University of Connecticut Chief Audit and Compliance Officer Search Committee Heidrick & Struggles, Inc. 303 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 4300 Atlanta, GA 30308 Telephone: 404-682-7316 Email: uconn@heidrick.com
The University of Connecticut does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religious creed, age, sex, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetic information, physical or mental disabilities (including learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, past/present history of a mental disorder), prior conviction of a crime (or similar characteristic), workplace hazards to reproductive systems, gender identity or expression, or other legally protected classifications in its programs and activities as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and University policies. The University of Connecticut prohibits sexual harassment, including sexual violence.
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Ann Arbor, MI
T
Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management
he University of Michigan, the public flagship university of the state and one of the world’s preeminent research universities, seeks an inaugural Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management to provide strategic, visionary, and overarching leadership to the enrollment functions of the university.
For nearly 200 years, U-M has provided an unparalleled experience for hundreds of thousands of students. With stellar faculty in every field, the university has created an academic atmosphere that is enlightening, worldly, and transformative for its students. As U-M approaches its bicentennial in 2017, it has the opportunity to reflect on the institution’s impact and explore how it will continue to fulfill its missions of education, research, public service, and patient care during its third century. The Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management – a newly created position – will assume the role amidst a surge of tremendous energy and excitement, as the university has just named a new president. Reporting to the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and serving as a member of the provost’s senior cabinet, the Associate Vice President will build and lead a team that will be charged with working across the university to envision and deliver the optimal undergraduate enrollment program for U-M, meeting its short- and long-term enrollment goals and ensuring its success in recruitment and retention for the future.
With record applications in fall 2013, student interest in the university remains strong and admissions and financial aid routinely produce a highly qualified incoming class. Building upon this tremendous foundation, the Associate Vice President will develop and implement a sophisticated, integrated, analytically informed, and collaborative approach to university-wide enrollment. The Associate Vice President will lead the university in envisioning the best possible enrollment future, meeting undergraduate enrollment goals with particular attention to strengthening, supporting, retaining and graduating an increasingly diverse student population. The Associate Vice President will lead the offices of undergraduate admissions, financial aid, the university registrar, and new student programs in an enrollment effort that is vigorous, creative, data informed, and student centered. He or she will design and implement a structure that brings increased coordination and cooperation among the units so as to best serve students and help ensure student success among all populations at the university, better envision and manage enrollment goals, and increase efficiencies and synergies across these functions. She or he will possess a demonstrated commitment to the core values of diversity, excellence and access, superior interpersonal communication skills, an ability to manage and motivate a diverse professional staff, and an interest in interdivisional collaboration in a highly decentralized institution.
Inquiries, nominations and applications are invited. Review of applications will begin in February and will continue until the position is filled. For fullest consideration, applicant materials should be received by March 1, 2014. The university has retained Witt/Kieffer to assist with this search. Applicants should provide a resume, a letter of application that addresses the responsibilities and requirements described in the leadership profile available at www.wittkieffer.com, and the names and contact information of five references. References will not be contacted without prior knowledge and approval of candidates. These materials should be sent electronically via e-mail to Robin Mamlet and Amy Crutchfield at UMichEnrollment@wittkieffer.com. The consultants can be reached by telephone through the desk of Leslie Donahue, administrative support for this search, at 630-575-6178. The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and pluralistic university community committed to teaching and working in a multicultural environment. Potential applicants who share this goal are encouraged to apply.
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Department of Kinesiology Announcement of Non-Tenure-Track Faculty Position in Exercise Physiology
Temple University’s Department of Kinesiology, one of seven departments and one School in the College of Health Professions and Social Work, is recruiting a non-tenure track faculty member to teach in our undergraduate and graduate programs beginning August 18, 2014. Temple University is a Carnegie-classified Research University – High with more than 39,000 students and distinguished faculty in 17 schools and colleges. The University has an exceptionally strong commitment to quality teaching, research, and advising. The Department of Kinesiology, with approximately 1300 students, has strong graduate and undergraduate degree programs. The undergraduate program in Kinesiology is the third largest in the University and is comprised of programs of study in athletic training, exercise and sports science, PHETE (Teacher Education) and pre-health professions (designed for students seeking graduate studies in physical therapy, physician assistant, medicine, nursing, podiatry, occupational therapy, etc.).
We are looking for an enthusiastic, dedicated professional with expertise in neuromuscular physiology, strength and conditioning, and exercise programming to teach a variety of courses at the undergraduate and graduate level.
Applicant qualifications are: 1) Ph.D. in exercise physiology or a related-discipline, though candidates with ABD status will be considered; 2) certifications in strength and conditioning (NSCA-CSCS), health and fitness (ACSM- HFS), and/or clinical exercise (ACSM – CES); 4) Current CPR and AED certifications; and 4) a strong record of teaching at the undergraduate level. This appointment is from August 18, 2014 to June 30, 2015 with the potential for contract renewal. All inquiries should be directed to: Dr. John T. Raffin (phone: 215-204-1450; email: john.raffin@temple.edu).
Applicants must submit their curriculum vitae, a statement of undergraduate/graduate teaching background, and the names of three individuals who can provide letters of recommendation if requested. All materials must be submitted to Andrea Beckett, Department of Kinesiology, Pearson Hall, Temple University, 1800 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122-6085 (email: ybeckett@temple.edu; phone: 215-204-8707; fax: 215-204-4414). Application Deadline: For primary consideration, materials must be received by 4:00 PM on March 10, 2014; however, applications will be considered until the position is filled. Temple University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer dedicated to excellence through diversity.
Department of Kinesiology Announcement of Non-Tenure-Track Faculty Position in Kinesiology
Department of Kinesiology at Temple University (chpsw.temple.edu/kinesiology) one of seven departments and one School in the College of Health Professions and Social Work, is recruiting a non-tenure track faculty member to teach in our undergraduate and graduate programs beginning August 18, 2014. Temple University is a Carnegie Research University (high), with more than 39,000 students and distinguished faculty in 17 schools and colleges. The University has an exceptionally strong commitment to quality teaching, research, and advising. The Department of Kinesiology, with approximately 1,300 students, has strong graduate and undergraduate degree programs. The undergraduate program in Kinesiology is the third largest in the University, and is comprised of programs of study in athletic training, exercise and sports science, PHETE (teacher education), and the pre-health professions (designed for students seeking graduate study in physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant, medicine, nursing, podiatry, etc.).
We are looking for an enthusiastic, dedicated professional with a background in the pre-health professions and rehabilitation to teach undergraduate courses that may include neuromechanics and kinesiological foundations in rehabilitation science. The ideal applicant will have an earned doctorate in a related area, and a strong record of teaching at the undergraduate level is highly desirable. In addition, any specialty certifications will be beneficial. This appointment is from August 18, 2014 to June 30, 2015 with the potential for contract renewal.
For further information, please contact Dr. Lois A. Butcher-Poffley, 215-204-1940, (loisbutcher@temple.edu).
Applicants must submit their curriculum vitae, a statement of undergraduate/graduate teaching background, and the names of three individuals who can provide letters of recommendation if requested. All materials must be submitted to Andrea Beckett, Department of Kinesiology, Pearson Hall, Temple University, 1800 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122-6085 (email: ybeckett@temple.edu; phone: 215-204-8707; fax: 215-204-4414).
Application Deadline: For primary consideration, materials must be received by Application Deadline: For primary consideration, materials must be received by 4:00 PM on March 10, 2014; however, applications will be considered until the position is filled. Women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply. Temple University is an affirmative action/ equal opportunity employer dedicated to excellence through diversity.
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niversity of South Florida System is a high-impact, global research system dedicated to student success. The USF System includes three institutions: USF; USF St. Petersburg; and USF Sarasota-Manatee. The institutions are separately accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. All institutions have distinct missions and their own detailed strategic plans. Serving more than 47,000 students, the USF System has an annual budget of $1.5 billion and an annual economic impact of $4.4 billion. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference.
Administrative and Executive Positions: University Communication & Marketing (3) Academic Affairs (1) Digital Marketing Director Director of Institutional Research (St. Petersburg Campus) Creative Director Regional Admissions Advisor Senior Marketing Director
Faculty Positions: College of Arts and Sciences (6) College of Medicine (5) Assistant Professor (4) Full, Associate, Assistant Professor (Pharmacy) Instructor (2) Assistant Professor (Physical Therapy & Rehab. Sciences) Family Nurse Practitioner College of Public Health Postdoctoral Scholar Research (2)
For a job description on the above listed positions including department, disciple and deadline dates: (1) visit our Careers@USF Web site at https://employment.usf.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/Welcome_css.jsp; or (2) contact The Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity, (813) 974-4373; or (3) call USF job line at 813.974.2879. USF is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution, committed to excellence through diversity in education and employment. www.usf.edu • 4202 E. Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL 33620
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02/10/2014
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School of Media and Communication
Need Immediate Web Postings
The School of Media and Communication at Temple University invites applications for multiple positions: Department of Media Studies and Production
Assistant Professor in Development Media/Communication and Social Change
Department of Media Studies and Production
Verizon Professorship and Chair (Visiting Professor Position)
Department of Strategic Communication Chair and Senior Faculty Member
Department of Strategic Communication
We can do that!
Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Public Relations
Department of Strategic Communication
& so can you...
Non-Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Public Relations
Temple University is a comprehensive public research institution in Philadelphia, PA with more than 35,000 students. The School of Media and Communication, which has been recently renamed with a new strategic vision and a plan for expansion, enrolls more than 3,000 undergraduate and 100 graduate students. It offers five undergraduate majors, four master’s degrees, and an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Media and Communication. For more information about the positions advertised, and for background on the School and Temple University, please visit http://smc.temple.edu/faculty/available-positions/.
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Priming the Pump...
DISADVANTAGE: HISPANICS
Ten
Miquela Rivera, PhD, is a licensed psychologist with years of clinical, early childhood and consultative experience. She lives in Albuquerque, N.M.
of the biggest disadvantages some Hispanic students face approaching higher education can be overcome given time, determination and support. 1. Not understanding the hidden rules – the unspoken ways of thinking and doing that guide certain groups – is a big obstacle to understanding what is done and expected in college. Since education is typically based upon middle-class values, Latino students who come from poverty must learn new ways so they can fit in. Without that understanding and changing their approach, they risk feeling out of place and dropping out. Experienced students and mentors can explain those hidden rules to Latino students before they enter the college classroom. 2. Lack of college readiness skills frustrates and wastes time for Latino students who are ill-prepared to do the work. Though the students have graduated from high school, many lack strong reading, writing, quantitative and communication skills. For Latinos facing that reality, they might be required to complete remedial work before they can take college-ready classes and later enter classes in their programs of study. Beyond state-based testing and other contentious issues concerning the evaluation of high school students, parents, guidance counselors and secondary school administrators can help assure graduates are adequately ready for the next level of education. 3. Emotional immaturity. Latino students away from family for the first time or returning to school after years of working and raising a family might face the temptation to delay studying and visit with new-found friends instead. First things first. Every time. 4. Taking things personally. Critical thinking is one goal of higher education; criticism can be one of its games. Latino students taking feedback as personal criticism are doomed to feel inadequate, judged and discouraged. In most cases, such feedback (or criticism) should not be taken personally since those casting judgment or leveling the criticism don’t really know the student. Take such feedback as opinions only. Glean what is valid, and then let it go. 5. Perseverance. Thomas Edison said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Latino students are often accustomed to persevering through difficult circumstances like the hardships of poverty. Hanging in there academically, 23
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though, requires a different kind of perseverance. Professors, mentors, student buddies and guidance counselors are sources of encouragement for Latino students struggling academically or socially. Knowing when to quit (and knowing how to hang in there) are important skills for any Latino – academically and beyond. 6. Latino college students who are isolated and lack mentors, family or friends to teach them the college ropes might mistakenly believe they have no options when they experience a problem at the university or elsewhere. Universities specialize in solving problems and asking questions. Do the latter and you’ll find the former. 7. Physical and mental health problems might impede the ability of Latino students to study or perform well academically. Whether one is battling asthma, managing diabetes or struggling with depression, colleges have counseling and health centers to help students handle these conditions before they become full-blown problems. Issues of payment for student health care seem to be changing daily, but use advocates within those systems to help you get what you need if you have problems accessing care. 8. Vocabulary size has been shown to be a significant predictor of success in higher education. Parents and teachers can help Latino students build a vocabulary starting in early childhood through reading, writing and practice that will take them far and gain them respect. Income need not control the number of words one knows and uses. 9. Going it alone. A Latino student might be the first in the family to attend college, but they are not the only one in that position. Colleges and universities provide support for Latino students through the Office of Latino Studies, the counseling center or other student services. Latino students new to the university should be informed about these services soon after they arrive. 10. Latino students usually need help paying for higher education. Beyond the traditional loans, grants and workstudy jobs, scholarships set aside for specific categories are often left on the table because no one applies. Paid internships often grant class credit. Look for support in unexpected places.