A Critical Look at Perspectives of Access and Mission at High Latinx-Enrolling Urban Universities

Abstract

This article examines administrators' perspectives related to embracing and fulfilling a diversityand access-centered mission at urban-serving universities with high Latinx enrollment.Considering today's context of higher education-whereby access and opportunities for Latinx and other marginalized populations has become increasingly stratified-this timely work seeks to foster dialogue regarding how to best uphold an access-centered mission. To achieve this, we framed the study using a critical lens that defines leadership for access as a leadership model that must focus on transformation for the greater good. Our critical lens also critically interrogates the meaning and implementation of "diversity" agendas on America's college campuses. Organizational sensemaking offers an analytical frame to situate administrators' accounts and trigger sensemaking processes, particularly with respect to identity and enactment of the environment. The study analyzes interviews with 21 administrators across four urban campuses within the same state and examines the administrators' commitment to and fulfillment of an access-and diversity-centered mission. The study categorizes the administrators' perspectives into three key areas: 1) diversity as an assumed identity as a byproduct of situation within a diverse region; 2) diversity as a double-edged sword; and 3) enactment of a diversity-and access-centered mission.

Equity versus Excellence: Is the Pursuit of “Tier-1” Status Compatible With Social Justice?

“…Our findings offer numerical and experiential confirmation of the effects on faculty of the “ranking regime” described by Gonzales and Núñez (2014). For students, although increased visibility, prestige, and resources have enabled the university to recruit more broadly—especially among students of color—recruitment has also shifted access away from local and under-resourced students, corroborating Zerquera, Ballysingh, and Templeton’s (2017) concerns about the negative effects of current trends in policy and resource allocation on access and inclusion.…”

“…However, HSIs, those in which at least 25% of the students are Latinx, are conducive to social justice as they better promote the success of Latinx students (Núñez, Hurtado, & Galdeano, 2015). Zerquera, Ballysingh, and Templeton (2017) note that most HSIs are in areas with large Latinx populations, and “have a historical mission to serve their surrounding cities, including via mechanisms of access” (p. 201). Yet HSIs comprise only 13% of colleges and universities in the United States (Zerquera et al, 2017), and the percentage with actual majorities of Latinx students is much smaller.…”

“…Zerquera, Ballysingh, and Templeton (2017) note that most HSIs are in areas with large Latinx populations, and “have a historical mission to serve their surrounding cities, including via mechanisms of access” (p. 201). Yet HSIs comprise only 13% of colleges and universities in the United States (Zerquera et al, 2017), and the percentage with actual majorities of Latinx students is much smaller. Furthermore, Marin and Pereschica (2017) report that only seven HSIs nationwide are in the “highest research activity” category.…”

“…Zerquera et al (2017) describe the policy environment that threatens the mission of HSIs as “a context of diminished resources for higher education . .…”

“…The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is one of the few 4-year universities that Doran and Media (2017) describe as a "grassroots" HSI, meaning that it has always been so. Zerquera et al (2017) describe the policy environment that threatens the mission of HSIs as "a context of diminished resources for higher education . .…”