Recruitment and Retention Strategies for Latino Students in Tennessee’s Private 4-year Institutions Presented to the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association By Carrie Abood, Darwin Mason, and Chris White

About TICUA TICUA's 34 member colleges and universities represent East, West, and Middle TN 76,000 students educated, representing every county in the state and all 50 states in the nation (24% total number of students attending college in TN)

Purpose of the Study perceived effective strategies recruit, retain, and graduate …to identify the perceived effective strategies utilized by colleges and universities to recruit, retain, and graduate Latino students TICUA member institutions …specifically, to focus on how TICUA member institutions can recruit and retain Latino students in their institutions

Significance of the Study Unique focus Four-year private institution Non-border state Pertinent focus Population increase in the Southeast Political and legal climate Personal focus Qualitative study Student perspectives

Significance of the Study “Understanding what policies and practices are effective in enrolling, retaining, and graduating Latino students is directly relevant to communities only now beginning to experience growth” (Santiago, 2011, p. 2)

A Review of Literature Literature Review Current Status of Latinos in Higher Education Hispanic Serving Institutions Recruitment & Retention Theory Barriers to Higher Education Effective Strategies for Enrollment & Retention

A Review of Literature Barriers to Higher Education FinancialFamily and CultureLanguageAccess and UnderstandingPolitical and Legal Climate Effective Strategies Administrative CommitmentCommunity PartnershipsFamily OutreachFinancial AidUniversity ProgramsFaculty/Staff HiringSocial and Institutional Climate

Research Questions Q1: What factor(s) did Latino students in TICUA member institutions perceive as influential in their decision to enroll at a particular institution? Q2: What factor(s) do Latino students in TICUA member institutions perceive as influential in their decision to persist at that institution?

Research Questions Q3: What effective strategies should TICUA member institutions implement to recruit and enroll Latino students? Q4: What effective strategies should TICUA member institutions implement to retain Latino students?

Methodology – Design Qualitative Survey Case Study Methodology Focus Groups Interviews

Methodology – Survey 16 Questions Informed Consent Demographic Information 13 questions on the absence or presence of certain programs, policies, or practices “Yes” responses were asked to identify the perceived effectiveness on a 5-point Likert index Open-ended question to allow for additional details

Methodology – Data Collection Persisting Latino students participated in focus groups Faculty, staff, and administrators interviewed by researchers All interviews and focus groups transcribed and coded 8 total focus groups = 29 student participants 19 total participants at all four institutions

Findings Survey – the “big” picture From the 13 possible Yes/No/Unsure questions, 8 of those had more No responses than Yes Average number of Yes responses by an institution: 5 out of 13 Four institutions had 10+ Yes responses Implementation is occurring, but there is room to increase practices in TICUA member institutions

Findings Focus Group and Interview Demographics Case Study #4 9 students (25%) Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Dominican Republic 5 fac/staff Case Study #3 7 students (8%) Mexico, Ecuador, El Salvador 4 fac/staff Case Study #2 5 students (11%) Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Puerto Rico 2 fac/staff Case Study #1 8 students (24%) Mexico, Cuba, Colombia 8 fac/staff

Findings Five themes emerged from Interviews: Administrative Commitment, Relationships, Financial Commitment, Intentionality, Student Support Four themes emerged from Focus Groups: Financial Incentives, Institutional Fit, Campus Community, Influences

Findings – Interview Themes Mentioned by participants at all four institutions “In word and deed” “Champion” “I want [the institution] to be, to come to a point where we don’t have to talk about diversity because we are diversity. I want us to be the leading example of it.” Administrative Commitment

Findings – Interview Themes Faculty-student relationships: “faculty availability,” “bicultural,” “mentoring” “You know, our faculty is not afraid to pull the students, out of class and say, okay, you’re slacking. And it’s not a, what are you dealing with what’s wrong with you. It’s okay, I see this. What’s going on? Is it life? Is it the class? Is it the professor? What could we do to help?” Relationships

Findings – Interview Themes Financial commitment was defined as the institution’s willingness to ensure financial resources are allocated for recruiting and retaining Latino, and other minority, students Manifested in values, budgets, and various means of providing financial assistance Direct aid to the student or allocation of funds Creative, flexible, case-by-case Financial Commitment

Findings – Interview Themes Mentioned at all four case study institutions Intentionality and deliberativeness demonstrated value and showed priority to Latino students Examples: Formal diversity positions, Community partnerships, Family outreach, Development of faculty and staff Intentionality

Findings – Interview Themes Student support services help to acclimate to college life and encourage retention Examples: Formal diversity office on campus, mentoring programs, community partnerships, and clubs that value diversity Student Support

Findings – Focus Group Themes Money was the most significant barrier for students when considering college Scholarships & grants specific to Latinos or students of color opened doors “…the scholarship is really what got me here.” Undocumented students – greater reliance on private donors and institutional aid Financial Incentives

Findings – Focus Group Themes Specific codes: fate, welcoming, school size, comfort, Christian environment, relational, polite, and safety Environment “I believe [the institution] not only helps grow the students academically, but also morally and spiritually, and I think that’s just a big part of being human after they get out of [the institution].” “It’s like we’re all family and most of the time we know each other because it’s a small campus.” Institutional Fit

Findings – Focus Group Themes Communion and Unity “I think everyone is really, like, united.” Student-to-student “The family that I formed here, that’s what makes me stay here.” Faculty-to-student “I think the professors have a lot to do with it because the professors are incredibly open to speak to you, get to know you…invite you to their home.” Opportunities to engage the community off campus Campus Community

Findings – Focus Group Themes Institutional or Personal Institutional Influences: prestige, mentoring, tutoring, Admissions recruiter, partnerships, organizations, professional connections Personal Influences: Family, motivation for a better life, sense of obligation “You stay in [home city], you go to the same community college that your mother went to…and you do like one of the five or six well-paying jobs there, you know, and then you get married and you have kids and your kids go to the same schools that you went to. It’s a cycle. It’s very much a cycle.” Influences

Recommendations Institutional leaders demonstrate commitment to serving the Latino student population Provide financial aid that is specific to Latino students Create a multicultural affairs department or office Develop community partnerships Increase the cultural competence of faculty and staff

Discussion Questions Which recommendation(s) would you implement at your institution? Does one recommendation stand out as most important for your institution? If so, why? Do you have a “champion” on campus, ready to implement your recommendations? What community partners exist in your area? How can you work with these partners to increase Latino enrollment and improve their experiences on campus? Which recommendation(s) seem “out of reach” for your institution right now? Why?

Questions?