The questions you are asking about how organizational behavior impacts and affects different populations - specifically Hispanic Serving Institutions - has the potential to create a significant impact.  Servingness is an interesting word - and one that is worth considering.  It seems as if students in the program are both being served as they pursue education as well as serving others through their outreach. This program definitely sounds like a win-win for all involved.

Thank you, Christine, for your post. Having a better understanding of what it means to serve students from an organizational perspective can help drive positive change for Hispanic student success.

Welcome everyone to the CAHSI video presentation. The video highlights a research case study centered on  organization behavior and structures that support “Hispanic servingness.” As stated by Dr. Nunez, an institution that serves Hispanics incorporates an organizational identity that not only promotes Hispanic students’ outcomes, but does so in ways that affirm and support Hispanic students’ cultural and familial backgrounds. We hope that the video motivates you to want to learn more about CAHSI's efforts.

What an inspiring case study that shows the importance of intentionality and the impact of strategic, collaborative and data driven practices to improve the numbers of LatinX students successfully obtaining degrees in computing sciences. I noticed that the student you featured (Bianca) not only obtain two degrees but was committed to serving other students as an integral part of her education.  Is this typical of the students involved?  What types of support are faculty provided to foster student success?  Do you have examples to share? 

Nancy, thanks for your thoughtful comments and questions. Bianca's experience of entering computing sciences, having access to multidimensional support (including culturally relevant leadership opportunities), and wanting to "give back" to Latinx and other minoritized communities in the discipline was not unusual. For example, the research team heard stories of students who initially entered the lucrative field to "get their money" but expanded their goals to include supporting fellow students and their broader communities. 

Leaders including department chairs and staff facilitated access for faculty to an array of resources, including those to coordinate undergraduate research experiences. They helped faculty assemble different funding - from departmental, institutional, and/or external sources - to create such opportunities for students. They also helped faculty coordinate with other resources - such as university-wide research days - where students could present their research findings to others on campus and even their own families. 

Faculty received professional development in teaching strategies such as peer-led team learning, problem solving coursework, and the collaborative affinity research group model. And faculty, administrators, and staff from CAHSI departments met regularly to discuss implementation and improvement of an array of key student success practices.

Andrea Tirres leads our CAHSI Student Scholars leadership program, a program dedicated to CAHSI Scholars. Every year, CAHSI names students from CAHSI institutions who have demonstrated contributions and continued commitment to impact their community and advance their computing knowledge and skills. Scholars are announced during a ceremony at the annual Great Minds in STEM conference, where they receive a CAHSI Scholar pin and a monetary award provided by Google and Reboot Representation. SSLP is part of a larger CAHSI initiative to build inclusive learning environments at CAHSI institutions. The program empowers CAHSI Scholars to become agents of change by providing them with the training, tools, and practices needed to support diverse and inclusive environments.

Terrific project! Are internships a component of your program? In our work we found that industry entry-level job require 1-2 years of work experience. How are you helping Hispanic students with this hurdle, and as in the UNL project, are you finding that students are requesting internships vs research experience opportunities? If so, how is this impacting student retention and your research? 

Thanks for the question, Anna. There is definitely interest in internships as well as research. CAHSI’s partnership with Great Minds in STEM has been an opportunity to connect students with industry and internship opportunities through student participation in the career fair, students networking with professionals in technical and professional development sessions, and industry/student collaboration in the college bowl. Students with previous experiences in internships who serve as Scholars or Advocates in the past have chosen to develop workshops for their peers to help prepare them for internship application, and the CAHSI network distributes information about research and internship opportunities through regional connectors. 

Hi Anna, Thank you for your question! Internships play a huge role for the CAHSI students. Faculty and staff have created partnerships with industry to help connect students to opportunities. Additionally, like Sarah shared faculty, staff and peers continuously promote and encourage students to apply for internship opportunities and often walk students through the application process. Many of the students we interviewed for our study secured an internship after attending national computing conferences like Great Minds in STEM. These internship opportunities are not only essential for retaining students in the major but play an important role in helping students solidify their science identity. Please let us know if you have additional questions.

I love this focus on servingness and especially in the context of HSIs and the way they "serve" Hispanic students. 

CAHSI is clearly a model of excellence for the impact strategic alliances can have on shifting CS opportunity and outcomes. 

I'd love to learn more about what you perceive to be key lessons learned in your experiences structuring, researching and leading CAHSI/INCLUDES ALLIANCE efforts? 

Also, as a pioneer-leader in the strategic university alliance space, what do you view as critical needs and  opportunities for the future for this important work?

Thanks, Justice, for your questions.  CAHSI has various examples of programs, like CAHSI Advocates and Scholars, that demonstrate there is a potential for incorporating a sense of ethical and cultural responsibility to the public good in computing. The idea that there are several strategies that can be applied to enhance computing students' sense of social justice and capacity to serve diverse communities was the focus of the research discussed in the article: https://www.edsurge.com/news/2021-03-15-let-s-t....

Hello everyone, my name is Giancarlo Garcia Deleon, and I am a 4th-year student at CSU, Stanislaus. I have been a CAHSI Student Advocate and a CAHSI Scholar for the past year. Throughout the last year, I've had the opportunity to present students with opportunities they may not have been exposed to otherwise, and connections and mentorships with other highly successful students. I have also worked hard to foster an environment where students could learn new things, develop applications themselves, help others learn, and have the capabilities to pay it forward.

As early as my Freshman year at CSU, Stanislaus, I've had the privilege to attend my institution while being part of the S-STEM Scholarship Program, funded by the National Science Foundation. The scholarship program allowed me to partake in the GMiS and CAHSI Summit, typically held to encourage students like me to become a discoverer of computer science. GMiS's career fair has provided me with internship opportunities to feel like I belong in tech. More than that, it has helped me become more involved in my field of study and helped me pay it forward.

Hello all,

Thank you so much for everyone’s comments and questions. It is amazing for me to see so much involvement with this video and with CAHSI. 

My name is Montserrat Molina, I am an undergraduate CS student at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and a current CAHSI Student Scholar. Throughout the past academic school year, I have had the privilege to help my fellow students, all the way from Freshmen to Seniors, learn about how to get an internship, scholarships, and about how to get involved on campus. I love reaching out to others and giving back to my community, and being a part of CAHSI has not only allowed me to do that, but has also given me the support and resources for me to do so. 

I believe I saw someone mention in their comment something about CAHSI being both about providing opportunities for students and also about having the students themselves provide more opportunities to their fellow peers. This could not be more true. The thing that is really unique about CAHSI is precisely the way in which it is not just faculty members who organize events/workshops for other students - it is also students. It is the embodiment of “students helping students”, which I find to be amazing and also a great way to get even more students involved. 

I hope to continue to be involved with CAHSI even after I graduate. It is definitely one of the best ways to establish a pipeline that goes all the way from students, to faculty, to professionals in industry. 

Hi Montserrat, we appreciate learning more about your experiences building community for other students in your department and in the CAHSI network. Thanks for all your efforts and contributions!

Thank you so much for this needed work! I love seeing CAHSI in action. 

I just recently learned about CAHSI and their great initiatives from colleagues at Leidos, and have participated in just a few STEM promoting events as an industry panel member, but look forward to joining more in the future!  Thanks for all that you do!

Ana, thanks for your involvement! CAHSI is excited to continue and expand working with industry partners to promote equity in computing and technology.

I am moved by the networking that these posts represent. I see strong minded, successful people focused on promoting hope and outreach as life wide skills. Best of luck.