Beyond the moniker: an in-depth analysis of faculty roles in shared governance when research 1 institutions receive a Hispanic serving-institution designation

Abstract

Minimal research exists for critically examining assistant tenure-track faculty roles in shared governance when Research 1 Institutions receive a Hispanic-Serving Institution federal designation. Additionally, literature is scarce in understanding how department policies at R1s ensure institutional alignment of the HSI designation, or how classroom equity is enacted as it pertains to Latina/os students’ success outcomes. When R1 institutions operate independently from an HSI designation, they perpetuate the cycle of inequity and inequality found within traditional higher learning institutions. Under the guise of organizational theory, undergirded by critical theory and critical consciousness, this study examined the role of 10 assistant tenuretrack faculty at R1 institutions with an HSI designation. Utilizing a qualitative case study approach the findings suggested that assistant tenure-track faculty do have a role in shared governance when R1 institutions are granted a HSI federal designation as well as additional findings in relation to departmental policies and equity in pedagogy as it relates to Latina/os students’ success. The study concludes with the implications of findings and recommendations for future studies.