As the general population of Latinxs in the United States burgeons, so does the population of college-going Latinx students. With more Latinxs entering college, the number of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), which are not-for-profit, degree granting postsecondary institutions that enroll at least 25% Latinxs, also grows, with 523 institutions now meeting the enrollment threshold to become HSIs. But as they increase in number, the question remains: What does it mean to serve Latinx students?This edited book, Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) in Practice: Defining 'Servingness' at HSIs, fills an important gap in the literature. It features the stories of faculty, staff, and administrators who are defining 'servingness' in practice at HSIs. Servingness is conceptualized as the ability of HSIs to enroll and educate Latinx students through a culturally enhancing approach that centers Latinx ways of knowing and being, with the goal of providing transformative experiences that lead to both academic and non-academic outcomes. In this book, practitioners tell their stories of success in defining servingness at HSIs. Specifically, they provide empirical and practical evidence of the results and outcomes of federally funded HSI grants, including those funded by Department of Education Title III and V grants.This edited book is ideal for higher education practitioners and scholars searching for best practices for HSIs in the United States. Administrators at HSIs, including presidents, provosts, deans, and boards of trustees, will find the book useful as they seek out ways to effectively serve Latinx and other minoritized students. Faculty who teach in higher education graduate programs can use the book to highlight practitioner engaged scholarship. Legislators and policy advocates, who fight for funding and support for HSIs at the federal level, can use the book to inform and shape a research-based Latinx educational policy agenda.The book is essential as it provides a framework that simplifies the complex phenomenon known as servingness. As HSIs become more significant in the U.S. higher education landscape, books that provide empirically based, practical examples of servingness are necessary.

As the general population of Latinxs in the United States burgeons, so does the population of college-going Latinx students. With more Latinxs entering college, the number of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), which are not-for-profit, degree granting postsecondary institutions that enroll at least 25% Latinxs, also grows, with 523 institutions now meeting the enrollment threshold to become HSIs. But as they increase in number, the question remains: What does it mean to serve Latinx students?This edited book, Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) in Practice: Defining 'Servingness' at HSIs, fills an important gap in the literature. It features the stories of faculty, staff, and administrators who are defining 'servingness' in practice at HSIs. Servingness is conceptualized as the ability of HSIs to enroll and educate Latinx students through a culturally enhancing approach that centers Latinx ways of knowing and being, with the goal of providing transformative experiences that lead to both academic and non-academic outcomes. In this book, practitioners tell their stories of success in defining servingness at HSIs. Specifically, they provide empirical and practical evidence of the results and outcomes of federally funded HSI grants, including those funded by Department of Education Title III and V grants.This edited book is ideal for higher education practitioners and scholars searching for best practices for HSIs in the United States. Administrators at HSIs, including presidents, provosts, deans, and boards of trustees, will find the book useful as they seek out ways to effectively serve Latinx and other minoritized students. Faculty who teach in higher education graduate programs can use the book to highlight practitioner engaged scholarship. Legislators and policy advocates, who fight for funding and support for HSIs at the federal level, can use the book to inform and shape a research-based Latinx educational policy agenda.The book is essential as it provides a framework that simplifies the complex phenomenon known as servingness. As HSIs become more significant in the U.S. higher education landscape, books that provide empirically based, practical examples of servingness are necessary.

As the first scholarly book of its kind, this edited volume brings together educational leadership scholars and practitioners from across the country whose research focuses on the unique contributions and struggles that Latinas across the diaspora face while leading in schools and districts. The limited though growing scholarship on Latina administrators indicates their assets, particularly those rooted in their sociocultural, linguistic, and racial/ethnic backgrounds, their cultura, are undervalued in research and practice (Hernandez & Murakami, 2016; Martinez, Rivera, & Marquez, 2019; Mendez-Morse, 2000; Mendez-Morse, Murakami, Byrne-Jimenez, & Hernandez, 2015). At the same time, Latina administrators have reported challenges related to: isolation (Hernandez & Murakami, 2016), a lack of mentoring (Mendez-Morse, 2004), resistance from those who expect a more linear, hierarchical form of leadership (Gonzales, Ulloa, & Munoz, 2016), balancing varying professional and personal roles and aspirations (Murakami-Ramalho, 2008), as well as racism, sexism, and ageism (Bagula, 2016; Martinez, Marquez, Cantu, & Rocha, 2016).The impetus for this book is to acknowledge, explore, theorize, and expand our understanding of how Latinas’ success as school and district leaders is informed by such gifts, including their prioritizing of familia and communidad, relationship building, reciprocity, and advocacy, in the face of such challenges. Thus, this volume covers four topical areas: 1) Testimonies and reflections from the field/Testimonios y reflexiones del campo, 2) Leading in relationship, comadrismo, with and for community/Liderazgo en relación, comadrismo, con y para la omunidad, 3) School community leaders(hip)/Lider(azgo) escolar y comunitario 4) Learning from the experiences of others/Aprendiendo de las experiencias de otras.

As the first scholarly book of its kind, this edited volume brings together educational leadership scholars and practitioners from across the country whose research focuses on the unique contributions and struggles that Latinas across the diaspora face while leading in schools and districts. The limited though growing scholarship on Latina administrators indicates their assets, particularly those rooted in their sociocultural, linguistic, and racial/ethnic backgrounds, their cultura, are undervalued in research and practice (Hernandez & Murakami, 2016; Martinez, Rivera, & Marquez, 2019; Mendez-Morse, 2000; Mendez-Morse, Murakami, Byrne-Jimenez, & Hernandez, 2015). At the same time, Latina administrators have reported challenges related to: isolation (Hernandez & Murakami, 2016), a lack of mentoring (Mendez-Morse, 2004), resistance from those who expect a more linear, hierarchical form of leadership (Gonzales, Ulloa, & Munoz, 2016), balancing varying professional and personal roles and aspirations (Murakami-Ramalho, 2008), as well as racism, sexism, and ageism (Bagula, 2016; Martinez, Marquez, Cantu, & Rocha, 2016).The impetus for this book is to acknowledge, explore, theorize, and expand our understanding of how Latinas’ success as school and district leaders is informed by such gifts, including their prioritizing of familia and communidad, relationship building, reciprocity, and advocacy, in the face of such challenges. Thus, this volume covers four topical areas: 1) Testimonies and reflections from the field/Testimonios y reflexiones del campo, 2) Leading in relationship, comadrismo, with and for community/Liderazgo en relación, comadrismo, con y para la omunidad, 3) School community leaders(hip)/Lider(azgo) escolar y comunitario 4) Learning from the experiences of others/Aprendiendo de las experiencias de otras.

Storied Advice for Aspiring Latinas in Educational Leadership is a powerful anthology of lived wisdom, resilience, and cultural pride. Co-edited by Latina practitioners and researchers in K–12 and higher education, this collection offers deeply personal and transformative guidance for the next generation of Latina leaders.Each chapter is a heartfelt consejo—a culturally rooted piece of advice—passed down with love, intention, and the hope of lighting the path for others. In Latino/a culture, consejos are more than words; they are teaching tools, vessels of shared knowledge, and acts of resistance against erasure. Through these stories, readers gain insight into the non-traditional and often challenging journeys of Latina educators who have carved out space in leadership despite systemic barriers. This book speaks directly to every Latina who has ever been told, “Calladita te miras más bonita”—you look prettier when you're quiet. The authors respond in one unified voice, rejecting silence and embracing the power of truth-telling. Their experiences confront the realities of the glass ceiling, cultural stereotypes, and the lack of representation in leadership roles, while offering hope, strategy, and solidarity. Whether you're an aspiring educator, a seasoned leader, or someone seeking to understand the Latina experience in education, this book is a call to action, a celebration of identity, and a roadmap for change.

Storied Advice for Aspiring Latinas in Educational Leadership is a powerful anthology of lived wisdom, resilience, and cultural pride. Co-edited by Latina practitioners and researchers in K–12 and higher education, this collection offers deeply personal and transformative guidance for the next generation of Latina leaders.Each chapter is a heartfelt consejo—a culturally rooted piece of advice—passed down with love, intention, and the hope of lighting the path for others. In Latino/a culture, consejos are more than words; they are teaching tools, vessels of shared knowledge, and acts of resistance against erasure. Through these stories, readers gain insight into the non-traditional and often challenging journeys of Latina educators who have carved out space in leadership despite systemic barriers. This book speaks directly to every Latina who has ever been told, “Calladita te miras más bonita”—you look prettier when you're quiet. The authors respond in one unified voice, rejecting silence and embracing the power of truth-telling. Their experiences confront the realities of the glass ceiling, cultural stereotypes, and the lack of representation in leadership roles, while offering hope, strategy, and solidarity. Whether you're an aspiring educator, a seasoned leader, or someone seeking to understand the Latina experience in education, this book is a call to action, a celebration of identity, and a roadmap for change.

Awarded the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) Edited Volume Book of the Year 2025As the transfer disparity persists among Latina/o/x community college students and continues to widen for those seeking to complete their baccalaureate degree, we asked ourselves three questions:(1) How do Latina/o/x community college students navigate the transfer preparation and decision-making process?(2) Once at the university, how do Latina/o/x transfer students negotiate their identities and lived experiences as they persist towards graduation and beyond? (3) What policies, practices, and programs at both two-and four-year institutions facilitate access, persistence, and completion for Latina/o/x community college/transfer students?These reflections prompted us to seek answers. This is the first edited book to provide much needed theoretical and empirical insights on Latina/o/x students who enter postsecondary education through the community college.Our book offers a comprehensive outlook on the pre- and post-transfer experiences of Latina/o/x students written by scholars and scholar practitioners working in the field of higher education. In addition, we include specific sections that speak directly to policies, practices, and theory that address transfer pathways for Latina/o/x community college and transfer students.

As the general population of Latinxs in the United States burgeons, so does the population of college-going Latinx students. With more Latinxs entering college, the number of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), which are not-for-profit, degree granting postsecondary institutions that enroll at least 25% Latinxs, also grows, with 523 institutions now meeting the enrollment threshold to become HSIs. But as they increase in number, the question remains: What does it mean to serve Latinx students?This edited book, Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) in Practice: Defining 'Servingness' at HSIs, fills an important gap in the literature. It features the stories of faculty, staff, and administrators who are defining 'servingness' in practice at HSIs. Servingness is conceptualized as the ability of HSIs to enroll and educate Latinx students through a culturally enhancing approach that centers Latinx ways of knowing and being, with the goal of providing transformative experiences that lead to both academic and non-academic outcomes. In this book, practitioners tell their stories of success in defining servingness at HSIs. Specifically, they provide empirical and practical evidence of the results and outcomes of federally funded HSI grants, including those funded by Department of Education Title III and V grants.This edited book is ideal for higher education practitioners and scholars searching for best practices for HSIs in the United States. Administrators at HSIs, including presidents, provosts, deans, and boards of trustees, will find the book useful as they seek out ways to effectively serve Latinx and other minoritized students. Faculty who teach in higher education graduate programs can use the book to highlight practitioner engaged scholarship. Legislators and policy advocates, who fight for funding and support for HSIs at the federal level, can use the book to inform and shape a research-based Latinx educational policy agenda.The book is essential as it provides a framework that simplifies the complex phenomenon known as servingness. As HSIs become more significant in the U.S. higher education landscape, books that provide empirically based, practical examples of servingness are necessary.

As the general population of Latinxs in the United States burgeons, so does the population of college-going Latinx students. With more Latinxs entering college, the number of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), which are not-for-profit, degree granting postsecondary institutions that enroll at least 25% Latinxs, also grows, with 523 institutions now meeting the enrollment threshold to become HSIs. But as they increase in number, the question remains: What does it mean to serve Latinx students?This edited book, Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) in Practice: Defining 'Servingness' at HSIs, fills an important gap in the literature. It features the stories of faculty, staff, and administrators who are defining 'servingness' in practice at HSIs. Servingness is conceptualized as the ability of HSIs to enroll and educate Latinx students through a culturally enhancing approach that centers Latinx ways of knowing and being, with the goal of providing transformative experiences that lead to both academic and non-academic outcomes. In this book, practitioners tell their stories of success in defining servingness at HSIs. Specifically, they provide empirical and practical evidence of the results and outcomes of federally funded HSI grants, including those funded by Department of Education Title III and V grants.This edited book is ideal for higher education practitioners and scholars searching for best practices for HSIs in the United States. Administrators at HSIs, including presidents, provosts, deans, and boards of trustees, will find the book useful as they seek out ways to effectively serve Latinx and other minoritized students. Faculty who teach in higher education graduate programs can use the book to highlight practitioner engaged scholarship. Legislators and policy advocates, who fight for funding and support for HSIs at the federal level, can use the book to inform and shape a research-based Latinx educational policy agenda.The book is essential as it provides a framework that simplifies the complex phenomenon known as servingness. As HSIs become more significant in the U.S. higher education landscape, books that provide empirically based, practical examples of servingness are necessary.

As the first scholarly book of its kind, this edited volume brings together educational leadership scholars and practitioners from across the country whose research focuses on the unique contributions and struggles that Latinas across the diaspora face while leading in schools and districts. The limited though growing scholarship on Latina administrators indicates their assets, particularly those rooted in their sociocultural, linguistic, and racial/ethnic backgrounds, their cultura, are undervalued in research and practice (Hernandez & Murakami, 2016; Martinez, Rivera, & Marquez, 2019; Mendez-Morse, 2000; Mendez-Morse, Murakami, Byrne-Jimenez, & Hernandez, 2015). At the same time, Latina administrators have reported challenges related to: isolation (Hernandez & Murakami, 2016), a lack of mentoring (Mendez-Morse, 2004), resistance from those who expect a more linear, hierarchical form of leadership (Gonzales, Ulloa, & Munoz, 2016), balancing varying professional and personal roles and aspirations (Murakami-Ramalho, 2008), as well as racism, sexism, and ageism (Bagula, 2016; Martinez, Marquez, Cantu, & Rocha, 2016).The impetus for this book is to acknowledge, explore, theorize, and expand our understanding of how Latinas’ success as school and district leaders is informed by such gifts, including their prioritizing of familia and communidad, relationship building, reciprocity, and advocacy, in the face of such challenges. Thus, this volume covers four topical areas: 1) Testimonies and reflections from the field/Testimonios y reflexiones del campo, 2) Leading in relationship, comadrismo, with and for community/Liderazgo en relación, comadrismo, con y para la omunidad, 3) School community leaders(hip)/Lider(azgo) escolar y comunitario 4) Learning from the experiences of others/Aprendiendo de las experiencias de otras.

As the first scholarly book of its kind, this edited volume brings together educational leadership scholars and practitioners from across the country whose research focuses on the unique contributions and struggles that Latinas across the diaspora face while leading in schools and districts. The limited though growing scholarship on Latina administrators indicates their assets, particularly those rooted in their sociocultural, linguistic, and racial/ethnic backgrounds, their cultura, are undervalued in research and practice (Hernandez & Murakami, 2016; Martinez, Rivera, & Marquez, 2019; Mendez-Morse, 2000; Mendez-Morse, Murakami, Byrne-Jimenez, & Hernandez, 2015). At the same time, Latina administrators have reported challenges related to: isolation (Hernandez & Murakami, 2016), a lack of mentoring (Mendez-Morse, 2004), resistance from those who expect a more linear, hierarchical form of leadership (Gonzales, Ulloa, & Munoz, 2016), balancing varying professional and personal roles and aspirations (Murakami-Ramalho, 2008), as well as racism, sexism, and ageism (Bagula, 2016; Martinez, Marquez, Cantu, & Rocha, 2016).The impetus for this book is to acknowledge, explore, theorize, and expand our understanding of how Latinas’ success as school and district leaders is informed by such gifts, including their prioritizing of familia and communidad, relationship building, reciprocity, and advocacy, in the face of such challenges. Thus, this volume covers four topical areas: 1) Testimonies and reflections from the field/Testimonios y reflexiones del campo, 2) Leading in relationship, comadrismo, with and for community/Liderazgo en relación, comadrismo, con y para la omunidad, 3) School community leaders(hip)/Lider(azgo) escolar y comunitario 4) Learning from the experiences of others/Aprendiendo de las experiencias de otras.

Storied Advice for Aspiring Latinas in Educational Leadership is a powerful anthology of lived wisdom, resilience, and cultural pride. Co-edited by Latina practitioners and researchers in K–12 and higher education, this collection offers deeply personal and transformative guidance for the next generation of Latina leaders.Each chapter is a heartfelt consejo—a culturally rooted piece of advice—passed down with love, intention, and the hope of lighting the path for others. In Latino/a culture, consejos are more than words; they are teaching tools, vessels of shared knowledge, and acts of resistance against erasure. Through these stories, readers gain insight into the non-traditional and often challenging journeys of Latina educators who have carved out space in leadership despite systemic barriers. This book speaks directly to every Latina who has ever been told, “Calladita te miras más bonita”—you look prettier when you're quiet. The authors respond in one unified voice, rejecting silence and embracing the power of truth-telling. Their experiences confront the realities of the glass ceiling, cultural stereotypes, and the lack of representation in leadership roles, while offering hope, strategy, and solidarity. Whether you're an aspiring educator, a seasoned leader, or someone seeking to understand the Latina experience in education, this book is a call to action, a celebration of identity, and a roadmap for change.

Storied Advice for Aspiring Latinas in Educational Leadership is a powerful anthology of lived wisdom, resilience, and cultural pride. Co-edited by Latina practitioners and researchers in K–12 and higher education, this collection offers deeply personal and transformative guidance for the next generation of Latina leaders.Each chapter is a heartfelt consejo—a culturally rooted piece of advice—passed down with love, intention, and the hope of lighting the path for others. In Latino/a culture, consejos are more than words; they are teaching tools, vessels of shared knowledge, and acts of resistance against erasure. Through these stories, readers gain insight into the non-traditional and often challenging journeys of Latina educators who have carved out space in leadership despite systemic barriers. This book speaks directly to every Latina who has ever been told, “Calladita te miras más bonita”—you look prettier when you're quiet. The authors respond in one unified voice, rejecting silence and embracing the power of truth-telling. Their experiences confront the realities of the glass ceiling, cultural stereotypes, and the lack of representation in leadership roles, while offering hope, strategy, and solidarity. Whether you're an aspiring educator, a seasoned leader, or someone seeking to understand the Latina experience in education, this book is a call to action, a celebration of identity, and a roadmap for change.

Awarded the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) Edited Volume Book of the Year 2025As the transfer disparity persists among Latina/o/x community college students and continues to widen for those seeking to complete their baccalaureate degree, we asked ourselves three questions:(1) How do Latina/o/x community college students navigate the transfer preparation and decision-making process?(2) Once at the university, how do Latina/o/x transfer students negotiate their identities and lived experiences as they persist towards graduation and beyond? (3) What policies, practices, and programs at both two-and four-year institutions facilitate access, persistence, and completion for Latina/o/x community college/transfer students?These reflections prompted us to seek answers. This is the first edited book to provide much needed theoretical and empirical insights on Latina/o/x students who enter postsecondary education through the community college.Our book offers a comprehensive outlook on the pre- and post-transfer experiences of Latina/o/x students written by scholars and scholar practitioners working in the field of higher education. In addition, we include specific sections that speak directly to policies, practices, and theory that address transfer pathways for Latina/o/x community college and transfer students.