Increasing Success Among Diverse Student Populations

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8 This chapter introduces Institutional Undocu-Competence (IUC), an institutional capacity framework emerging from a critical analysis of cultural competence, aimed to inform community colleges’ efforts to better support the growing undocumented student population.

Undocumented Students at the Community College: Creating Institutional Capacity

Jéssica I. Valenzuela, William Perez, Iliana Perez, Gloria Itzel Montiel, Gabriel Chaparro

As undocumented students become more represented on college campuses, there is a growing need to establish appropriate institutional practices to support them. Community colleges serve as the primary gateway to higher education for undocumented students due to the significant savings in tu- ition costs and the flexibility in enrollment options, yet few studies have ex- amined how institutions can build capacity to support undocumented stu- dent enrollment, retention, and academic success (e.g., Chen, 2013). The unfair treatment of undocumented immigrants in their pursuit of higher education is well documented in prior research and thus will not be ad- dressed in depth in this chapter (e.g., Pérez, 2010, 2011). Rather, the present chapter proposes clear steps toward strengthening what we call Institutional Undocu-Competence (IUC), an institutional capacity framework, to assess how well community colleges are serving this student population.

IUC emerges from a critique of cultural competence (Kumagai & Lyp- son, 2009). Cultural competence in higher education has largely focused on merely promoting awareness of diversity and equality while failing to hold institutions accountable for changes to improve equity for under- served populations with particular needs, such as undocumented students. IUC draws from social justice frameworks by demanding action from in- stitutions serving undocumented students. Our previous research suggests that in order for institutions of higher education to build IUC they must

Understanding Equity in Community College Practice : New Directions for Community Colleges, Number 172, edited by Erin L. Castro, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2015. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/capella/detail.action?docID=4187279. Created from capella on 2020-08-27 05:35:47.

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88 UNDERSTANDING EQUITY IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE PRACTICE

challenge themselves by training faculty and staff, advocating for students, building appropriate college outreach and recruitment procedures, increas- ing financial aid, supporting undocumented student organizations on cam- pus, providing appropriate health and psychological services, and creating a visible welcoming campus environment. The following section provides a discussion of the necessary steps to develop IUC.

Why Are Undocumented Students an Equity Issue?

The U.S. higher education system has made important progress in the past decade to increase the enrollment, retention, and degree completion of im- migrant students. However, undocumented students continue to face cam- pus marginalization and discrimination. To be fully inclusive of all immi- grant students, higher education institutions need to focus on addressing the various challenges faced by undocumented students (Dozier, 1995).

The lack of federal immigration reform laws has resulted in a wide range of localized enforcement of immigration laws that vary dramatically from state to state. Whereas some states have adopted policies that extend the rights of immigrant communities including eligibility for drivers’ li- censes, student loans, and professional licenses, other states have adopted policies that are restrictive and punitive in nature, denying basic needs such as health care and education and criminalizing undocumented status. In light of the variability of contexts that undocumented students navigate, we call on institutions of higher education to consistently and openly sup- port this underserved population.

Policy and Assessment Recommendations

Given the risks associated with disclosing immigration status and the poten- tial fear of retribution faced by students and their advocates and allies, cam- pus policies should ensure confidentiality. Furthermore, institutions should make their position in support of undocumented students clear and visible through written policy so as to prevent stigmatization of undocumented students by deeming their presence a secret. Such policies would encour- age students to seek necessary academic and social support and participate in campus assessment efforts without fear of disclosing their status.

IUC embraces an understanding of the resilience to the challenges faced by undocumented students. In order to better understand undoc- umented student needs, institutions must implement a campus assess- ment centered on the input of undocumented students while considering the experiences of advocates and allies. Various data collection methods should be implemented in order to obtain diverse input. For example, focus groups and one-on-one interviews may provide depth and breadth of data from students who feel comfortable sharing their experience with school staff, faculty, and administration. Anonymous online survey methods may

NEW DIRECTIONS FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES • DOI: 10.1002/cc Understanding Equity in Community College Practice : New Directions for Community Colleges, Number 172, edited by Erin L. Castro, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2015. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/capella/detail.action?docID=4187279. Created from capella on 2020-08-27 05:35:47.

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UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE 89

complement this information with input from students who either do not feel comfortable sharing their experiences openly or whose time demands do not allow for them to meet with school representatives beyond their aca- demic responsibilities.

Institutional assessments should examine and modify administrative procedures that may inadvertently stigmatize students. For example, many undocumented students have been discouraged from applying to college or completing their degrees due to their status by recruitment or finan- cial aid staff who are not properly trained to answer undocumented stu- dents’ questions about the support available to them. Another example is when students find out an application for admissions does not allow for them to select “Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient” or “undocumented” as their legal status and they are forced to choose an option that does not accurately describe their experi- ence and needs. Yet another example is when undocumented students are wrongfully classified as international students. These examples are a few of many processes that stigmatize students by not recognizing their unique cir- cumstances in institutional policies or procedures to validate their presence within the student body.

Because immigration policies change constantly, IUC needs assessment should be a continuous and ongoing process. Although institutional as- sessment results may vary depending on local contexts, in the next sec- tion we provide several suggestions based on previous research as a starting point for institutions to gather baseline information. Undocumented stu- dents’ needs include specifically tailored college outreach and recruitment, advocacy, financial aid, institutional support for student groups, and men- tal health services. IUC requires action on behalf of the institution and its representatives, placing training of college faculty and staff at the core of its execution. The importance of training college faculty and staff is discussed in the next section followed by an in-depth discussion of students’ needs.

Training College Faculty and Staff

Training college faculty and staff is one of the first steps toward IUC because it solidifies the institution’s commitment to undocumented students. School personnel need to be knowledgeable about the unique circumstances that limit undocumented student enrollment, retention, transfer, and gradua- tion. Once faculty, counselors, admissions staff, financial aid officers, and registrars are informed, they will be better able to establish institutional policies and procedures to reduce instances of exclusion and marginality. The risks and stigma associated with disclosing their undocumented status make finding allies an arduous process for undocumented students. Stu- dents may erroneously assume that professionals or faculty who share their ethnic background will be sympathetic to their situation only to find the opposite to be true upon disclosing their status. Undocumented students

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are often scrutinized and humiliated by admissions and registrar office per- sonnel when they seek services and as a consequence, they develop great anxiety. Furthermore, undocumented students often experience microag- gressions in the form of intentional and unintentional everyday insults, in- dignities, and demeaning messages that perpetuate inequities by conveying oppressive ideologies. IUC training should include ways to identify and ad- dress microaggressions directed at undocumented students.

The more informed student affairs professionals are about the sociopo- litical contexts of undocumented students’ lives, the better they can meet their needs. IUC training should include information about the local, state, and federal laws that affect undocumented students at that particular in- stitution. It is of utmost importance that IUC training highlights the value of undocumented students’ contributions, their resilience, and their legal rights. When undocumented students see that student affairs professionals know about and demonstrate an ethic of care, it increases the likelihood of developing trust, which can result in higher use of student support ser- vices and further assist student affairs professionals in supporting students’ academic achievement and personal growth.

Visible and Open Advocacy

Colleges should establish visible networks of allies to facilitate information dissemination across the campus community. One of the best ways com- munity college personnel can serve undocumented students is to become visible advocates for them. IUC calls for advocates and allies to make them- selves visible to undocumented students because their risk of disclosure as advocate/ally is relatively lower than the risk of disclosure faced by a stu- dent as an undocumented immigrant. Self-identification as advocates and allies by campus personnel reaffirms the institution’s commitment to serv- ing undocumented students (Pérez, Munoz, Alcantar, & Guarneros, 2011).

Advocacy is central to student affairs work, and it should not be re- stricted to students’ lives on campus. Rather, advocacy should include recognition of the ways that the legal and policy contexts off campus shape community college students’ lives. Community college administra- tors can also work to build coalitions and partnerships with grassroots and community-based organizations (CBOs) that advocate for immigrants’ rights. Principles of social justice counseling can also guide efforts to sup- port undocumented students. These efforts should involve addressing is- sues such as poverty, pollution, health care access, street violence, and in- stitutional racism through psychoeducational workshops and conferences in order to promote awareness and further encourage advocacy.

Community college advocates and allies should build trust with undoc- umented students by demonstrating an ethic of care, justice, and autonomy. Students share sensitive information with individuals whom they feel they can trust and who can provide honest, direct, and informed advice while

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UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE 91

protecting their confidentiality. Therefore, it is important for faculty and staff to create safe environments for students by demonstrating an aware- ness of the challenges that undocumented students face. It is critical to be sensitive when a student chooses to disclose his or her immigration sta- tus and even more critical for school personnel to disclose themselves as advocates and allies. The training of school personnel that IUC calls for is a building block for establishing the trust necessary to identify students’ needs, and advocate for students.

College Outreach and Recruitment

College outreach and recruitment are other important areas that require new solutions to the admissions and matriculation difficulties faced by undocu- mented students. Effective college outreach and recruitment efforts need to consider the ways in which undocumented students are systematically ex- cluded from participation in college-prep activities in high school. With a deeper understanding of undocumented students, community colleges can create more effective collaborations with high schools and baccalaureate- awarding institutions to substantially increase undocumented students’ pathways to higher education (Pérez, 2010).

IUC sets the discussion of institutional support for undocumented stu- dents within specific local contexts and calls for active collaboration among institutions. A recommendation for establishing these collaborations would be to identify an IUC committee of staff, faculty, and students at each insti- tution to meet on a regular basis with the IUC committees of nearby insti- tutions to share their progress on strengthening IUC and ways participat- ing institutions can support each other. The meetings of IUC committees should take place among and between high schools, community colleges, baccalaureate-awarding institutions, and graduate professional schools.

It is important to disseminate information about the matriculation process for undocumented students, scholarship and student services pro- grams, and transfer information to high school educators and students. IUC requires that student affairs professionals expand their outreach and recruit- ment beyond the traditional mechanisms of college fairs, campus visits, and high school visits. Because undocumented students may be afraid to seek out information, it is imperative that they are provided with informa- tion on opportunities for legal employment, higher education opportuni- ties, and funding for college. Outreach to undocumented students should also encompass a consistent and long-standing presence in the community to include schools and culturally relevant community locations. When un- documented students receive timely and accurate information about their postsecondary options, they are much more likely to prepare for and apply to college and complete their degrees. It is important to note that like all community college students, undocumented students enroll in community college for various reasons (Jauregui, Slate, & Stallone Brown, 2008). IUC

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urges the institution to identify the goals of undocumented students upon enrolling to tailor student support services accordingly.

It is important to consider that many undocumented students are also first-generation college students. In general, first-generation students select institutions based on the availability of financial aid, proximity to home, and their ability to work while enrolled. Many first-generation undocumented college students feel conflicted between their own desires to pursue postsec- ondary education and their sense of duty to be an integral part of their fam- ily structures. Given these and other dynamics, student affairs practitioners must consider these overlapping factors to ensure that undocumented stu- dents succeed.

Financial Aid

The financial difficulties that undocumented students encounter are among the most difficult obstacle to overcome (Chavez, Soriano, & Oliverez, 2007). Due to the cumbersome nature of the college and scholarship appli- cation processes, undocumented students require significant individualized support. The support and information they receive at school plays a large role in determining whether or not they successfully apply to college and secure financial assistance. Even in states with in-state tuition policies that make college more affordable for undocumented students, many are still unable to afford higher education.

IUC is demonstrated when community college personnel are proactive in providing all available resources for undocumented students. Waiting for students to inquire about financial aid options places the largest amount of responsibility on the student. Recognizing the microaggressions and stig- matizing experiences that undocumented students face when seeking re- sources from financial aid offices, IUC calls for targeted dissemination of resources. One example is creating pamphlets with financial aid information specifically for undocumented students and distributing these in resource centers, cafeterias, classrooms, and bulletin boards outside of the financial aid offices.

IUC is also demonstrated when schools reach beyond their usual limits to raise funds and advocate for undocumented students outside of the insti- tution. Schools should work together with local philanthropic organizations and businesses to develop scholarships specifically for undocumented stu- dents. Because scholarship providers are often unaware of the challenges to college access that undocumented students encounter, the role of campus- based advocates is crucial in educating scholarship providers about the im- portance of extending aid to undocumented students.

Furthermore, IUC calls for institutions to explore other nontraditional ways to provide financial assistance to students such as stipends for special projects or service and awards for books and materials. Because of the vulnerable financial state of undocumented immigrant households,

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community colleges should provide specialized informational sessions on the pitfalls of the student loans for which undocumented students are eligible, which often involve predatory lending practices from private financial institutions and banks. IUC is defined by the institution’s ability to provide necessary information and resources regarding financial aid to undocumented students and advocating on their behalf when working with philanthropic organizations.

Institutional Support for Student Groups

Undocumented-student organizations are critically important sources of support for community college students. The general lack of information among school officials about undocumented students prompted the de- velopment of student-led campus groups that provide information about higher education access to students, parents, teachers and counselors. In California, student information sharing and advocacy within higher edu- cation settings are moving an increasing number of students through Cali- fornia’s public college and university system by drawing on the resources in their student networks. These organizations have pioneered student- initiated recruitment and retention strategies that take into account the pre- college contexts of undocumented students. They draw on the wealth of assets that current and previous undocumented students share from their actual experiences as well as academic research, institutional resources, and the participation of other student and educator allies. By centering on the social contexts of undocumented students’ precollege lives, college student groups validate students’ struggles to persist in higher education as undoc- umented students.

Continuing to recognize and support the efforts of student-led initia- tives demonstrates a high level of commitment on behalf of the school, strengthening relationships between the school and students, which in turn facilitates transmission of information and quality of assessments. Recog- nizing student groups as official school clubs or organizations legitimizes their cause and makes funding opportunities available to support their ef- forts, demonstrating an ethic of autonomy and justice. Including these stu- dent groups in orientation materials and presentations demonstrates to in- coming students an ethic of care.

Health and Psychological Services

Undocumented students may suffer from anxiety and fear and, as a consequence, are likely to develop mental and physical health problems that may place them at risk of dropping out if an effective support system is not in place. To strengthen IUC, the responsibility of training staff and faculty must be shifted away from the student and toward the institution in order to build trusting relationships, through which information can

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be transmitted. In the case of relationships with general and mental health providers, this shift is extremely important, as it is one of the most vulnerable interactions that students must navigate in college.

It is essential that school health providers, including psychologists and counselors, receive thorough training on the socioemotional experiences of undocumented students (Pérez, Cortés, Ramos, & Coronado, 2010). Work- shops focusing on anxiety, alienation, depression, stress management, and posttraumatic stress disorder are just some of the services that can be tai- lored to undocumented students. Colleges should also facilitate student-led peer counseling and social support efforts and provide general information regarding access to health care for undocumented students. These efforts can help reduce student distress, anxiety, and other health concerns, thus reducing or eliminating a major barrier that prevents these students from applying to and persisting at the community college.

Creating a Welcoming Campus Environment

Students who can access campus resources have more opportunities to de- velop personal and professional skills. Undocumented students need in- stitutional supportive staff who are sensitive and empathetic to promote engagement and foster validation. IUC calls for visible support of undocu- mented students and their allies at all levels of interaction with the school. One way to ensure that resources are accessible to all and that the institu- tion’s support of undocumented students is visible is to establish an office of equal standing with other student resource offices where campus-specific resources are accessible to staff, faculty, students, and potential applicants.

Institutions should also help students transfer into accredited bache- lor’s degree–granting institutions and plan for life after college. The identifi- cation of role models and mentors is an important component in the career development process of undocumented students. In some fields or indus- tries, finding these mentors is a challenge, especially with the compounded element of immigration status. Career center staff should work diligently to include allies for undocumented students in their professional networks so that they can refer students to professionals who are willing to help them navigate barriers and become career mentors. Some campus career centers ensure that career counselors are well versed in the needs of undocumented students in order to customize services. These efforts facilitate their full in- tegration into campus life and reaffirm goals beyond community college.

Conclusion

Previous research on 4-year colleges provides a good starting point for con- ceptualizing institutional capacity to serve undocumented students. Com- munity colleges present a conflicting context due to substantially higher enrollment of undocumented students and disparities in the availability of

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institutional resources. Our research suggests that although some commu- nity colleges have implemented various efforts to recruit, enroll, and sup- port undocumented students, others have taken few efforts, if any (Pérez, 2011; Pérez & Cortés, 2011), to support this vastly underserved popula- tion. The IUC framework asserts that it is possible to build institutional support for undocumented students through an ethic of care, justice, and autonomy.

In order to exercise IUC, community colleges should demonstrate an understanding of the challenges that undocumented students overcome in order to access and persist in higher education. Institutions should carefully balance proactively reaching out to meet undocumented students’ needs while recognizing and respecting their autonomy. To do so, institutions must strengthen and tailor existing resources such as mental and physical health, career advising, and financial aid services to serve undocumented students’ needs. Institutions can genuinely reach out to undocumented stu- dents by reducing the perceived social stigma of their status on campus. To do so, institutions should highlight existing networks of allies and advo- cates by publicly affirming their presence through institutionalized train- ing for all personnel and by creating IUC networks across institutions. Fur- thermore, institutions must recognize undocumented students’ resilience by openly supporting platforms through which students can exercise self- advocacy.

References

Chavez, M. L., Soriano, M., & Oliverez, P. (2007). Undocumented students’ access to college: The American dream denied. Latino Studies, 5, 254–263.

Chen, A. C. R. (2013). Undocumented students, institutional allies, and transformative re- sistance: An institutional case study. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles.

Dozier, S. B. (1995). Undocumented immigrant students at an urban community college: A demographic and academic profile. Migration World, 23(1/2), 20–22.

Jauregui, J. A., Slate, J. R., & Stallone Brown, M. (2008). Texas community colleges and characteristics of a growing undocumented student population. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 7(4), 346–355.

Kumagai, A. K., & Lypson, M. L. (2009). Beyond cultural competence: Critical con- sciousness, social justice, and multicultural education. Academic Medicine, 84(6), 782–787.

Pérez, W. (2010). Higher education access for undocumented students: Recommenda- tions for counseling professionals. Journal of College Admission, 206, 32–35.

Pérez, W. (2011). Americans by heart: Undocumented Latino students and the promise of higher education. New York: Teachers College Press.

Pérez, W., & Cortés, R. (2011). Undocumented Latino college students: Their socioemo- tional and academic experiences. Dallas, TX: LFB Scholarly Publishing.

Pérez, W., Cortés, R., Ramos, K., & Coronado, H. (2010). “Cursed and blessed”: Examin- ing the socioemotional and academic experiences of undocumented Latino/a college students. New Directions for Student Services: No. 131. Understanding and supporting undocumented students (pp. 35–51). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

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Pérez, W., Munoz, S., Alcantar, C., & Guarneros, N. (2011). Educators supporting DREAMERS: Becoming an undocumented student ally. In J. Landsman & C. W. Lewis (Eds), White teachers/diverse classrooms: A guide to building inclusive schools, promoting high expectations, and eliminating racism (2nd ed.). Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

JÉSSICA I. VALENZUELA is a doctoral student in the School of Educational Studies at Claremont Graduate University.

WILLIAM PEREZ is an associate professor in the School of Educational Studies at Claremont Graduate University.

ILIANA PEREZ is a doctoral student in the School of Educational Studies at Clare- mont Graduate University.

GLORIA ITZEL MONTIEL is a doctoral student in the School of Educational Studies at Claremont Graduate University. She also serves as the Grants and Contracts Coordinator at Latino Health Access.

GABRIEL CHAPARRO is a doctoral student in the School of Educational Studies at Claremont Graduate University.

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