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Experiences of Commuter Students and Staff at a Hispanic Serving Institution: Norms,

Culture, and Challenges

Jenny Becker, Alejandra Guzman, Katherine Hutto

Department of Counseling and Higher Education, Northern Illinois University

HESA 502: Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice in Higher Education

Dr. Quortne R. Hutchings

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Abstract

The research conducted to produce this essay stemmed from an audit of justice, equity, diversity

and inclusion around a content area of interest. This essay is an attempt to qualitatively answer,

“What is the experience of commuter students at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs).” The

research was conducted by holding individual and group interview sessions via Zoom to

determine the commuter experience through key perspectives; the high-level administrator, the

mid-level manager, and finally through the student voices themselves. Staff participants

highlighted their personal connections to the type of institution, the importance of utilizing

student-centered approaches in addition to the structural practices that were met within their

work. Student participants focused on their holistic decision-making processes, the impact of

faculty support, the benefit of engagement in student life, their motivation to succeed and utilize

campus resources as well as the importance of diversity. With these key themes and trends,

recommendations were provided on how institutions can better embrace their HSI designation

and support students. Also, it can be noted that the original concept of this scholarship was to

compare the commuter experience at two separate HSI institutions, but the multitude of data

obtained during the first round of interviews encouraged us to pivot the scope of our audit.

Keywords: Commuter, Hispanic serving institution, campus resources, engagement, community

colleges
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Experiences of Commuter Students and Staff at a Hispanic Serving Institution: Norms,

Culture, and Challenges

The college experience is complex and unique to each student. Many factors contribute to

the intricacies that students encounter. A few factors are commuter status, socioeconomic status,

campus environments, and institutional supports. In contemplating the nuanced experiences of

students that we previously advised and our personal college experiences, we recognized the

tendency of higher education literature and staff to use “students” and “on-campus students”

synonymously. However, living on-campus is not the reality for many students, particularly

students from the Latino community. In fact, more than half of Latino college students attend

community colleges. According to the American Association of Community Colleges, Latino

students were 27 percent, of the 10.2 million students of all backgrounds enrolled in community

colleges in 2023. Similar trends are seen within the state of Illinois (Illinois Community College

Board, 2018). Most community colleges commonly have no on-campus housing option. There

currently are 559 HSIs and another 393 emerging HSIs across the United States of America and

the number of HSIs is projected to continually increase as Latino students identify college

education as a tool for economic security (Garcia, 2023).To further explore the experiences of

commuter students at HSIs, who we felt were often overlooked by the literature, we considered

the following question in our JEDI audit: “What is the HSI commuter experience among students

at a community college and the staff who serve them?” Our qualitative research revealed key

themes supported by literature and echoed by the professionals and students that we interviewed.

The themes that surfaced from staff interviews were personal connection, student-centered

approaches, and structural practices. In addition to the staff findings, student narratives revealed
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that commuter students utilized holistic decision-making processes when selecting their

educational institution, commuter students engaged in student life, commuters utilized faculty

support, commuters utilized resources, and commuters valued diversity and HSI campuses that

celebrated differences. The findings helped us to understand the present norms, cultures, and

challenges in serving commuter students and led us to provide recommendations for practice.

Literature Review

History of Hispanic Serving Institutions

HSI is an acronym for a Hispanic Serving Institutions. HSI is how the federal

government identifies institutions serving large numbers of Hispanic students. This designation

developed in the early 1990’s after the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities

(HACU) advocacy. In 1979, during hearings to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, various

advocacy groups supported increasing the funding to underfunded “Hispanic colleges.” At the

time 6.9% of the U.S. population was Hispanic, a third of the U.S. minority population.

During the 1979 reauthorization of the HEA the Coalition was recorded as stating, “The

Coalition recognizes the contribution that community colleges make to higher education. We

know that over 50% of Hispanic students start in community colleges. In the past Title III has

received a disproportionately large number of applications from community colleges. However,

the set-aside for community colleges presently is limited to 24% (1966-1978). The Coalition

recommends that the current 24% set-side for Community Colleges be increased to 40%

(Mendez et al.,2015).” This was the beginnings of the Hispanic Serving designation in our

nation. In 2019-20, there were 569 HSIs in 30 states. 67% HSIs were public and 33% were

private (Excelencia in Education, 2021). HSI institutions are an incredibly fast-growing section
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of higher education in America and the federal aid to remedy historically underfunded

institutions is not keeping pace with current growth (Garcia 2023).

College Choice and Influence of a Hispanic Serving Institution Designation

Considering that HSIs in 2020-2021 enrolled 66 percent of all Latino students, yet only

represented 18 percent of institutions, it is important to consider the factors that play a role in

students’ application, and eventually, matriculation process (Excelencia in Education, 2022).

According to a report done by Excelencia in Education (2007), Latino students who enrolled at

HSI designated schools were intentional about their decision to pursue further education and

were most influenced by cost, location, and campus accessibility. In considering costs, students

at HSIs factored in the sticker price of the institution rather than the cost after financial aid.

Taking on debt was a large concern, and the perceived unreliability of financial aid left them to

look for ways to drive the cost down by living at home with family. While location was

important to affordability, it was also important to students to stay close to their family and

uphold their responsibilities to people and work. However, more important than location, was the

students’ perceived accessibility of campus. This included the size of the campus, the degree to

which faculty and staff were inviting, the ease of parking, and current students’ perspectives

(Excelencia in Education, 2007). This illustrates that the college choice is complex and

emphasizes that students are intentional in considering their value of accessibility and family in

the process.

Interestingly, students enrolled at HSIs seem to not factor the prestige of institutions or

HSI designations in their college decision; many do not know what the designation means, even

as current students or those at the cusp of graduation (Excelencia in Education, 2007; Gonzalez

et al., 2020; Parrakis & Hagedorn, 2010). However, a lack of familiarity with the designation
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does not preclude their experiences with varying levels of institutional support or

recommendations in promoting a culture of serving-ness. Specifically, students identify the

following as strategies that institutions can use to bolster the student experience and honor the

designation: work towards greater representation among faculty, require departments to

articulate how they contribute to serving Hispanic students, learn about the ethnic and cultural

diversity of the Latinx community, and provide opportunities and services in Spanish (Gonzalez

et al. 2020; Parrakis & Hagedorn, 2010). These strategies are important to students, especially to

those who are weary of their institution’s commitment to the HSI designation.

Encounters with Racism

Students belonging to a minoritized community face many unanticipated barriers in life and

specifically in higher education. “An array of psychosocial stressors...can influence [the

minoritzed student] their levels of academic and intellectual development. “Institutional

microinvalidations diminish the value of Latinx students within the campus community by

creating barriers to building community and by decreasing retention (Comeaux, Grummert, Cruz

2021).” Climate experience on campus by minoritized students was clearly conveyed as

unwelcoming during our literature review and the connection to consistently disappointing

outcomes for our Hispanic students was easy to make. Would we find the same results during

our study interviews?

Sense of Belonging

Studies have shown that a student’s sense of belonging on campus can be an important

indicator of a student’s success on campus by contributing positively to a student’s persistence,

mental health, and engagement in academics as well as with peers (O’Keefe, 2013). Though

these benefits are helpful to students that do feel a sense of belonging on campus, they are
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missing pieces to a student’s experience that may not feel this sense of belonging. Recent

literature has shown that students from historically marginalized groups and of first-generation

status experience a lower sense of belonging at institutions (Gopalan & Brady, 2020). Though

much of the data has been conducted around the sense of belonging of students at 4-year

institutions, a recent study showed that although overall student belonging is lower at 2-year

colleges, students from underrepresented racial-ethnic minority (URM) and first-generation

college (FG) backgrounds reported a higher sense of belonging than non-URM/FG students

(Gopalan & Brady, 2020). Although a high population of students at 2-year institutions are URM

and/or FG, Gopalan and Brady did not deem this as the main reason for their findings and noted

a possibility for additional factors at play thus prompting the need for further research on the

sense of belonging at 2-year institutions. For Latino students, evidence has shown that group

affiliation within their communities and engagement in work or service opportunities that help

affirm their cultural background help to promote a sense of belonging at an institution (Nuñez,

2009). This showcases the importance of institutions offering spaces for Latino students to

engage on campus, especially in a way that affirms their identity to help promote a sense of

belonging on campus thus positively attributing to their overall success.

Many institutional agents can help positively contribute to Latino students' overall

belonging, persistence, and self-efficacy. Faculty-student interactions and mentorship have

proven to increase a sense of belonging among all students, but especially for Latino students

(Nuñez, 2009; Alcantar & Hernandez, 2020, Karaman et.al, 2021). A study conducted by

Alcantar and Hernandez (2020) to see if faculty interactions have an effect on Latino/a student's

experiences at a Hispanic-Serving community college highlighted the importance of providing

validating spaces for Latino/a students to feel supported in achieving their academic goals. It also
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highlighted the unique needs of Latino/a students, “Given that many community college students

are first-generation college students and immigrant, low-income, and Latina/o students, these

students require human interaction, connection, care, investment, and authentic relationships in

their college setting…” (Alcantar & Hernandez, 2020, p. 14). Having genuine connections with

faculty members is a huge component of the success of Latino students especially in the

community college setting. It is also important to note that other indicators of a student's self-

efficacy and academic success come from a student’s background characteristics, institutional

characteristics, and student experiences (Cuellar, 2014; Karaman et. al, 2021). Students who

reported high academic self-concept did so because their institution reflected their identities,

especially amongst minority students at HSIs (Cuellar, 2014). A student’s academic self-concept

and overall sense of belonging can be positively influenced by various institutional agents such

as faculty relationships and involvement on campus.

Methods

This audit utilized qualitative methods to answer the following research question: “what

is the HSI commuter experience among students at a community college and the staff who serve

them?”. This method was utilized to uncover norms, cultures, and challenges. Given the audit’s

focus on understanding individual’s experiences, a narrative inquiry approach was used to

further understand student and staff stories about the commuter experience at HSIs.

This audit takes place at Chicagoland Community College (CCC), a public two-year

institution with campus locations across the Chicagoland suburbs. The total enrollment is over

9,000 students and over 30% of their student body identifies as Hispanic. The institution has

been designated as a HSI since 2009.

Participants
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Purposive sampling was utilized in identifying and recruiting participants for this study.

As such, participants were intentionally identified because of their roles within the college, the

scope of their work, and commuter status. Participants were recruited through professional

networks. The 2 staff participants had an average age of 42 and averaged 23 years in the field of

higher education and were employed at CCC during the time of the study. The sample included

one senior level professional and one mid-level professional both identifying as male. One

identified as Latino while the other identified as White/Caucasian. The 4 student participants

were all between 19-20 years old. They spent an average of 15 hours per week working on

campus and were involved in various clubs, honor societies, and leadership positions on campus.

All students are studying different academic disciplines and plan to transfer to a 4-year

institution to complete a bachelor's degree. Although an attempt was made to recruit a diverse

sample demographically, based on the connections and access to participants, the student sample

included equal females (n = 2) and males (n = 2) and more White/Caucasian individuals (n = 3)

than people of Color (n = 1). Student participants were able to self-select their pseudonyms that

will be used within the study whilst the staff were assigned pseudonyms.

Data Collection and Analysis

Data was collected using a background demographic survey and a structured individual

interview for staff members, while a focus group was conducted with student participants. The

interview and focus group protocol was developed by crafting a series of open-ended questions

that prompted the reflection of both staff and students on the institutional type, perceived

challenges, support, and individual experiences navigating the institution within their respective

roles (see Appendix A). Interviews and focus groups were approximately 45-minutes long. With

the permission of the participants, the audio was recorded and transcribed.
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Data analysis was conducted through two rounds of coding where researchers first

independently evaluated the transcripts for common themes and then came together again to

agree on thematic codes. However, in the preliminarily analysis of the data, researchers felt that

an individual student interview with the participant that identified as Latina would be necessary

and beneficial to the scope of the project. The participant accepted the invitation to interview

individually, and the results were included in the findings.

Staff Findings

Staff participants, Nick and Xavier, described their experiences in serving students at

CCC. Nick is a senior level professional, and Xavier is a mid-level professional. Although each

participant had a unique perspective due to the scope of their respective roles, it was clear they

were passionate about their work and serving students. Throughout the interviews, 3 major

themes emerged: personal connection, student-centered approaches, and structural practices.

Each theme is explored in further detail below.

Personal Connection

The first theme that emerged from the interviews was the personal connection that staff

had to the work with students and institutional type. Both participants were products of

community colleges and their personal experience in once navigating a community college as

students, played a role in seeking to work at CCC. Nick shared,

I was a community college graduate myself, and also a first-generation college student,
so very excited to get back into working with at a community college. And so that was, to
me, a draw…
Although both participants were passionate about the open-access mission of community

colleges, when asked specifically about the institutions’ designation as a HSI, Xavier, a Latino

identifying male, was the only one who shared that it had a direct impact in their job search. He

shared,
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So a lot of things that brought me to CCC, first, right, it was working with Latino
students…. Second, because it’s a Hispanic Serving Institution…. I have a lot of, you
know, a respect for, Hispanic Serving Institutions.
This illustrates that the motivation to work for CCC was personal, but intentionally

seeking institutions to work for by HSI designation varied. This points to the complexities of

college identities and types. CCC, although designated as an HSI, is simultaneously balancing

their identity as a commuter campus and two-year institution. As illustrated in this case, the

motivation to work for CCC was personal on account of a shared affinity for community

colleges. At the same time, however, intentionally seeking institutions to work for by HSI

designation, may play a bigger role for people of color. Due to the person, there can be situations

where an institutional identity becomes more salient than others, thus allowing for mixed

motives in joining a campus community.

Student-Centered Approaches

In addition to motivation, a student-centered approach emerged as a consistent theme

among both participants. This included being knowledgeable of the experiences of current

students, responding to their needs, and equipping students to be advocates for themselves. There

were several times that participants cited campus resources—both that were utilized and others

that were still outstanding needs. Whether pointing out parking services, modifications to

campus safety in recent years, or the increasing rates at which students have used academic

support services, participants tried to be in tune with the student experience. As a campus

administrator, Nick shared that he has served on a scholarship committee where he has been able

to hear the stories of applicants. He said,

One of the things that’s most telling through our scholarship process is the obstacles that
students have to face. Quite often, our commuter students are talking about the expenses
of gas, the expense for traveling to campus, or the expense of just trying to manage their
life.
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Hearing these challenges has helped him better serve current students through his role,

primarily through educating campus partners and advocating for changes in services. As a result,

he recommends that other institutional leaders show a similar interest in their students by

understanding “that they [students] have things outside of their identity as a college student,”

which present various complexities on the road to graduation.

Xavier similarly shared his knowledge of current students and their challenges. He

explained,

The students are coming, taking a class, going to work. Sometimes work can come in,
you know, working overnight, [inaudible] our population with students have a lot of
responsibilities at home. So, we have to be very intentional in how we, we provide
resources to students.
Xavier shared that there are times he shifts his work schedule and extends his work hours

into the evenings just to make sure he is available to meet with students whose work schedules

are demanding. Although the student voice was critical to tailoring services and empathizing

with students, Xavier also noted its role in advocacy and change on campus. The Latino Cultural

Center (LCC), which Xavier oversees as the director, has had a physical space for a little over a

year now. He revealed that Latino students’ intentionality in demanding that the college invest in

a physical space was integral to securing a portion of the Title V grant to build the space they

now have. As a result, Xavier has used his role to empower students and provide them pathways

to voice their continued concerns to campus stakeholders. He shared,

We have students [from the LCC] who serve on the Board of Trustees, serving in
different types of organizations, we have students who are now re-established [lists
Latinx specific clubs that were previously inactive].
It is important to note that Xavier believes that this work would not be successful without

building trust and relationships with students. By Xavier and his staff being present, amplifying

student’s experiences, and following through on the commitment to support them, students now
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view the LCC as their second home, which he describes as, “the big achievement we have right

now”.

Overall, the degree to which participants showed an interest in student’s experiences in

navigating CCC and remained knowledgeable of campus resources influenced their ability to be

student-centered. Opportunities that emerged to do this were a result of being on the ground and

engaging with students informally. However, it also included formal pathways such as the

scholarship committee that Nick served on. Being student-centered allowed both participants the

chance to serve as co-investors of student’s experiences in their respective roles and influenced

the ways they utilized their agency on campus. Whether through contributing to scholarship

decisions, educating campus leaders, accommodating their work hours to meet with students, and

providing pathways for students to engage with advocacy and related forms of resistance, it is

inferred that these strategies enhanced the student experience.

Structural Practices

Related to the student-centered approach, it was evident throughout the interviews that

institutional structures were in place that either bolstered the student experience or limited the

scope of the services that could be provided, which perpetuated institutional harm. We found it

important to address both since these directly impact the ability of the institution to embody a

posture serving-ness.

Both participants, within their respective roles, spoke about shifting the time

programming is available so that students could attend. Providing programs during the times that

students were available, whether it be in the mornings, evenings, or weekends, seemed to be

successful in promoting a culture of engagement among their commuter students who are largely

part-time students. Offering programming during times that would otherwise be considered
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untraditional to the culture of whiteness that is pervasive in higher education goes beyond the

scope of being student-centered, it is a structural practice that promotes student learning (Garcia,

2019). This was reflected in a student leadership program that Nick was spearheading and the

various programs that Xavier offered through the LCC.

In addition to timing, it is important to consider the role that the LCC has played in

countering the culture of whiteness in higher education. Specifically, the ways in which the

hidden curriculum is taught to Latino-identifying students and their parents through the Parents’

Academy and Latino Pre-Orientation Program. During the interview, Xavier shared that the

Parent’s Academy was an initiative to aid parents in supporting their students during college. He

explained,

We have recognized that our families, especially in Latino culture, with Latino students,
have a lot of connections in this and they help with decision making with students going
to college. As we also serve a lot of first-generation students, we notice our parents are
not familiar with the system or education, especially higher ed.
The program, based on a collectivist culture that is present among Latinos, has helped parents to

understand the demands of college and some of the policies in place that can make it a

challenging experience. These sessions are offered in Spanish, and Xavier shares that having

bilingual staff, “helps the students to really connect with the college a little more”. Although

Latino Pre-Orientation Program is optional, the program has similarly supported the needs of

students by hosting workshops and informational sessions that help students to register for

classes, locate campus resources, and finalize their financial aid. This program has improved in

participation. In the past year and has increased from 10 students to 40 students and counting,

which indicates student demand.

Despite efforts in countering institutional whiteness, there were also practices that

appeared to be harmful to students and the HSI institutional designation. Both Nick and Xavier
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spoke about the ways that institutional practices perpetuated institutional harm. Nick specifically

elaborated on the organization and implementation of the college’s registration process. He noted

that upholding the “first come, first served” posture in the registration process did not align with

the college’s commitment to equity because it privileges students who can afford to register

when classes open. He shared,

When you're raising a family, or your part of a family, and you're working full time,
when you register for classes, it's about when you can pay. And if you can't pay in May
for the following, you know, August, you're not going to you're not going to register until
that point.
He elaborates further by explaining that students who register late for classes by default

get stuck in classes that are typically taught by adjunct faculty that “aren't familiar with the

college as well or be able to be as supportive”. This helps to illustrate how student care is

compromised for sake of upholding an institutional policy that does not conform to student

needs. Nick is hopeful, however, that this may change with the appointment of a new Chief

Financial Officer.

In addition to the registration model, Xavier specifically highlighted the lack of

institutional support for undocumented students. Xavier explained,

We still working in silence when we support document students. We have undocumented

students who come and see and talk to [staff at the LCC]. And we don't have any specific
resource in a specific area, or person, or like resources available for these students in a
way they can trust that the institution.
While it is important to mention that not all undocumented students identify as Latino, so

as to not perpetuate any stereotypes, the lack of support for this student group is disheartening. A

commitment to serve students while at the same time promoting a culture of institutional erasure

and invisibility of undocumented students is harmful, inappropriate, and frankly seems contrary

to the college’s open-access mission. Thankfully, undocumented students seemed to have found
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community through the LCC, but the responsibility should not fall solely on the LCC to support

the educational goals of this student demographic.

Lastly, cross-departmental collaboration was emphasized by both participants. Nick

explained that the college would be more effective in supporting students holistically by unifying

its efforts. He stated,

We have support services, but they're compartmentalized. You can use them if you want
to and varying levels of staff or faculty know about what they can offer…. we have to
change the way that we operate in a sense that we operate more holistically.
While Nick argued for greater collaboration between departments and faculty, Xavier

spoke to how this collaboration was already taking place between the LCC and specific people,

other departments, and faculty. It is important to note that collaboration, for Xavier, has been

integral to the work of the LCC and has been necessary in countering the perceived lack of

institutional support for HSI initiatives. He revealed that he is the only manager at the college

without a budget, which may stem from being grant-funded, but nonetheless, has proven difficult

in planning events and forecasting expected student outcomes. This predicament has pushed him

to work around the system by asking other departments to buy into what he is doing through the

LCC.

Not only did being grant-funded necessitate collaboration and affect Xavier’s agency

within his role, but it also contributed to staffing issues and skepticism of the institution’s values.

Xavier shared that his previous coordinators left their positions because of the uncertainty that

came with having a role that is grant-funded, despite his many efforts in ensuring them that they

would still have a position regardless of the grant being renewed. Furthermore, he mentioned

contemplating how else he could create buy-in from institutional leaders. He stated,

What I need to do for the institution to think that this work is meaningful? Even though
there is numbers, this event, there’s this, what else we need to do for our institution,
administration, to really see the bigger picture, than, just to see this as another resources.
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This indicates that a lack of institutional support from administrative level leaders and a

lack of understanding HSI initiatives hinders the institution from really living out its HSI

designation. It is apparent that more work is needed to create a unified effort to uphold the

institution’s commitment to equity.

Student Findings

Participants described their college search process and experiences as commuters on

campus but presented limited knowledge about Hispanic Serving Institutions outside the scope of

their employment which is funded by a Title V grant. As a result, they expressed positive

attitudes toward the resources and support that the institution provides to students as well as their

commitment to promoting diversity on campus. Findings were organized along 5 major trends:

holistic decision-making processes, faculty support, engagement in student life, drive to

succeed/utilizing campus resources, and diversity.

Holistic Decision-Making Processes

The first trend identified from the focus group interview was the holistic decision-making

process that went into a student’s choice of selecting CCC as their next step after graduating high

school. This holistic decision-making process includes considering the institution's location,

affordability, and opportunity for academic exploration. Scarlet, a Latina-identifying female

highlights her reason for going to CCC for major exploration in addition to the fact that it was

within her budget. Wanda, a white-identifying male, also highlighted financial reasons as being a

large part of why he chose CCC as well as the fact that he was unsure of what he wanted to

major in. He stated:

I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted my major to be so I initially went in with the intention
of majoring in finance, [but I] found out that, personally, accounting classes aren’t really
something that I can manage very well, so I changed my scope within business more
towards the marketing part.
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Natasha mentioned that the institution's close proximity to her home was one of the main

reasons she chose CCC. She shared, “I chose to go to CC because I grew up in [name of the city

where the institution is located], and it was a school that I knew of.” Although CCC is designated

as a Hispanic Serving Institution, this did not play a role in any of the student's decisions to

attend CCC. Wanda, who was initially unaware of the HSI designation stated,” I will say I didn’t

know at first that that was how we were designated, but I did learn later that CC is designated

within that which having that designation allowed us the grant that funds my employment on

campus.” Peter, a white-identifying male, on the other hand, shared, “I had actually known about

that for some reason, but it was not an important decision-maker for me.” He goes on to share

that his understanding of the town’s demographics and knowledge of the high schools that filter

into CCC contributed to his familiarity with the designation. Although the HSI designation may

have not impacted the participants' decisions to go to CCC, their thoughtful consideration of

other aspects such as location, affordability, and exploration provides insight into the decision-

making process for students.

Faculty Support

Another key trend was the importance of faculty support throughout their time at the

institution. Students highlighted professors' willingness to help students and the unique

connections they are able to build from attending a community college. Scarlett talked about how

important it was to have a professor invest in her success:

I think for me social support is a lot of just like being able to message my professors and
like have quick responses, and then, like willing to help, I’ve had like classes where I was
struggling and had professors that like would spell everything out for me like of what I
needed to do and how what they wanted to fix and like really putting effort and like, I
could feel like they were rooting for me.
Not only were the students able to cultivate relationships with the professors inside the classroom

and during office hours, but they were also able to develop meaningful connections with their
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faculty members. Peter highlighted the impact that being at a community college has on these

relationships by saying, “There’s also a great amount of connection with your professors that you

just really won’t get at other schools like I can… go to their office hours and I know them

[professors].” The smaller class sizes allow professors to develop those personal connections and

invest in student development, which may not always be the case at four-year institutions. These

connections helped students outside the classroom and in their professional careers as well. Peter

shared, “They [professors] have connections to internships and job opportunities as well. I know

that there's some people I know here that have gotten fantastic opportunities just by talking to

their professors and making connections there.” Natasha also mentioned how she was able to talk

with a professor at an event and how she was such a supporter in helping her. The support of

faculty was key to students' perception of success which was centered around their academic

goals. When asked about how the students defined success, each acknowledged that although

success looks different depending on the person, they defined their success based on performing

well academically. Thus, faculty support was essential to these participants' experiences at CCC.

Engagement in Student Life

In addition to academic success, participants noted the importance of student involvement

as an indicator of their personal success. All of the participants were engaged in campus student

life with varying levels of involvement as well as types of involvement. Based on the results of

the background demographic survey, we were able to determine that the main forms of

involvement were through campus employment, honor societies, and student organizations. This

trend was further solidified through participant responses during our focus group. One of the

aspects of involvement that all participants resonated with was the impact of their on-campus

employment on their experience and success at CCC. Scarlett shared, “I think within our job I
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have… we have a ton of social support from [supervisor] and from other peers around us that we

get to like interact with, because we’re here a lot.” This trend was furthered through participant

responses during our focus group which emphasized the importance of being involved in

developing peer connections. Wanda explained,

Personally, I don’t really know anyone from that went to my high school because I didn’t
really go to high school in that area, so this student work position and a lot of what
happens in student life has been really a great help in making new connections on
campus.
Being a student worker on campus has been an integral part of the student experience not only

financially, but also socially. Beyond their employment are other areas of involvement that

contribute to their social interactions and experiences on campus. Peter shared, “I interact with

people obviously for my job, but I interact with people for student senate and I’m in charge of

the Jazz Club, so I network not just with people at school, but a lot of local musicians…” The

opportunities provided by engaging with student organizations can not only expand one's peer

connections but also their professional networks which is important for students in gaining

experiences that can help them to transfer out should they choose to do so. The programs and

organizations at CCC have provided students with so many benefits in their academic, social,

and professional lives. Wanda highlights his involvement in a scholarship program that covers

the cost of tuition for two years,

I am apart of CCC’s scholarship program on campus which means .in order to qualify for
this scholarship we attend like monthly meetings, we meet different community service
requirements, college service requirements and then on top of that we also have, like
these, one-on-on peer mentor meetings where we talk to different students within the
program and that helps with support as well. We can make new connections and learn
more students in our classes, because [we] have like a familiarity with each other in a
way.
Scarlett, Peter, Wanda, and Natasha all brought up positive experiences about their campus

involvement and often referred back to these pieces throughout the focus group and being factors
 21

towards their success, contributors towards their social support, an opportunity for academic and

professional development.

Utilizing Resources
During our student sessions we were amazed by the high level of comfort and savvy displayed as

our interviewees described utilizing campus resources. Resources were mentioned specifically

when identifying specific personnel and faculty members, and broadly when referencing

departments and programs. Natasha spoke to the individual connection she held with her

professor that applied even when in non-academic spaces:

I had a really positive experience with my anatomy professor... I would see her, at events,
and be able to just kind of go up and talk to her...when I was struggling in the class, she
was like adamant of helping me.
It is easy to identify that in each student resource statement the people they connected with are

what contributed to the student experience and success, even if the comment was intended to be

department specific. Listen to how Scarlet describes the TRIO support she utilizes,

My counselor, my adviser, is like Hispanic as well like we get along like really well...
and so he kind of knows, like the struggle... I can relate to him in like many ways... Oh,
and they also have free printing. So I go there... It's just like a safe space in the college for
me, for sure.
And again, regarding the tutoring center:
The tutoring center one hundred percent, because I'm I'm. I'm like a regular there. They
like know me really. I'm like there every day.
These quoted examples shine when you identify that it is Scarlet’s departmental relationships

that make the resources incredibly valuable to her and facilitate her further utilization of the

spaces to benefit her academic success.

Diversity

Studies have shown that once Latinx students enter an HSI they are confronted with a hostile

campus climate that undermines their morale, sense of belonging, and academic success

(Comeaux, Grummert, Cruz, 2021). Surprisingly our study participants did not describe that

climate on the Chicagoland Community College campus. We also specifically asked our Latina
 22

participant during her addendum interview and were unable to find any reference to a negative

experience reflective of direct or perceived racial motivations. Here’s what the students did have

to say about ChicagolandCC:

Another thing that's been fantastic for me is part of the eye opening that comes with the
job of like understanding different people's situations and what their normals looks like
and like gaining perspective that I never would have otherwise had and learning to
connect with people in a different way...and people at different stages of life.

As researchers we hypothesized why CCC may have a different student perception than the

literature. Perhaps it is CCC’s commitment to diversity, as stated in their new mission statement,

or that students don’t know what they don’t know. Either way, the CCC experience was riddled

with positives and experiences that showed students using holistic decision making, faculty

support, engagement in student life, utilizing key resources, and the value of diversity. It can be

very complex to uncover the motivations that connect commuter students on campus but

thankfully CCC has turned the complex to completion on their campus.

Recommendations

Align Institutional Commitment and Funding

The student voice has weight and value. It is the student suggestion and the student

complaint that moves the needle on college campuses. When colleges are committed to listening

to and serving students, it is the students that facilitate change. We recommend that institutions

encourage their students to advocate for programs that benefit a more diverse college

community. Colleges should teach students about their HSI designations, what the designation

means and be unapologetic in their advertising of their designation.

Build Up Student Advocates

Public institutional funding comes from many different sources. State and local taxes,

private donations, and federal funding can all play a part in the makeup of an institutional
 23

budget. There are also grant opportunities that institutions with specific designations can apply

for to enhance or begin programming that will specifically benefit their populations. Currently

there are Title IX grant opportunities for institutions that serve the Latino community, and this is

what was utilized in creating Xavier’s institutional program at CCC. Our finding is that

institutions would solidify their commitment to servingness in the Hispanic community by

making their Latino initiatives an official institutional budget line rather than dependent on fickle

grant funds. Xavier specifically referenced the risk of the Latino center’s existence if the grant

funding is not renewed. The recommendation to commit institutional dollars to HSI initiatives

would show the tangible commitment of the college.

Make Staff and Faculty More Accountable.

Considering that institutions have complex identities and reputations, it is important that

practices are put in place that both create a culture of pride and accountability among staff and

faculty at HSI institutions. One of our staff participants did not view CCCs HSI institutional

designation as a driving force in their decision to work there and begs the question how many

other staff members may similarly identify. Although the anchors one uses in the job search do

not ultimately impact the ways they are able to contribute the institutions HSI designation, the

institution has a responsibility of communicating its values and expectations of staff in living out

its HSI identity. We believe that institutions can implement an institutional HSI pride and

accountability by screening and hiring staff that are well versed in how to assist students from

commuter backgrounds and the complexity of their identities by either personal experience or a

proven commitment. We feel strongly that a formalized commitment from prospective hires in

the job application process should also be instituted in the screening process. This can allow

candidates to share how they view their role in advancing and upholding the HSI designation and
 24

helps to weed out candidates that are not as strong of a fit. We also suggest that institutions

promote this culture across current campus employees and departments by requiring employees

to attend an annual AHSIE (Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institution Educators) conference, or

others of the like.

We would be remiss if we did not mention the need for greater support of undocumented

students at CCC. The institution should not be working in silence when serving this vulnerable

student group. In fact, this seems contrary to the passing of HB3438 which requires all public

colleges to have a designated employee who is well-versed in equipping undocumented students

to navigate financial matters and provide student success support. While it is unknown where the

college stands in hiring for this role, more accountability is needed to ensure that undocumented

students know where and from whom they can receive tailored institutional guidance in reaching

their academic and personal goals.

HSI Focused Marketing Strategies

Our final recommendation is for institutions to model unapologetic HSI pride in

marketing strategies to embrace their designation and incorporate that in the racialization of

colleges. Seeing that majority of student participants were not aware of the meaning behind the

institution's HSI designation and were only aware due to the nature of their employment, raises

the question of how many students know and understand what it means to be a Hispanic Serving

Institution. The lack of knowledge surrounding an institution's designation is not unique to CCC.

Many universities do not go out of their way to showcase the designations that they hold and

lack a sense of pride surrounding it. We believe that it is important for institutions to show that

they are doing more than meeting the federal enrollment requirements. Being able to establish

the HSI identity to current and prospective students and staff through the way the institution
 25

serves, supports, and educates its Hispanic students is important in helping them to make

meaning of their experience at an HSI. We feel that by taking this step to engage with students,

staff, faculty, and the community to show them that the institution values being an HSI can be

the first step in showing pride in the designation and being unapologetic about their HSI identity.
 26

References

American Association of Community Colleges. (2023). [Fast Facts 2023]. Retrieved May 9th,

2023, from https://www.aacc.nche.edu/research-trends/fast-facts/

Alcantar, C. M., & Hernandez, E. (2020). “Here the professors are your guide, tus guías”:

Latina/o student validating experiences with faculty at a Hispanic-serving community

college. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 19(1), 3-18.

Excelencia in Education. (2007). Choosing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs): A Closer Look

at Latino Students’ College Choices. https://www.edexcelencia.org/research/issue-

briefs/choosing-hispanic-serving-institutions-hsis-closer-look-latino-students

Excelencia in Education. (2022). Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) Infographic: 2020-21.

https://www.edexcelencia.org/research/infographics/hsis-infographic-2020-21

Garcia, G.A. (2023). Transforming Hispanic-Serving Institutions for Equity and Justice. John

Hopkins University Press.

Garcia, G.A. (2019). Becoming Hispanic serving institutions: Opportunities for colleges and

universities. John Hopkins University Press.

Gonzalez, Ortega, G., Molina, M., & Lizalde, G. (2020). What does it mean to be a Hispanic-

Serving Institution? Listening to the Latina/o/x voices of students. International Journal

of Qualitative Studies in Education, 33(8), 796–809.

https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2020.1751896

Gopalan, M., & Brady, S. T. (2020). College students’ sense of belonging: A national

perspective. Educational Researcher, 49(2), 134-137.

Illinois Community College Board. (2019). Student enrollments and completions in the Illinois

community college system: Fiscal year 2018. http://www2.iccb.org/iccb/wp-

content/pdfs/reports/Annual_Enroll_Comp_2018_Executive_Summary_Final.pdf
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Karaman, M.A., et al. (2021). First-Year college students at a Hispanic serving institution:

Academic self-concept, social support, and adjustment. Int J Adv Counselling 43, 356–

371. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-021-09438-w

Nuñez, A. M. (2009). A critical paradox? Predictors of Latino students' sense of belonging in

college. Journal of diversity in higher education, 2(1), 46.

O’Keeffe, P. (2013). A sense of belonging: Improving student retention. College Student

Journal, 47(4), 605–613.

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Appendix A.
Staff and Students Interview Protocol
Staff Interview Protocol
1. What was influential in your decision to work CCC? Did its HSI designation play a role?
2. What makes your institution unique in the way you provide services for commuter
students? How does the HSI designation play a role in the way you tailor services, if at
all?
3. How do YOU define commuter students? At your institution?
4. What resources have you found that students at your institution utilize the most and
which do you wish would be utilized more?
5. What are the challenges in meeting the needs of commuter students on your campus
(budgeting, staffing, bureaucracy)?
6. What do institutional leaders need to know about commuter students to support them?
7. What is your proudest professional achievement as it relates to addressing the needs of
commuter students?
8. If you could waive your magic wand, what would the perfect commuter service look and
feel like?
Student Interview Protocol
College Choice and HSI Designation
1. How did you go about selecting and enrolling at your institution? Did its HSI designation
influence your decision to attend at all?
2. As your institution is an HSI, do you feel that this promotes diversity on the campus? Do
you feel your institution promotes diverse interactions and affirms your identity?
Home Life Questions
3. Can you please describe your living experience and people, if any that you live with?
4. How do you navigate school and additional personal responsibilities?
Campus Questions
5. What would you need from the institution to make your commuter experience easier to
navigate?
5.1.Regarding your academic access?
5.2.Regarding your peer engagement?
6. What is your experience in making connections with peers at your institution?
7. How do you define success in college? To date, can you name 3 things that have been
most important to your success in college and why?
8. As a commuter student, what does social support look like for you in your college
experience?
Academic Questions
9. Tell me about a class where you had a positive or negative experience. Can you tell me
about a professor you have a relationship with for better or for worse?