Writing Sample:

Adding Representational Weight to Collegiate Methods of Validation

Cheniqua Arthur

Western Carolina University

HESA 695

Dr. Perry

March 11, 2024

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Adding Representational Weight to Collegiate Methods of Validation

Adding Representational Weight to Collegiate Methods of Validation

Meet Nicole, an undergraduate student Nicole is a student that understands that she is

starting off at an academic and socioeconomic disadvantage. She is an 18-year-old with a lot of

traumas, no parental support, almost no financial support, and no clue how to navigate the

world of higher education. In grade school, actual mentors were extremely hard to come by for

her given the things she was experiencing and the schools that she attended. Unfortunately,

she was not able to get her first real mentor until she came to college, and she did not meet

this mentor until her second semester. Her mentor was the first person who was able to fully

validate the experiences that she had as a young person of low socioeconomic status as well as

a young Black woman. Before that Nicole had a slew of white male figures that were

predominant and prominent in her shaping and formation, for lack of better word. While they

were certainly important in guiding her and getting her to where she was in life, she would have

never opened up to many of them in the same way she was able to open up to her collegiate

mentor. Nicole experienced a heightened sense of camaraderie, understanding, and a sense of

non-judgment with this mentor that she had never felt before. That change of experience really

opened Nicole up and paved the way for mentors and advisors that she would have in the

future that were not always able to fully understand some of her experiences due to their

identities. She was able to accept validation and guidance from her mentor because she was

able to understand her background and what was at stake if she failed at school and higher

learning. Through the level and the nature of the care and relatability provided, it was clear that

she also had a natural vested interest in Nicole’s success. She was able to push her and

challenge her in ways that many others would not have been able to due to an inherent trust
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Adding Representational Weight to Collegiate Methods of Validation

that she felt with her because she could see herself in her. There was a heightened weight to

the validation, challenge, and support that Nicole experienced from her mentor because she

could not hide as much from her, she would see through the walls Nicole put up. Using Nicole’s

story, which is representative of many student’s stories, can help practitioners use validation

theory and adding a layer of representational support can expand this theory. By adding an

additional layer of representational support, meaning the mentor or advisor is able to align with

some part of the student’s identity, the impact of validation can be maximized. In this paper,

Validation Theory (Rendon, 1994) is explained followed by a proposed addition using Challenge

and Support Theory (Sanford, 1967) and identity representation.

Validation Theory

Validation theory was researched and developed by Laura Rendon in 1994 “as a means

of encouraging the learning and development of marginalized and minoritized students in

higher education” (Perez, 2021, p.627). While Validation Theory (Rendon, 1994) is not a means

of looking at student development from a critical lens, it is derived from the need and

understanding that validation and support is needed for minoritized students in order to

achieve. Through the lens of Validation Theory, it is “suggested that faculty members can foster

validating classrooms through using culturally relevant curriculum, viewing students as partners

in the learning process, allowing students to have a ‘public voice and [to] share their ideas

openly…’engaging in active and interactive pedagogies, and allowing ‘for refection, multi-

perspectives and imperfection” (Perez, 2021, p.628). I believe the missing link in this theory is

the understanding that ethnic and/or identity representation is extremely important to the

process of validation, challenge, and supporting students. This is especially true for students of
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Adding Representational Weight to Collegiate Methods of Validation

minority identities. Many of these students, especially students that are coming into

Predominately White Institutions (PWI's), may not have proper or readily available sources of

representation in higher educational spaces. Many of these students may not have even been

able to experience representation at the primary school level. This leaves classes of students

that may not be able to see themselves in academia. Whether this is someone who physically

looks like them or someone with a fluid gender or sexual identity, the students may be missing

an opportunity for advising and mentorship from someone whose support would carry a

greater weight due to a shared identity.

Figure 1 below shows a depiction of where I believe these additions would fit into the

validation process. I believe the student will attach to that representation and shared identity

and then the advisor or mentor will have more weight and authority in challenging and

supporting that student. From there, the mentor is able to validate the student in the classroom

as well as other aspects of their academic lives, which will ultimately lead to the development

of their identities or abilities.

Figure 1

Illustration of Proposed Addition and Changes to Validation Theory

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Adding Representational Weight to Collegiate Methods of Validation

Representation In Advising and Mentor Relationships

Unless a student is at a Historically Black College or University or an institution situated

in an inner-city, most students are going to be at Predominantly White Institutions with

advisors that are going to look like the majority of the student body and will likely share other

invisible dominant identities. Based on literature and previous research, scholars believe

students who have positive representation in their mentorships and advising tend to

experience more persistence to graduation (Museus, 2021). Faculty advisors and mentors who

go out of their way to be just that for students will have a positive impact on students’ overall
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Adding Representational Weight to Collegiate Methods of Validation

collegiate experience (Museus, 2021). Unfortunately, faculty, staff, and administration who

exist inside of dominant culture may not know how to connect with, teach, or validate students

who are outside of that culture. Holmes et al. (2000, p.46) stated, “When members of the

dominant culture (including administrators, faculty, staff, and students) have not been

prepared to interact with people who are different than they are, the community becomes

divisive and intolerance, hostility, frustration, and apathy begin to thrive.” This details the

ramifications of students of color existing in these spaces without proper leadership. These

students begin to feel alienated, isolated, do not have proper or enough resources, and they

may not be able to understand how to navigate academia. These are all situations that can be

managed, foreseen, or simply acknowledged when there are staffs available to students. I

believe staff representation needs to be diversified so that students are able to find people who

can best support and validate them. Studies done with veterans have shown that simply having

what they called passive representation in the counselors that they had changed the behavior

and attitudes of the veterans overall (Fay et al., 2021). This same concept has been replicated in

different studies dealing with people from different identity groups, affinity groups, and

backgrounds. What remains the same is the notion that having someone in leadership or in

power that represents your needs or your identities, can completely shift the way the

represented party feels, receives, and interacts. Kelly et al. (2021) studied critical validation in

black collegiate women on PWI campuses. Authors found that targeted validation, validation

through advocacy, and validation through the involvement of these representatives made an

impact. The findings included students who were in dire situations and these fellow black

women stepped up on their behalf and became a crucial part of their success. “Faculty and staff
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Adding Representational Weight to Collegiate Methods of Validation

were crucial to the retention of a number of black women in their study” (Kelly et al.2021).

They also stated that these black women were more crucial even amongst the male and white

women that they also had as validating agents (Kelly et al., 2021, p.448). These reinforce that

representation is a crucial part that is missing from Validation Theory.

Conclusion

Advising and validation can come from anyone; development of students has no face.

However, students who have a meaningful mentor or advisor with a shared identity may have a

greater chance of success and development. Knowing that we as practitioners, are trying to

influence the overall Wellness and success of students that we advise and teach, it makes sense

to try and position our staff members who influence the process of validation for these

students to be better representations of our students. Success is getting students across the

stage with an overall sense of holistic wellness, some sense of security in their identity, and

with wonderful memories to look back on for the rest of their lives. I believe having validating

staffs who are truly representative of who our students is the missing link in connecting our

students with overall success.

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Adding Representational Weight to Collegiate Methods of Validation

References

Acevedo-Gil, N., Santos, R. E., Alonso, L., & Solorzano, D. G. (2015). Latinas/os in community

college developmental education: Increasing moments of academic and interpersonal

validation. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 14(2), 101-127.

Duntley-Matos, R. (2014). Transformative complicity and cultural humility: De-and re-

constructing higher education mentorship for under-represented groups. Qualitative

sociology, 37, 443-466.

Fay, D. L., Hicklin Fryar, A., Meier, K. J., & Wilkins, V. (2021). Intersectionality and equity:

Dynamic bureaucratic representation in higher education. Public Administration

(London), 99(2), 335-352.

Gershenson, S., Hansen, M. J., & Lindsay, C. A. (2021). Teacher diversity and student success:

Why racial representation matters in the classroom (Vol. 8). Cambridge, MA: Harvard

Education Press.

Holmes, S. L., Ebbers, L. H., Robinson, D. C., & Mugenda, A. G. (2000). Validating african

american students at predominantly white institutions. Journal of College Student

Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 2(1), 41-58.

Kelly, B. T., Raines, A., Brown, R., French, A., & Stone, J. (2021). Critical validation: black

women’s retention at predominantly white institutions. Journal of College Student

Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 23(2), 434–456.

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Adding Representational Weight to Collegiate Methods of Validation

Museus, S. D., & Ravello, J. N. (2021). Characteristics of academic advising that contribute to

racial and ethnic minority student success at predominantly white institutions. NACADA

Journal, 41(1), 13–25.

Orr, C. J., McLaurin-Jiang, S., & Jamison, S. D. (2021). Diversity of mentorship to increase

diversity in academic pediatrics. Pediatrics, 147(4).

Perez, R. J., Acuña Arely, & Reason, R. D. (2021). Pedagogy of validation: Autobiographical

reading and writing courses for first-year, low-income students. innovative higher

education, 46(6), 623-641.

Sanford, N. (1966). Self and society: Social change and individual development. New York:

Atherton.

Quiñonez, T. L., & Olivas, A. P. (2020). Validation theory and culturally relevant curriculum in

the information literacy classroom. Urban Library Journal, 26(1), 2.