Interrogating the Interconnections Between Servingness and LGBTQ+ Inclusion at a Hispanic-Serving Institution: An Exploratory Case Study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) continue to transform U.S. higher education, causing scholars and practitioners to question how institutional agents serve minoritized communities, including Latinx/a/o people. Guided by Garcia et al.’s (2019) multidimensional framework on servingness, together with Garcia and Cuellar’s (2023) concept of intersectional servingness, this exploratory case study contributes to this knowledge base by focusing on an institution referred to as Sunny University (a pseudonym) to understand how faculty, staff, and students viewed LGBTQ+ inclusion as being part of the university’s mission toward servingness. Using interviews with six participants at Sunny University, as well as document analysis, findings revealed: the limited, yet somewhat present education, resources, and institutional commitment; the complex and differing perspectives on cultural regarding LGBTQ+ inclusion; and the lack of institutional praxis regarding servingness. We then offer implications for research and practice relevant to LGBTQ+ communities, servingness, and HSIs.