Latina/x Faculty Awareness of Culturally Responsive Curricula Needed at a US Hispanic-Serving Institution

Abstract

Latina/x faculty underrepresentation constitutes a challenge at higher education institutions, as they become aware that a diversified student body requires better teaching approaches. Latina/x faculty participants are determined to diversify the curriculum and pedagogy that represents and reflects the diversity within the student body at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) in the United States (U.S.). In doing so, Latina/x faculty are the critical piece that instills empowerment and leadership within their disciplines. This case study addresses the experiences of six Latina/x – five self-identified as women and one as a non-binary person – professors in different disciplines at an HSI at the southern U.S. border, who integrate culturally responsive curricula through values, attitudes, and beliefs. This curriculum approach makes the student learning process better situated in their personal, cultural, and social experiences. The findings reveal the necessity of innovating the curricula centered on social justice by integrating a wider variety of authors in course readings and activities. Also, implementing culturally connected and human-centered approaches in their courses was critical. The decolonization of the mainstream euro-centric patriarchal curriculum could be a step forward for HSIs to make more sense of their purpose and identity in better serving and informing students.