ERIC Number: EJ1463973
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Mar
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0271-0560
EISSN: EISSN-1536-0741
Available Date: 2025-03-03
An UndocuEquity Approach to Promoting a Sense of Belonging for Undocumented Students Prepared for New Directions for Higher Education
Blanca Elizabeth Vega1; Jane Sanchez Swain2
New Directions for Higher Education, n209 p15-26 2025
The purpose of this paper is to share preliminary findings from a grant-funded research project that explores the experiences of higher education and student affairs (HESA) professionals who work with undocumented students. Specifically, we derived our conclusions from the experiences of 10 HESA professionals with advising responsibilities. Utilizing semi-structured qualitative interviews, our findings reveal that undocumented students require advising beyond academic information, highlighting the need for a more holistic, supportive, and equitable approach. Further, through this analysis, we learned that while belongingness is a concept that undocumented students may never experience due to postsecondary immigrant illegality, HESA professionals could actively disrupt the culture of illegality that permeates higher education institutions.
Descriptors: Equal Education, Undocumented Immigrants, Sense of Belonging, College Students, Higher Education, Student Personnel Workers, Academic Advising
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Department of Educational Leadership, Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey, USA; 2Degree Completion Programs, Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey, USA