Family-Centered Theory of Change

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) are often characterized as Hispanic enrolling (rather than serving) that practice deficit-based systems that continue to marginalize Hispanics and other underrepresented students, especially in STEM fields.  Extant research on HSIs stresses the importance of investigations into the value of grassroots advocacy groups as external influencers of institutional servingness through deeper engagement with the Hispanic community. Using a novel Family-Centered Theory of Change (FCTC) that addresses diversity, equity, and inclusion, we integrated concepts of intersectionality and servingness into a Family Integrated Education Serving and Transforming Academia (FIESTA) framework. We investigated the potential transformational impact of FIESTA on students, families, faculty, and administrators at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), an institution with over 90 % Hispanic population. Preliminary findings shed light on how the FIESTA framework can help reshape an HSI’s identity from “Hispanic enrolling” to a true Hispanic-Serving Institution through Family-Centered Pedagogy. The Family-Centered Pedagogy was defined as the enrichment of the learning experience in which students complement their own instruction by drawing from the experience and ancestral knowledge of their families, supported by the FCTC developed by AVE Frontera, our community partner.​