Browsing by Author "Rivera, Carmen, committee member"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4

Open Access
Eia ka lei: a Kānaka College Choice Framework for our survivance and ea
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Chun, Nikki Lynne Mee Kāhealani, author; Poon, OiYan, advisor; Ginsberg, Ricki, committee member; Kahumoku, Walter, III, committee member; Rivera, Carmen, committee member
This research study makes a significant contribution to understanding the experiences of Native Hawaiian students in higher education and their college choice process. Research and literature focused on or inclusive of Native Hawaiians in higher education is scarce and limited (Reyes, 2018), so there is very little known about how Native Hawaiian students navigate to and through higher education. The central research question focused on developing a college choice framework specifically tailored to Native Hawaiians: What might a college choice framework look like when developed by and for Native Hawaiians? Employing KanakaCrit (Reyes, 2018) as a theoretical framework, lei making as the research design framework (Alencastre, 2017; Vaughan, 2019), and talk story methodology (Kovach, 2010; Sing et al., 1999), the study successfully elicited stories on the college choice experiences of Native Hawaiian students. The findings led to the creation of a culturally responsive Kānaka College Choice Framework, which aims to uplift the needs and values of Native Hawaiians in college choice research and contribute to the continued survivance of the lāhui (Hawaiian nation). The framework is interdisciplinary, iterative, and integrative. Like a lei, it wraps aloha (care, love) and 'ohana (family) around the student as they navigate the college choice process.
Embargo
I love the work, but the work doesn't love me: a constructivist study on the stories and lived experiences of transgender staff of color who report discrimination in higher education
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Sérráno, Bri Carmen, author; Dockendorff, Kari, advisor; Muñoz, Susana, committee member; Rivera, Carmen, committee member; Demirjyn, Maricela, committee member
Transgender people in the United States are experiencing an unprecedented amount of anti-trans laws and rhetoric (Yurcaba, 2024). Simultaneously, there is limited research on the experiences of transgender staff of color in higher education and their experiences of reporting discrimination (Pitcher, 2017; Siegel, 2019). Therefore, a study focusing on the lived experiences of trans staff of color who report discrimination is timely and necessary to inform how colonial institutions confront discrimination reporting and processes. The centering of marginalized people is essential to understanding the experiences trans staff of color have with the processes and practices of institutions receiving discrimination reports, which not only reflect their experiences but also the experiences of other transgender people in higher education. The study uses a constructivist qualitative (Merriam, 2014) research methodology and implements the decoloniality for a trans* of color critique (Salas-SantaCruz, 2021) framework to analyze findings. The findings reveal five themes of the lived experiences of transgender staff of color and coloniality: white cissexist capitalism and normative violence, white cissexist imperialism in higher education, psychological demotion and policing of transgender bodies, inconsistency and dismissiveness of reports of discrimination, and institutional negligence and reconciling emotions after reporting discrimination. Continued research on the experiences of transgender staff of color in higher education is needed, as critiques and understandings of non-discrimination policies and practices and addressing the incompetence of administrative leaders and supervisors in higher education, inadequately meeting the needs of transgender staff of color to meet their basic position duties. Higher education institutions, administrators, and policymakers need to take immediate action to humanize, empathize, and identify the next steps in ensuring transgender staff of color are not violently dehumanized in the workplace.
Embargo
On trans becoming: an interpretive phenomenological analysis of trans higher education staff
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Vigil, Rye B., author; Muñoz, Susana, advisor; Lange, Alex, committee member; Rivera, Carmen, committee member; Hentschell, Rose, committee member
The study explores the fluid and nonlinear process of trans becoming among transgender staff in higher education, challenging traditional narratives of linear gender transition. Using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) and Queer Phenomenology, the study centers on the experiences of trans employees who begin a gender transition while working at the same institution they previously identified as a different gender, navigating environments shaped by cisnormativity and heterosexism. Key themes include the emotional and physical labor of workplace transitions, trans taxation, institutional negligence, and moments of trans joy. Participants describe the tension between visibility and (in)visibility and renegotiating gendered interactions with colleagues. The findings highlight the significant challenges trans employees face due to a lack of institutional support and a disconnect between purported values of growth and support for employees to embody such growth in personal identity. Filling a gap in the literature on transgender employees in higher education, the study offers insights into systemic barriers and institutional shortcomings. Recommendations include policy reform, improved workplace practices, and sustained support systems, especially in the context of rising anti-trans legislation and hostility in the U.S.
Open Access
The who, what, why, of first generation Latine university student networks
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Bañuelos, Carolina, author; Birmingham, Daniel, advisor; Muñoz, Susana, committee member; Rivera, Carmen, committee member; Cross, Jeni, committee member
Prior research demonstrates First Generation (FG) students have less access to knowledge about university processes due to a lack of relationships with adults who are familiar with these processes before and during the FG student's time at the university. This study aimed to learn more about the First Generation Latine (FGL) university student experience through an analysis of their individual university support networks. A focus on the Latine student population was intentional because FGL students have lower graduation rates, are more likely to be FG students, and the United States is expected to be one-third Latine by 2050. This study sought to find out who FGL students reported in their network, what support they received from connections in their network, and why they chose to maintain a relationship with the connections in their network. Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth Model and Rendón's (1994) Validation theory guided this study's understanding of how FGL students use their knowledge and resources to leverage a network for success. Social network analysis methods were used to gather network data and semi-structured interviews supplemented the network data. Findings demonstrate FGL student networks are diverse in size, composition and structure, with a high student and staff presence. Findings also show FGL students seek a variety of support types, including navigational support, personal support, and identity support. As previous literature shows, these findings also highlight the importance of using validating practices for maintaining relationships with FGL students and supporting them on their journey of student success.