In the Academy, faculty and institutional leaders traditionally have been white, male, and heterosexual. Of the 173,395 Full Professors identified in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) of the U.S. Department of Education in 2007, women represented almost 46,000, and Latinas held only 1,254 of those positions (U.S.…

This article focuses on the presence and experiences of Latina academics in the U.S., especially those who serve in Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). Following the theme of this special issue related to Women of Color Faculty's "Testimonios" and "Laberintos," the authors add to the notion of academia as a labyrinth…

Relying on Latina/Chicana feminist and critical race theories of identity, and "testimonio" as methodology of knowledge production (Latina Feminist Group, 2001), the authors examine the complexity of their professional and personal identities as academics and members of families and communities to theorize their common experiences as…

Research studies have found that an integral part of being a tenure-track faculty member is the relationship between the higher education institution and individual faculty members (Mawdsley, 1999). Tenure-track positions are competitive spaces that demand and expect assistant professors to excel in publishing, teaching, and scholarly activity.…

This special issue of the "Journal of Educational Foundations" explores the struggles faced by Latina faculty. These struggles became evident through an examination of Latina faculty members at a specific Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). The essays in this special issue examine the experiences and trajectory of several Latina faculty…

This article documents how the authors, two Chicana tenured professors from immigrant and working-class backgrounds, drew upon their graduate school experiences as resources for navigating the tenure track. They discuss lessons learned not in the official classroom but in other spaces inhabited by women of color. Such lessons included: networking…

It was the second week in October, 2010. This year was like many in the past, where for decades, everyone convenes to continue traditions and preparations that have centered on a single, special event. This special event or celebration contextualizes the academic and social experiences of successful graduates of one HBCU located in Jefferson City,…

The steady increase of White undergraduates attending public Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) compels educators to better understand White students' collegiate experiences at HBCUs. One lens to assess these experiences is through examining their engagement on campus. Student engagement is defined as the amount of time and…

Teacher preparation programs across the country have faced criticisms regarding the quality of their programs. Additionally, these programs now compete with non-traditional programs when their graduates seek positions in public schools. As a result of many conversations as well as audits of the degree program at institutions in the state of Texas,…

One of the major outcomes of the educational reform movement in the United States during the past decade has been the increased focus on the professional preparation of educators (Darling-Hammond, 1997). According to Sanders and Rivers, numerous studies indicate that educators make a significant difference in their students' education (1996). In…

Since the passage of Proposition 48 (NCAA, 1984), African-American student-athletes entering National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) major colleges and universities have meet new challenges in their future as student-athletes. This major change altered the landscape of the future of college athletics particularly for students of color.…

This article focuses on the sense of what an "African" (American) identity could mean when viewed through the processes of migrations and fluid identities of contemporary African immigrant children as they interact with their African (Americans) peers in schools. The purpose of this article is to use data from a study of West African immigrant…

The discussion of multicultural education in teacher preparation dates back several decades. "The historical roots of multicultural education lie in the civil rights movements of various historically oppressed groups" (Gorski, 1999, p.1). As communities of color resisted institutional racism, schools became one of the sites of struggle. Thus, the…

It has become increasingly common for education scholars to claim a social justice orientation in their work. At the same time, education programs seem to be adding statements about the importance of social justice to their mission, and a growing number of teacher education programs are fundamentally oriented around a vision of social justice.…

In this paper, the author seeks to initiate a conversation about the discomfort that can emerge and the violence that might possibly take place in the "critical", dialogic, and justice-oriented Foundations of Education classroom between students and instructors when all are invited to negotiate "the necessary conditions" for learning. Believing…