Champlain College's Angela Batista to be Honored at National Student Affairs Conference for Community Service

New Book Explores Higher Education Opportunities for Latinx/a/os Students and Professionals

by Stephen Mease / Champlain News

Burlington, VT (02/21/2018) — A new book, co-edited by Dr. Angela Batista, Champlain College's Vice President Student Life and Special Advisor to the President on Diversity and Inclusion, explores the experience of Latinx/a/os students and professionals and highlights key elements that should be considered in the development of varied pathways to success.

"Latinx/a/os in Higher Education: Exploring Identity, Pathways and Success," will be released the first week of March during the 100th Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Ed (NASPA) 2018 national conference in Philadelphia, Pa. More than 7,000 student affairs educators are expected to attend, with featured speakers including such notables as Supreme Court Justice Sonja Sotomayor.

The Latinx/a/o population is the largest and fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States, yet higher education attainment for this community is among the lowest. This groundbreaking book, edited by Batista, Shirley M. Collado of Ithaca College and David Perez II of Miami University, combines scholarly chapters with personal perspectives from Latinx/a/o students, administrators, and faculty who have navigated cultural differences and institutional politics to overcome barriers. The authors share innovative insights and promising practices for diversifying key leadership positions within the academy and improving outcomes for Latinx/a/o college student success.

Batista actively serves as a national and international consultant and is engaged in national professional organizations. She is slated to receive the 2018 NASPA Latinx/a/o Knowledge Community Service Award.

Her national service includes leadership roles in various organizations including serving as an executive officer on the Executive Committee of the Latino Caucus for the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE) and various leadership roles in the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education Association, also known as NASPA.

Batista was the recipient of the 2013 NASPA Latinx/a/o Knowledge Community Administrator of the Year Award and was a featured speaker at the 2017 NASPA Multicultural Institute.

Dr. Batista served as the national Vice Chair and Chair for the NASPA Latinx/a/o Knowledge Community, a member of NASPA's Equity and Inclusion Commission, the 2016 National Conference Leadership and Planning Team, and faculty for the NASPA Dungy Leadership Institute (DLI) and Escaleras Latinx/a/o professional institute, which she will co-direct in 2018. She also supported the development of the NASPA Latin American and the Caribbean (NASPA LAC) Division, encompassing 41 countries.

Dr. Batista earned her doctorate in Leadership from Nova Southeastern University and her master's degree from the University of Vermont. Her undergraduate work was completed at Brooklyn College in New York City.

The book, organized in five sections, explores a number of critical topics:

• The current Latinx/a/o enrollment and success landscape
• Closing the attainment gap for Latinx/a/o students
• Advocacy and policymaking, with in-depth discussion of legislative policies and institutional practices related to undocumented students
• Identity, cultural values and norms, gender, and sexuality in the Latinx/a/o community
• Advancing an anti-deficit achievement framework
• Developing pathways to access and success for Latinx/a/o students, particularly the role of community colleges and honors programs

As the Latinx/a/o population continues to grow rapidly, the need to develop promising pathways within success-oriented environments for Latinx/a/o students and professionals in higher education is now more important than ever, Batista said. This publication will inform and guide student affairs and higher education in advancing the conditions necessary for Latinx/a/o students, faculty, and professionals to thrive.

Antonio R. Flores, President and CEO of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities said, "Latinx/a/os in Higher Education is a compelling anthology of insightful narratives depicting the plight and triumphs of an underserved demographic that is increasingly becoming the backbone of America's workforce. The stories come from the hearts and minds of outstanding practitioners and thinkers whose diverse pathways share a deep sense of commitment to uplifting the educational condition of Hispanics/Latinos/as."

According to Beverly Daniel Tatum, President Emerita, Spelman College, "Batista, Collado, Pérez, and associates have done a tremendous service by filling a major gap in the higher education literature. Through both personal narratives and policy papers, this ground-breaking volume makes visible the challenges and triumphs of Latinx/a/o students, faculty, and administrators as they navigate the professional pathways to educational success. It will undoubtedly inspire the next generation of higher education leaders."

Latinx/a/os in Higher Education: Exploring Identity, Pathways, and Success

Angela Batista, Shirley Collado, David Pérez II, and Associates will hold a book signing at the NASPA Conference in Philadelphia, Pa., on Monday, March 5, 9 to 10 a.m. The Latinx/a/o population is the largest and fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States, yet higher education attainment for this community is among the lowest. Latinx/a/os in Higher Education: Exploring Identity, Pathways, and Success addresses topics relevant to the experience of Latinx/a/o students and professionals and illustrates key elements that should be considered in the development of varied pathways to their success.

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