Sharing our work at the CSU San Marcos HSI Summit & developing our research agenda

"The value of the work will endure," Dr. Anne-Marie Nuñez shared with the CSU San Marcos HSI Summit. This phrase grounded the CSU HSI Action Research Network as we met to participate in the CSU San Marcos HSI Summit on Monday, October 6 and for our in-person retreat on Tuesday, October 7th.

Members of the Network came together at CSU San Marcos to present our work at the 4th annual CSU San Marcos HSI Summit. The summit theme was In Community, In Continuity: Sustaining Servingness through Collective Responsibility. Recognizing the shared responsibility across our institutions to serve our students, the summit featured prominent scholar, Dr. Anne-Marie Nuñez, Executive Director of the Diana Natalicio Institute for Hispanic Student Success at The University of Texas at El Paso. Dr. Nunez highlighted the value of creating networks of institutions to explore Latine servingness.

CSU HSI Action Research Network members at the CSU San Marcos HSI Summit 2025.

The CSU HSI Action Research Network was featured as part of the HSI Summit sessions. Dr. Ferreira van Leer and Dr. Gonzalez shared about the Network's work to date, including our working definition of Student Success at CSU HSIs that is grounded in Community Cultural Wealth (Yosso, 2005), Validation Theory (Rendón, 1994), and Ethics of Care (Gilligan, 1982). In addition, we shared about best practices for servingness at HSIs and the challenges and opportunities we have discovered while engaging in this work. Network member Dr. José Alamillo, Professor of Chicana/o Studies, also shared best practices for servingness from CSU Channel Islands. He highlighted their Noche de Familia, Chicana/Latina & Latino Male Retreat, and the Sí Se Pudo Celebration.

Following the HSI Summit, Network colleagues gathered together to develop a research agenda focused on transforming the CSU system from enrolling Latine students across the CSU system to serving them. As a network of scholars, practitioners, and students we left the space feeling energized and excited to continue doing this work while centering our students and not losing our corazón (heart).

CSU HSI Action Research Network members at CSU San Marcos - 2025 Gathering

While the HSI designation has come under attack and funding mechanisms are jeopardized, the two days reminded us of the importance of urgency of this work. In fact, servingness is central to the CSU system:

• 1 in 2, or 50%, of CSU undergraduate students identify as Latine (or Hispanic)

• 21 of the 22 California State Universities are designated HSIs,

• the HSI designation was the first federal designation a CSU received in 2004 (Fullerton),

• 14 of the 22 CSUs have earned the Seal of Excelencia,

• And CSU Channel Islands is the only California institution to earn the Seal of Excelencia designated Intentionally Thriving Institution.

Servingness as a concept was developed within HSI scholarship and in practice by university staff, faculty, administrators and students every day. The CSU HSI Action Research Network is grounded in the multidimensional conceptual framework of understanding servingness (Garcia et al, 2019) and in our collective work.

The CSU San Marcos HSI Summit and our retreat reminded each of of us that servingness is a movement rooted in corazón and comunidad. As we left, we carried with us a shared commitment to continue our work with urgency while also uplifting, empowering, and honoring each other and our talented students across the CSU system.