Book Dr. Garcia
Keynotes
*NEW KEYNOTE* Servingness 2.0: An Updated Approach to HSIs in Practice
Servingness is common vernacular in the Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) community. But what does it really mean and how do you advance it in practice? In this keynote, Dr. Garcia defines servingness and discusses the soon-to-be released Servingness 2.0 Framework (expected 2026), which extends the original model and includes new dimensions. She lays out the updated framework, providing a definition of the “structures for serving” and offering examples of how HSIs are transforming to better serve their students. She also complicates the “indicators of serving,” providing examples of how HSIs can assess their progress toward student success, liberation, and thriving. Moreover, the updated framework includes active “servingness processes” and “barriers to servingness,” making it more dynamic. Dr. Garcia challenges the audience to think about servingness as a multidimensional concept that can be addressed by every person on campus, for all students, and across all enrollment-based MSIs including HSIs, AANAPISIs, and Black-Serving Institutions. This keynote is excellent for first-time audiences and return campus visits.
*NEW KEYNOTE* Organizational Change: Exploring the Processes and Practices Used by Change Agents at HSIs
Moving from an enrollment-based HSI (or MSI) towards an intentional HSI (or MSI) requires organizational change! In this keynote, Dr. Garcia discusses lessons learned from 32 change agents at 29 different Hispanic-Serving Institutions across 8 states. Drawing from her soon-to-be released book (expected 2026), she describes how HSIs can change, are shifting, and should evolve in order to actualize a Latine-serving identity. Grounded in the theory of emergent strategy, a justice centered, collaborative approach to envisioning and enacting change, this keynote provides a vision for change that extends Garcia’s freedom dream about new HSI futures. Emergent strategy is “for people who want to radically change the world” (adrienne maree brown, 2017, p. 4), and this keynote is for change leaders on campus who need strategies, hope, and vision. Grounded in empirical research, Dr. Garcia provides practical strategies and solutions for organizing from within the institution. ¡Que viva el HSI movement!
*UPDATED KEYNOTE* Becoming Latine-Thriving Institutions
To become is a process of transforming into something different than what you currently are; it suggests growth, change, and evolution toward a new state of being. To become an HSI is to evolve from a predominantly white-enrolling college or university to a Latine-enrolling campus that is eligible for capacity-building federal grants. But enrolling a significant number of Latine students and getting grants does not make a campus Latine-serving, and it certainly does not ensure thriving. This keynote is intended for all HSIs–historical, emerging, striving, aspiring, multi-designated, and multi-granted. Drawing from her book Becoming Hispanic Serving Institutions: Opportunities for Colleges and Universities, Dr. Garcia describes the different “HSI identity types” and provides evidence of how HSIs fit within these categories. She also discusses the urgency to simultaneously address the image and organizational culture, and describes systemic practices and policies that acknowledge the unique identities and community cultural wealth of Latine students. This keynote challenges the audience to think about how becoming an HSI is a unique process for every college and university, and is a good choice for new audiences or first time campus visits.
Transforming Hispanic Serving Institutions
This keynote address is recommended for colleges and universities that have already achieved the HSI designation and that are actively enacting servingness through HSI grant activities and other culturally relevant approaches. It’s also good for colleges and universities that are not HSIs but looking for unique approaches to organizing for equity and justice. Dr. Garcia talks about her book, Transforming Hispanic Serving Institutions for Equity & Justice, and provides an organizational framework that advances equity, justice, and liberation for racialized organizations. She lays out the framework, which includes nine organizational dimensions, and offers examples from practice. Dr. Garcia encourages audience members to think about organizational change grounded in justice and liberation.
Training Workshops
Developing Social Justice Curriculum in Hispanic-Serving Institutions
This training is for faculty and instructors who develop and deliver the curriculum at their institution. Dr. Garcia provides an overview of HSIs and discusses the importance of becoming “Latine-enhancing,” offering suggestions for how to center Latines and other minoritized students in the curriculum and classroom. She also provides a definition of social justice in the curriculum, stressing the need for faculty across the institution, from STEM to humanities and professional schools, to think about equity and justice outcomes. This training is hands-on, allowing faculty to evaluate their syllabi and reflect on their own pedagogical practices.
*UPDATED SESSION* Assessing Servingness 2.0 in Practice at HSIs
This session pairs well with the Servingness 2.0 keynote but can also be effective as a standalone workshop. All campus constituents are invited to discuss and assess the institution’s progress towards enacting servingness, including faculty, staff, administrators, and students. Those who have knowledge of programs, services, and curricula that serve Latines and other minoritized students should participate as well as staff with knowledge of campus outcomes (i.e., institutional researchers, campus data coaches). This session is hands-on, drawing on the updated Multidimensional Conceptual Framework for Understanding Servingness, with participants utilizing rubrics to assess the institution’s progress toward servingness and discussing what can be done to advance servingness.
NEW WORKSHOP* Using Emergent Strategy to Guide Organizational Change
This session pairs well with the Organizational Change keynote but can also be effective as a standalone workshop. All campus constituents are welcome to participate including students, staff, faculty, administrators, and community members. This session allows participants to map out the steps for evolving from a Latine-enrolling campus to a Latine-thriving campus. Grounded in the theory of emergent strategy, a justice centered, collaborative approach to envisioning and enacting change, Dr. Garcia guides participants through a visioning session, acknowledging current progress towards becoming Latine-serving, no matter how small the wins. This session is hands-on with participants developing strategies for organizing their HSI movement on campus.
*UPDATED WORKSHOP* Becoming Latine-Thriving Institutions
This workshop pairs well with the keynote of the same name but can also be effective as a standalone workshop. Participants will engage with ideas from the book Becoming Hispanic Serving Institutions: Opportunities for Colleges and Universities, beginning with a look at the Typology of HSI Organizational Identities and guided by prompts to help participants determine the type of HSI their institution currently is: Latinx-enrolling, Latinx-producing, Latinx-enhancing, or Latinx-serving, and the type it wants to become. This session will allow participants to envision a Latine-thriving identity for the campus by discussing both academic and liberatory outcomes and the organizational culture for thriving. This session is hands-on with participants discussing strategies, practices, and policies to map out a path towards embodied servingness.
Transforming Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs): One-Time Session
This workshop pairs well with the keynote of the same name but can also be effective as a standalone workshop. This training is for campus administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members. It will help all campus constituents think about various aspects of the campus that must be addressed for long-term organizational change towards equity and justice, including mission, purpose, strategic plans, curriculum, programs, services, governance, leadership, and external partnerships. Guided by the Transforming HSIs organizational framework, Dr. Garcia provides an experience that is hands-on and helps participants conceptualize organizational transformation on their campus.
Transforming HSIs for Equity and Justice: The Professional Development Series
This professional development opportunity is offered virtually as a 3-part or 6-part series for HSI teams and HSI advocates on campus. Participants in this workshop should purchase and have access to Transforming HSIs for Equity and Justice: A Practitioner’s Workbook. Co-authors Garcia & Endris will guide teams of 10-20 educators and decision-makers on campus through the theoretical foundations of the Transformation Hispanic-Serving Institutions for Equity & Justice book and walk them through the workbook, providing advice and guidance on its usage. This training is for campus administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members who are ready to DO servingness. It will help all campus constituents think about dimensions of the campus that must be addressed for long-term organizational change towards equity and justice, including mission, purpose, curriculum, programs, services, governance, leadership, and external partnerships. This is a hands-on, interactive experience, with a focus on action.