Wilfredo Alvarez | Southern Connecticut State University (original) (raw)
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This chapter engages the formation of an interdisciplinary peer-mentoring group that empowered gr... more This chapter engages the formation of an interdisciplinary peer-mentoring group that empowered graduate students of color to navigate varied and complex challenges within a predominantly white institution (PWI) in the Rocky Mountain Region. In doing this work, both intended and unintended barriers were exposed and navigated. The chapter describes the journeys of three students and their advisor, who are from diverse backgrounds. Their journeys are followed from the formation of the group through their matriculation and subsequent steps in their respective professional careers. The auto-ethnographic techniques, derived from self-study, involved an application of those utilized by CURVE-Y-FRiENDs (C-Y-F) global network. The challenges identified based on C-Y-F were: (1) intellectual identities, (2) cultural/racial/ethnic/linguistic identities, (3) pursuit of professional careers, and (4) personal/professional relationships. In our work, we identify our journeys' salient outcomes and provide practical recommendations for various university stakeholders.
All authors contributed equally to this essay.
As U.S. demographics shift and people of diverse global backgrounds frequently organize together,... more As U.S. demographics shift and people of diverse global backgrounds frequently organize together, difference becomes an increasingly central communication problem for our ever-changing working world. Because the
university classroom is an instructive institutional space of socialization for
individuals as thinkers and workers, we believe organizational communication instruction should place difference at its forefront to prepare students to anticipate “the complex interactions characteristic of diverse workplaces” (Deetz & Eger, 2014, p. 27). Inspired by Brenda Allen’s (2005) theorizing of “difference matters,” we position the classroom as a space to challenge normative assumptions of difference and sameness to help students understand the historical implications of discourses of self and other in ways that can “empower organizational actors to work for social change” (p. 49).
Research demonstrates that the experience of international students on U.S. university campuses i... more Research demonstrates that the experience of international students on U.S. university campuses is replete with cultural, social, relational, workrelated, and linguistic challenges (e.g., . This study explored the experiences of international students from the Dominican Republic as they adjusted to campus life at two public U.S. universities where they were awarded scholarships. Phenomenological methodology was utilized to explore Dominican students' lived experiences and hear their voices both individually and collectively. Focus groups served as a method through which male and female international students recollected their lived experiences. The thematic insights generated through the study were used to provide recommendations for university administrators committed to enhancing the international student experience.
This chapter engages the formation of an interdisciplinary peer-mentoring group that empowered gr... more This chapter engages the formation of an interdisciplinary peer-mentoring group that empowered graduate students of color to navigate varied and complex challenges within a predominantly white institution (PWI) in the Rocky Mountain Region. In doing this work, both intended and unintended barriers were exposed and navigated. The chapter describes the journeys of three students and their advisor, who are from diverse backgrounds. Their journeys are followed from the formation of the group through their matriculation and subsequent steps in their respective professional careers. The auto-ethnographic techniques, derived from self-study, involved an application of those utilized by CURVE-Y-FRiENDs (C-Y-F) global network. The challenges identified based on C-Y-F were: (1) intellectual identities, (2) cultural/racial/ethnic/linguistic identities, (3) pursuit of professional careers, and (4) personal/professional relationships. In our work, we identify our journeys' salient outcomes and provide practical recommendations for various university stakeholders.
All authors contributed equally to this essay.
As U.S. demographics shift and people of diverse global backgrounds frequently organize together,... more As U.S. demographics shift and people of diverse global backgrounds frequently organize together, difference becomes an increasingly central communication problem for our ever-changing working world. Because the
university classroom is an instructive institutional space of socialization for
individuals as thinkers and workers, we believe organizational communication instruction should place difference at its forefront to prepare students to anticipate “the complex interactions characteristic of diverse workplaces” (Deetz & Eger, 2014, p. 27). Inspired by Brenda Allen’s (2005) theorizing of “difference matters,” we position the classroom as a space to challenge normative assumptions of difference and sameness to help students understand the historical implications of discourses of self and other in ways that can “empower organizational actors to work for social change” (p. 49).
Research demonstrates that the experience of international students on U.S. university campuses i... more Research demonstrates that the experience of international students on U.S. university campuses is replete with cultural, social, relational, workrelated, and linguistic challenges (e.g., . This study explored the experiences of international students from the Dominican Republic as they adjusted to campus life at two public U.S. universities where they were awarded scholarships. Phenomenological methodology was utilized to explore Dominican students' lived experiences and hear their voices both individually and collectively. Focus groups served as a method through which male and female international students recollected their lived experiences. The thematic insights generated through the study were used to provide recommendations for university administrators committed to enhancing the international student experience.