New Article on Latine Undergraduates in Academic Recovery
In a recent study entitled “Challenges of (Dis)Connection and Cultural Understanding for Latine Undergraduates on Warning and Probation in Academic Recovery” was published with colleagues Dra. Mary Dueñas (University of Tennessee, Dr. Lazaro Camacho Jr. (University of Rhode Island) in the Journal of College Student Development.
The study explored how Latine undergraduates on academic warning/probation make sense of and navigate academic recovery while negotiating identity, belonging, and institutional support. It argues that “recovery” is not only academic, but also deeply cultural and relational, shaped by advising interactions and campus climates. We use Guiffrida’s culturally informed advancement of Tinto’s Student Departure Theory, emphasizing that Students of Color (and especially first-generation students) may persist through maintaining cultural/familial connections, rather than “separating” from them to integrate.
We connect our findings to culturally competent, holistic academic recovery ecosystems, not advisor-only fixes. These include: (1) humanizing and destigmatizing academic recovery language and structures (e.g., reduce “at-risk” labeling); (2) building networked mentorship and shared responsibility across student affairs, faculty, and staff so students are not dependent on a single advisor for navigation; and (3) Reimagining academic recovery policies to be clearer, culturally informed, and more workable with financial aid realities (e.g., clearer retake/completion policies; better distinctions/timelines between warning vs. probation; allowing more time for first-gen students to progress through recovery). We conclude that Latine students on warning/probation commonly face (1) institutional disconnection, (2) lack of culturally relevant support, and (3) internalized shame/guilt and that institutions need culturally competent advising and policy redesign to support both academic persistence and identity-related needs.
The article is available in the Journal of College Student Development (see link).
