An Academic Community of Hermandad: Research for the Educational Advancement of Latin@s (REAL) - Motivating Factor for First-Tier Tenure-Track Latina Faculty

Oct 15, 2026

The article examines how mentoring and institutional relationships shape tenure-track experiences for two Latina first-year assistant professors at a Hispanic Serving Institution, UTSA. It frames tenure decisions as high-stakes, often isolating, and highlights how the support group REAL (Research for the Educational Advancement of Latin@s) influences participants’ motivation and professional development. Using narrative, ethno-autobiographical methods, it analyzes their testimonios to reflect on challenges, growth, and the long-term impact of promotion expectations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Methodology

Context

Participants

Research focus

An Academic Community of Hermandad: Research for the Educational Advancement of Latin@s (REAL), a Motivting Factor for First-Tier Tenure-Track Latina Faculty By Elsa Cantú Ruiz & Margarita Machado-Casas Elsa Cantú Ruiz is an independent scholar and Margarita MachadoCasas is a professor in the Department of Bicultural and Bilingual Studies of the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas. Introduction Research studies have found that an integral part of being a tenure-track faculty member is the relationship between the higher education institution and individual faculty members (Mawdsley, 1999). Tenure-track positions are competitive spaces that demand and expect assistant professors to excel in publishing, teaching, and scholarly activity.Astin,Antonio, Cress, &Astin (1997) found that,“At least 60% or more of the faculty ofcolor reported ‘somewhat extensive’to ‘extensive’stress about thereview/promotionprocess compared to only 44% of white faculty”(p. 81). The expectations and the daunting demands often lead the faculty member to feel isolated and to fear not getting promoted or tenured. As RhoadesCatanachand Stout (2000) noted, tenure-track decisions have long-term consequences not only for the institution but also for the candidate. Mentoring, as other research studies have noted allows new faculty members to assuage feelings of isolation, and emotional trauma (Lang, 2002) . Mentoring can also help in the promotion and tenure process; oftentimes faculty members who are not awarded tenure claim that they were insufficiently mentored (Fish, 2002) . This article explores the experiences of two Latina first-year tenure-track faculty who while navigating and negotiating their new roles as assistant professors, joined a support group, Research for the Educational Advancement of Latin@s (REAL) . Further, the article chronicles and reflects on the challenges faced by these two Latinas during their first-year as assistant professors at a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), the University ofTexas at San Antonio (UTSA) . Moreover, this article examines the role of REAL in their professional development and motivation to stay in the academy as Latina faculty working in a research-oriented HSI. Context UTSA has been designated a Hispanic Serving Institution. The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) defined such institutions as“colleges, universities, or systems/districts where total Hispanic enrollment constitutes a minimum of 25% of the total enrollment”(HACU’s website). With a 44% Hispanic student body, UTSA more than qualifies as a HSI; additionally it serves a with a historically underserved population in a rapidly growing region in Texas (UTSA’s Strategic Plan: 2016). Because UTSA is an aspiring research institution, it has tightened the demands for tenure and newly hired faculty must face stricter and more rigorous criteria for promotion and tenure, UTSA’s goal is to be the first HSI to attain premier research one status. Methodology The methodological approach for this study relies on Crewall’s work in the area of narrative research. Thus, for this study narrative research becomes the lens through which the two participants who provide stories about their lives during their first-year as assistant professors negotiate their experiences. The study explores mentoring, the role of REAL and the professors’ experiences in general. The autobiographical writings used by the participants will be texts known as ethno-autobiographical because they will include the “development and growth of [their own personal] life over a period of time; moreover, they will highlight that part of [their] identity that relates to their ethnic heritage”(Shirinian, 1997, p. 77) . Ethno-autobiographical inquiry is a self-exploratory journey that investigates the ethnic, cultural, historical, ecological, and gender background of the participants. This methodo

FAQs

Why does the article emphasize mentoring for tenure-track faculty?

It explains that the competitive demands of tenure-track roles can create stress, isolation, and fear about promotion or tenure. Mentoring helps new faculty reduce isolation and trauma and can affect claims about being insufficiently mentored.

What is REAL in the study?

REAL (Research for the Educational Advancement of Latin@s) is a support community the two Latina first-year tenure-track faculty joined. The article chronicles how REAL shapes their professional development and motivation to remain in academia.

How does the methodology of the study approach the participants’ experiences?

The study relies on narrative research through ethno-autobiographical writings. The participants’ autobiographical texts are treated as stories that track development over time and explore ethnic, cultural, historical, ecological, and gender background.

Oct 15, 2026

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