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Full text release has been delayed at the author's request until August 07, 2027

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EXPLORING HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTION ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO

Olivo, Victoria Barbosa
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1656527455120779

Abstract Details

2022, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Educational Studies.
Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) have largely been defined by outcomes rather than a university’s organizational identity (OI) (Garcia, 2019a). The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a unique case as it is known for its HSI identity. Four broad research questions guided this multidisciplinary comparative case study. First, this study investigated how the historical racialization and narratives of Latinx people in Borderlands Texas influenced UTEP’s OI and contemporary organizational decision-making. While there was no evidence that the UTEP’s high-ranking organizational members considered UTEP’s historical narrative of serving racially minoritized groups, it was evident that organizational members expected the U.T. Regents to honor that history. Secondly, this study explored how UTEP and its organizational members were racialized by the local community, the state of Texas, and the nation at large during the hiring of a new president. UTEP was racialized by both insiders and outsiders in all contexts. The further away from the organization (i.e., state and national context), the more likely UTEP’s OI as an HSI was minimized to the Hispanic student enrollment. Yet, the closer to the organization (i.e., organizational members and local context), the more likely discourse emphasized the culture, history, and sociopolitical environment of UTEP that was all connected to its racialization. Thirdly, this study analyzed organizational members’ reactions to the hiring of Dr. Heather Wilson as UTEP’s new President. Organizational members saw a disconnect between UTEP’s OI and the decision to hire Dr. Wilson as the next President of UTEP. UTEP’s OI went far beyond simply enrolling Hispanic students. UTEP focused on improving the lives of the majority Mexican American population and working alongside Mexico to be a binational organization that serviced the region. Therefore, organizational members had expectations for high-ranking social actors when making organizational decisions due to UTEP’s OI being an HSI. Lastly, this study examined UTEP’s high-ranking organizational members’ explanations for hiring Dr. Heather Wilson as UTEP’s president and how these explanations aligned (or did not align) with UTEP’s OI and history of racialization. The data showed that high-ranking organizational members of UTEP went out of their way to avoid any justification for their actions. When justifications were offered, they minimized organizational members’ concerns and attempted to present those who opposed Dr. Wilson as uninformed. This study illuminates the importance of an organization’s identity, specifically Minority-Serving Institutions’ identity, and how OI considerations are necessary for presidential hires and future research.
Marc Johnston-Guerrero (Committee Chair)
Tatiana Suspitsyna (Committee Member)
Penny Pasque (Committee Member)
374 p.
Higher Education
Organization Identity, Hispanic Serving Institution, Comparative Case Study, Minority Serving Institutions

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Olivo, V. B. (2022). EXPLORING HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTION ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1656527455120779

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Olivo, Victoria. EXPLORING HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTION ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO . 2022. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1656527455120779.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Olivo, Victoria. "EXPLORING HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTION ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTITY: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO ." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2022. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1656527455120779

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.