Expanding the Capacity of Student Affairs Professionals and Faculty: A Case Study of Two Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions

Abstract

This study explores the process in which Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) build the capacity of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) student affairs professionals and faculty. Findings suggest that AANAPISIs systematically incorporate multilayered initiatives that validate staff and faculty racialized experiences, while devoting a significant amount of resources to recruit new members into the profession and strengthening their professional competencies. Implications and recommendations are offered to enhance institutional practice.

Acknowledgments

I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the AANAPISI staff and faculty who shared their wisdom with me. Additionally, I grateful to the reviewers and editors for their thoughtful feedback.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

¹ Per federal statute, specifically Section §320(b)(3) of the Higher Education Act, and in the context of AANAPISIs, a person who identifies as “Native American Pacific Islander” is “any descendant of the aboriginal people of any island in the Pacific Ocean that is a territory or possession of the United States”. Thus, the AANAPISI designation was established in order to serve Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students and communities.

² Omi and Winant (1994) define racial projects as “simultaneously an interpretation, representation, or explanation of racial dynamics, and an effort to reorganize and redistribute resources along particular racial lines” (p. 56).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Asian American Studies Center, University of California Los Angeles; Institute of American Cultures, University of California, Los Angeles.