Helping undocumented students succeed
College can be daunting for many students. The burden of assignments. Finding the money to cover tuition, class fees, books and living expenses. The balancing act of scheduling work and school.
But for many students who are not U. S. citizens, there is an added stress that comes with college, like paying for their education when they are not eligible to apply for financial aid and worrying that their loved ones will be deported while they’re away at school.
To help undocumented students wade through the added stress, University of San Francisco has developed the Undocumented Student Task Force.
The group’s chair, Genevieve Negrón- Gonzales, is a second- year assistant professor, whose career, research and activism have centered around immigration.
“As a Chicana professor, I really feel like it’s my responsibility to be accountable to the community I come from,” Negrón-Gonzales said.
When she began working at University of San Francisco, the school worked with students on a case- by- case bases. What she wanted to create was a larger cohesive, institutional effort, which spurred the creation of the task force.
Nearly two years in, the task force is working to find out the needs of students, as well as make recommendations to leadership to address key issues that undocumented students face.
An electronic school survey was one of the first projects tackled by the task force. Since it was unclear just how many undocumented students were attending classes, a schoolwide survey offered a way to get in touch with undocumented students, many who keep their status a secret. The survey asked students to share their experiences, and a separate survey asked faculty and staff if they worked with undocumented students on campus and how they were able to help them.
Based on survey results, the program created short- and long- term goals centered around offering support and a community for undocumented students to gain resources that will help them succeed in school.
“The students say, ‘ I’m working on my degree; it’s really hard ... but what really keeps me up at night is [ wondering] what happens if my mom gets deported,’” Negrón-Gonzales said.
When undocumented graduate student Carolina, who asked that her last name not be used, was searching for graduate programs, she looked for un documented studentfriendly campuses.
“When I decided to accept USF as the school where I would pursue my graduate studies, I knew that this was a safe space for me,” she said. “I’ve received endless support from the School of Education staff and faculty. I am glad to be part of a growing support system at USF.”
To help students like Carolina, the task force is working to educate university staff and faculty on how to offer guidance specific to undocumented students.
Next week, they will have a three- hour Undocu-Ally training on campus that will emphasize how to be an ally and ways to help and support undocumented students. Negrón-Gonzales said the group thought they were being ambitious in hoping for 20 to 30 people to attend, but more than 50 people applied.
“It signifies a real hunger for the need for this kind of information on this campus,” Negrón- Gonzales said.
Negrón- Gonzales and other leaders hope this kind of training and education creates a support network for undocumented students so they are better able to navigate the university and feel accepted by the administration and peers.
“We are excited to have this task force in place because we have a lot of undocumented students who are interested in attending USF,” said Amy Fogliani, director of communication and outreach at the University of San Francisco School of Education. “This task force will make it clear to these students that USF is open to them and has support in place to help with their success.”
“As a Chicana professor, I really feel like it’s my responsibility to be accountable to the community I come from.” Genevieve Negrón- Gonzales, chair of the University of San Francisco Undocumented Student Task Force