Chapter 5: Interupting the Usual in the Academy: Creating a Sense of Belonging Among Latina Faculty

In this chapter, we examine the experiences of Latina faculty who share challenges with other faculty of color in building a sense of belonging navigating academia. We employ narrative inquiry to explore our auto-ethnographic accounts as three Latina faculty members making the transition into their first academic positions at the same Hispanic-Serving Institution. Using validation theory as a lens, we analyze how building collaborative academic and social relationships enhances our sense of belonging in our university. We find that our participation in a support group created by and for Latina faculty in our institution facilitates our transitions into the academy. We also address implications of our findings for further research, policy, and practice regarding the promotion and retention of faculty of color and those from other historically marginalized groups.