Educational Policy & Immigration in Education 

Research question: 

How do we, as a partnership between students and student affairs professions, set goals that are better aligned with the affected (undocumented) community that said partnership was organized to serve and support?  

1. If a gap, what has led to the difference between and institutional support? 
2. How can this gap be closed to promote a sense of inclusion and equity within the undocumented community and the greater Harvard community?
3. Will an “undocumented center” be the solution to this gap as a tangible resource center or should a stronger communication system be more successful in the current Harvard-specific case study? 

Goals

1. Understand the feelings and needs of the larger undocumented undergraduate community on campus
2. Identify gaps in services and resources provided by the institution (Harvard) and the stated needs of students
3. Propose plan to better support community (ie. potential full-time undocumented fellow or specific summer stipend/fellowships for undocumented people). 

Methods

► Interviews with undocumented students not active in Act on a Dream

• Purpose: To see what their perceived needs are as undocumented students at Harvard and how that compares to the goals/actions of both administrators at Harvard and Act on Dream 
  • Sophomore undocumented student (working in the IOP but not AOD) 
  • ​Sophomore DACAmented student in SOC 130 

► Interviews with students with Leadership Positions in Act on a Dream 

• Purpose: See what the purpose of CAIR and Act on a Dream in their eyes is and how their views of what undocumented students’ supports aligns with undocumented student resources received and achieved.  
  • Sophomore DACAmented student Co-Director (AOD) and Outreach Team for CAIR 
  • Junior DACAmented student Advocacy Chair (AOD) and CAIR Co-Director
  • Sophomore DACAmented student Community Building Chair and Media for CAIR

► Interviews with administrators involved with (CAIR) and advising for AOD

• Purpose: to understand from an administrative view what they believe Harvard is providing and doing to support undocumented community at Harvard     
  • Interviewee: Camila Nardozzi of the office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) 

► Out-of-Campus Visit: CalState LA Dream Center 

• Comparison on number and magnitude of resources/needs offered for undocumented students 
  • Visit was conducted in person during Spring break, taking advantage of California’s more progressive undocumented policies in education and their larger undocumented student communities to serve as examples for Harvard comparison 
    • Notes: CALState LA Campus has a DREAM Center that is funded for decades in advance, serving about 200 students everyday 
      • Has printing services, study rooms, undoc+ trained advisors, social activistic decorations. 
      • Interesting to compare size of undoc+  community in both schools and funding availability at Harvard 

► Review of existing Literature: A Review 

• Understanding and Supporting Undocumented Students; Precollege Contexts of Undocumented Students: Implications for Student Affairs Professionals byJerry Price (p. 19-33)
• Learning to Be Illegal Undocumented Youth and Shifting Legal Contexts in the Transition to Adulthood by Roberto G. Gonzales (p. 602-619)
• No Undocumented Child Left Behind, Plyler v. Doe and the Education of Undocumented Schoolchildren by Michael Olivas(p. 7-33) 
• Undocumented Students at the Community College: Creating Institutional Capacity by Jessica I. Valenzuela, William Perez, Iliana Perez, Gloria Itzel Montiel, Gabriel Chaparro (pp. 87-96)

► Action Research and BluePrint Proposal 

• Compare Interviews with Off-Campus Visit  and personal reflection/observations 
  • Results: Formation of a proposal with recommendations for the continuation of a partnership with Harvard Administration and Act on a Dream to better serve the larger undocu+ community at Harvard