Research Considerations and Theoretical Application for Best Practices in Higher Education: Latina/os Achieving Success

In this work, the authors take a critical look at what general measures of success do and do not disclose about the Latina/o experience in higher education and use that assessment to set forth a reconceptualization of the elements of success within a psychosociocultural (PSC) framework. Using "dichos," or widely used sayings of wisdom using life lessons, they carefully describe these elements of success and offer strength-based practices to improve Latina/o student success. They suggest that by interweaving core Latina/o values (e.g., "familismo," "comunidad," "personalismo"), strength-based practices of family and validation, mentorship, cultural congruity, research opportunities and professional development in higher education are addressed relative to Latina/o students' educational experiences, retention, and graduation. [This Scholarly Paper was commissioned for the 2nd Annual Conference of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education, 2007. This article is based on the presentation given at the 2007 AAHHE Institute on Sharing the Future: Focus on Solution, Develop the Talent.]