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Demonstrating an Ethic of Care:
Supporting Undocumented
Students on Campus
NACADA Annual Conference: October 12, 2017
Mehegan Murphy & Colleen Yee
Bunker Hill Community College
Boston, MA
“Access without support is
not opportunity.”
Engstrom, C. & Tinto, V. (2008, January-February). Access without support is not opportunity. Change, 40(1), 46-50.
Goals
• Network
• Define undocumented and DACA
• Concrete ways to support undocumented
students on your campus
Small
Group
Discussion
•What do you know about
undocumented students?
•What do you know about DACA?
Definitions
• All undocumented individuals come to
the U.S. illegally.TRUE
or
FALSE FALSE
• Many individuals enter the U.S. legally
and overstay a visa, thus, becoming
undocumented.
Undocumented
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Documented
“By definition, an undocumented
person is a foreign national who:(1) Entered the United States without
inspections or with fraudulent documents;OR
(2) Entered legally as a nonimmigrant but
then violated the terms of his or her status
and remained in the United States without
authorization.”Retrieved from the National Immigration Law Center
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -International Students (hold a student visa)
• All undocumented individuals are eligible
to apply for DACA.TRUE
or
FALSE FALSE
• DACA is a snapshot in time based on
eligibility criteria.
Deferred
Action for
Childhood
Arrivals
(DACA)
- - - - - - - - - -
Eligibility
Requirements
• Under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012
• Came to U.S. while under the age of 16
• Have continuously resided in the U.S.
from June 15, 2007 to present
• Education requirement: currently in high
school, GED or college
• No criminal record
Deferred
Action for
Childhood
Arrivals
(DACA)
- - - - - - - - - -
Benefits
•Provides individuals with:
• A Social Security Number
• A work authorization permit
• A two-year reprieve from deportation
• In-state tuition eligibility in some
states
“As soon as I got DACA, I registered…and I remember
being really excited.”
Deferred
Action for
Childhood
Arrivals
(DACA)
- - - - - - - - - -
Rescission
•September 5, 2017 •DACA phase out was announced
•No new applications
• Beneficiaries given one month to
renew if eligible
•DACA expiration depends on
individual beneficiary date
Federal, State and Local Policy
What does
this mean in
terms of
access to
education?
K-12:
• U.S. Supreme Court ruled that all
children are entitled to a public
education, regardless of citizenship or
immigration status (Plyer v Doe, 1982)
Higher Education:
• There is no federal law that prohibits the
admission of undocumented immigrants
to U.S. colleges and universities
• States can make their own provisions
Access
“It was basically the only option to actually
continue my education because…there
was nothing to help you to continue your
education financially.”
Challenges and Barriers
Is college
for me?
• Lack of understanding and resources at the
high school and college level• “Nobody really understood the situation or knew how to
help me. And neither did I.”
• First-generation students• “I needed people to explain to me how it works, because I
had no idea at all.”
• College application process
• Psychological Impacts• “I mean psychologically, you have no idea how hard it is.
it’s huge talking from the point of dignity, as a human
being, just trying to get (an) education.”
Paying for
College
• Not eligible for federal financial aid
• Most undocumented students pay out of pocket
• “If you don’t work, you can’t pay for your classes. But if you don’t go to your classes because of work, you fail.”
• In-state vs out-of-state at BHCC• In-state: $528 per 3 credit class
• Out-of-state: $1,146 per 3 credit class
“You have to make a choice, do you want to be homeless or pay for school?”
Is it worth it?
• DACA uncertainty
• Major and career choices
• What happens after graduation? • “If I do achieve it (college), what do I do with it after?”
• Undocumented students will still be
undocumented even as they attain
higher education
“Registering with the school was easy, but the thought of,
“Is this even worth it?” I’m going to go there, waste
money…will there be a point where I can say, “Okay- I
accomplished something? It’s hard taking a risk.”
Demonstrating an Ethic of Care
Academic
Advising
“When undocumented students see that
student affairs professionals know about
and demonstrate an ethic of care
regarding their unique realities, it
increases the students opportunity and
likelihood to develop trust with student
affairs professionals.” Gildersleeve et al. (2010) p.6
Academic
Advising
“Helping undocumented people feel welcome and feel like
they do matter for the school…they’re going to feel like
they’re in a community that cares for them.”
“I felt safe and like my dream was finally coming true.”
Academic
Advising
Creating an inclusive environment“This is where I’m meant to be.”
• Language matters
• “Be careful with the words you choose, it can make
or break it.”
• “What’s your social?”
• Know your curriculum and be creative
• “I was constantly in fear that I’m registering for the
wrong classes.”
Academic
Advising
• Educating yourself and recognizing when you
don’t have the answers. • “You were there to guide me through everything, I felt
embraced in a way.”
• Resource referral
• Being visible
• College website
Office Wall Office Door
Bulletin Board Advising Staff
Now What?
• Keep the conversation going or start the
conversation on your campus• Creation of a working group
• FERPA FIRST!
• Policy creation
• Find partners and share the
responsibility
• Local and state resources
• Stay current
When you
get back to
campus…
What
Students
Want You to
Know
“I’m strong.”
“You need to know we are motivated as heck.”
“Invest without fear.”
“There’s always a way. There’s always going to be a way.
There’s always going to be an option.”
“I’m trying to fight the good fight, every day.”
“I’m proud of myself.”
“If you don’t have a social security number, that doesn’t
mean that you don’t want to study, that you don’t want to
have a better life in the future.”
“See us not as a burden, but a potential, because (people)
need to open up their minds and see the true potential
behind every individual.”
Mehegan Murphy
Cayuga Community College (NY)
Colleen Yee
Bunker Hill Community College (MA)
Contact
Information
The Student
Voice
The blue italicized text throughout the
presentation are student quotes that came from:
• Eight one-on-one interviews between
December 2016 and August 2017.
• Student focus group of four students in
January 2017.
Interviews were recorded in collaboration with
Institutional Research at Bunker Hill Community
College and transcribed using a third party.
