The Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI): Enhancing the Success of Hispanic Undergraduate Students in Computing Disciplines

Various cultural, social, educational, and economic barriers contribute to the underrepresentation of Hispanics in computer science education and the technical workforce. The Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CAHSI) is a partnership of ten institutions with the objective of recruiting, retaining, and advancing Hispanics in computing fields. CAHSI provides comprehensive support to students within and beyond the classroom to redress the barriers faced by Hispanics in technical fields. This mixed-methods study incorporates institutional records analysis, surveys, and interviews to assess the impact of CAHSI’s systematic approach on students’ academic achievement and educational and career aspirations. CAHSI’s efforts to support undergraduates at critical transition points have increased Hispanic students’ graduation rates in computing at a time of national decline in computing baccalaureates, and positively influenced students’ aspirations to pursue graduate education. Demands for equity of and equal access to opportunity along with concerns about the scientific workforce have contributed to recent calls to increase the representation of minorities and women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematical (STEM) fields (Congressional Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering, and Technology Development, 2000). The underrepresentation of Hispanics in the computing field is particularly alarming, given the recent and continued growth of the Hispanic population in