Meet Sandra Rodriguez

Sandra Rodriguez is a Community of Practice Fellow, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) for the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge at Civic Nation.

Sandra Rodriguez is the ASUN Center for Student Engagement Director at the University of Nevada, Reno. Her focus is on the strong ties between student engagement, civic literacy, civic agency, and equity and inclusion in creating just democratic learning communities. She earned her Ph.D. in Education at the University of Nevada, Reno.

As an educator/administrator, I am committed to civic engagement and student self-governance efforts that support the teaching and learning mission of the University through the co-creation and application of knowledge/action by students, community partners, service recipients, and the University to underscore the importance of our participatory democracy.

By exposing our students, upon arrival, to a campus culture of civic learning and democratic engagement, we influence habitus, which Bourdieu defined as the embodiment of cultural capital. These are the deeply ingrained habits, skills, and dispositions we possess due to our life experiences.  By providing these direct civic pathways that clearly articulate expectations and broaden student lived experiences, we connect structure and agency in student social interaction to produce a conscious action. Civic pathways encourage commitment to responsible citizenship in life.