Journal of applied research in the community college Fall 2016 – Vol. 23, Issue 2 21 Engaging Latino Men in Community Colleges: The Role of Student-Faculty Interactions Sarah L. Rodriguez Kristine Massey Victor B. Sáenz Iowa State University The University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin Community college faculty members are essential to promoting student engagement and success, yet little research in this area has focused on the interactions of Latino men with their faculty members. The study utilized Harris and Wood’s (2013) Socio-Ecological Outcomes (SEO) model which focuses on the educational success of men of color in community colleges, to examine how Latino men made meaning of their interactions with faculty members and how these interactions infuenced their community college success. Latino men made meaning of their faculty experiences based on (a) the accessibility and approachability of the faculty member, (b) their own hesitancy to seek help from faculty members, and (c) the level of investment or authentic care exhibited by the faculty member. These student-faculty interactions infuenced the way in which Latino men engaged both inside and outside of the classroom as well as the way in which they sought support from faculty members. Keywords: faculty, Latino, men, men of color, engagement Community colleges are an import- ant entry point for Latina/o students pursuing higher education. More likely to enroll in community colleges than any other racial or ethnic group, almost half of Latinas/os in higher education are enrolled at these institutions (Snyder & Dillow, 2013). Within this context, com- munity college faculty serve as important bridges between the academic and social lives of Latina/o students and the greater college environment. Faculty engage- ment has been well-established as an important aspect of success for students within higher education (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991; Tinto, 1993), but lack of engagement can have mixed results for certain groups of students (Cejda & © Rodriguez, Massey, & Sáenz