Chalane E. Lechuga, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies
Metropolitan State University
Denver, CO

Chalane E. Lechuga, a Professor in the Department of Chicana/o Studies at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Her research addresses issues of race/ethnicity and education, with an emphasis in Latina/o sociology. Her work has examined the relationship between the racial identities of Latina/o high school students and academic achievement.  In addition, Chalane has conducted research with a local public school district to examine school discipline and racial disparities in exclusionary practices. For the past eleven years, she had conducted research on the recruitment and retention of underrepresented faculty in higher education and developed and implemented policies and programs to support faculty retention.

A long-time member of the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies Colorado Foco, Chalane served as the National Board Treasurer for four years from 2015-2019. In her role, she worked collaboratively with the Executive Director to reorganize the financial and membership reporting process to create greater transparency, consistent reporting, and track trends over time. She also worked with Board members to establish the Treasurer-Elect position allowing her to train and work with the incoming Treasurer.  As an active member of the Board, Chalane led the annual leadership orientation for Foco Reps and Caucus Chairs, chaired the Immigrant Student Beca Awards, regularly reviewed and updated the bylaws and the operations manual, served as a conference proposal reviewer, and presented the financial reports at the annual business meeting. 

Lastly, in 2016, after nearly 30 years, the NACCS annual conference returned to Denver, Colorado. Chalane organized and coordinated the local fundraising efforts, foco activities including the nomination and selection process for the community awards, the welcome reception, opportunities to participate in local activities, cultural night, and the celebration of the NACCS Scholar. Moreover, Chalane has been actively working to revitalize the Colorado Foco and connect Chicana/o/x Studies and Ethnic Studies scholars across Colorado.

Chalane received her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of New Mexico, a M.S. in Sociology from the University of Denver and a B.A. in English and Ethnic Studies (Chicana/o Studies and Black Studies) from the University of Colorado, Boulder.  She is a proud alumnus of Denver Public Schools and graduated from Denver North High School.

Vision for NACCS

Focos and Caucuses are core to the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies and have a critical role in its advancement. It is at the local level where Chicana/o/x Studies as an academic discipline can be most impactful. If selected to serve as one of the At-Large Representatives to the NACCS National Board, I would actively work to support the strengthening and continued growth of Focos and Caucuses by serving as a liaison to the Board and leveraging my experience in the Treasurer position (i.e., tracking membership numbers, caucus revenue, and applications to the Foco Activity Fund). I would contribute to the work of the Board that continues to strengthen the organization by fortifying our fiscal foundation and cultivating the pipeline of NACCS leadership that starts in our Caucuses and Focos. Moreover, as member of the Board, I would share in the responsibility to speak out in support of Chicana/o/x/ and BIPOC communities to advocate for the development, implementation and growth of Chicana/o/x Studies in school curricula at K-12 and colleges and universities.

AT-LARGE REPRESENTATIVE

Duties: At Large Reps represent and communicate with the general membership.  They are assigned designated Focos and Caucuses to communicate and prepare reports for Board. Serve as primary contact for Focos and Caucuses to assist with policies, resolutions, and to convey concerns of the regions and caucuses to the board.  Attend monthly Conference Call meetings, ten months during the year.  Attend midyear meetings, serve on committees as designated, and attend and participate at Annual meetings.  During annual meeting participate in board meetings.  Participate in NACCS for Beginners and Leadership Orientation, and in the general business meeting.  During the annual meetings attend one of the meetings of each of their constituency Foco and Caucus groups.  Hold office hours to assist Foco and Caucus leadership with questions regarding policies and general issues.

Requirements for candidacy:  Must be members in good standing.  Must have a record of involvement in their regional Foco, NACCS involvement in Foco, Caucuses, and have held leadership roles in the organization.  Must be knowledgeable of NACCS bylaws and procedures of non-profit organizations.