“Hispanic-serving Institution” is a federal designation given to colleges and universities with a Latina/o student enrollment of 25% or more. HSI’s account for 6% of institutions of higher education, yet enroll over half of all Latina/os students. Once institutions reach the 25%, they are eligible to apply for federal funding. Title V (the federal grant for HSIs) aims to achieve the following:
- Expand educational opportunities for Latino students;
- Improve the academic attainment of Latino students;
- Expand and enhance the academic offerings and program quality of colleges and universities that educate the majority of Latino college students; and,
- Help Latino and other low-income students complete postsecondary degrees.
Literature and research suggest Latina/os are the fast growing population in the United States. It is imperative for institutions of higher education to begin thinking about how to best meet the needs of this growing population. The Center for Education Statistics projects that between 2006 and 2017, Latino college enrollment will increase 39%, compared to 5% for White students, 26% for Black students; and 26% for Asian students.
I do believe public institutions should reflect the demographics of the community they are located in. There is a great disproportion in demographics between UNC and the community of Greeley. According to the 2010 Census, Greeley’s Latino population is 36% (a 47.4% increase since 2000). Further, Weld County has a Latino population of 28.4%. In recent years, the enrollment of Latino students at UNC has increased significantly. When I first attended UNC five years ago, the percentage of Latino students was under 8%, now it is 13%. I share these numbers because I feel UNC/Greeley has the perfect community, and potential, for HSI status.
Excelencia in Education, a non-profit organization “accelerating higher education success for Latino students by providing data-driven analysis”, has developed various resources to better understand HSIs. Excelencia has also furthered the concept of an “emerging HSI”. Emerging HSI is defined by a critical mass of 15-24% Latino student enrollment. This critical mass should influence institutional transformation of policies, programs, and practice to better meet the needs of students. Some institutions need to create support programs, while others may only need to strengthen them.
Although discussion around HSIs often centers on enrollment numbers, it is important to understand the “serving” concept of HSIs. Institutions cannot focus on recruiting students without focusing on support programs to enhance student retention. Colleges and universities need to be intentional, and understand the ethnic make up the student population. UNC already has great support programs set in place. Cumbres, CHE, Cesar Chavez Cultural Center, academic majors, numerous cultural clubs and organizations, could be the academic and social support Latino students need in order to be successful. It is important to keep in mind that the programs listed above are not exclusively for Latino students, therefore, strengthening and enhancing these programs will benefit all students and the campus community at large.
Nelson, I really appreciate your post and that you elaborated on our class discussion. You have some really great insights and ideas. I know we had a similar discussion during Enrollment Management over the summer and there were some questions about what is ethical when it comes to trying to recruit a specific population. I think if we intend to head in the direction of becoming an HSI, these questions will be asked, but I'm not exactly sure what the answer is. I think that it could end up being a really positive step for UNC to move towards that direction and expand upon some of the support systems you previously mentioned that are already doing really great work with the students now.
ReplyDeleteNelson, thank you for expanding on this discussion.
ReplyDeleteI do concur with you and Kelsi, that UNC should move towards becoming a HSI.
I agree that the enrollment of our students should reflect the demographics of the community. It is clear that there is a disparity between the current Greely community Latino population rate and that of UNC’s.
At UNC we already have many support programs that enhance the retention of our students and hopefully guarantee their graduation.
Strengthening these programs is critical to provide avenues for our students to be successful academically and socially
I am aware as Matt pointed out in class "it is an expensive proposition" However, I strongly believe it can be accomplished if we are to focus our efforts and resources in this direction
I work at an institution striving for HSI status (technically I think that we are an 'emerging HSI'- but I hadn't heard that term). I have been here just over a year, and do not directly work in the enrollment services side, but have really appreciated a lot of the dialogue on the 'quest' for HSI status and have learned a lot in the time that I've been here. One of the points that was emphasized to me when I first started at the institution (actually, I think that it was during new employee Orientation) was that the benefits of the HSI status would be felt throughout the institution--and for all students. This is because of the point mentioned in the post, that the services and programs will be focused on enhancing retention, graduation rates, and overall student success (not just for Latina/o students). Securing additional funds via HSI status allows institutions to develop new services and enhance existing resources focused on student success—things such as first year success programs, academic support services, and student engagement opportunities. It has been interesting for me to jump into the conversations on HSI status as a relatively naïve newbie to the HSI discussion. From my perspective, it is a ‘win-win’. However, this is not the perception shared by everyone- largely (I believe) due to misinformation and/or misguided advice. As higher education/student affairs leaders, we all need to be educating ourselves on the realities of HIS status- whether we work at an HSI or not. Thanks for the additional info, Nelson!
ReplyDeleteNelson - I was very interested in hearing your perspective in class regarding the HSI status. I, too, believe that it would be amazing if the population of UNC was in line with Greeley and Weld County! I was truly unaware of the numbers and having the information shared is enlightening. I would hope that UNC will push to become a school with HSI status. I do hope that it is a gradual increase so that the university can keep up with the support groups and programs that support the Latino students. I would not want the influx to happen overnight if the support was lacking. With support comes success and with success comes more Latino students. UNC seems to be providing some amazing programs and I hope they continue to produce successful programs!
ReplyDelete