Written by Eduardo Contreras, Lily Souza-Fuertes, Gabrielle Miller, Steven Fernandez, Karena Malvanti, and Felipe Hinojosa
Located in central Texas, with partnerships around the world, Baylor University is unique among institutions in the Lone Star State in its program offerings and services for Hispanic students. As of 2024, 16% of Baylor’s student population identify as Hispanic or Latino, earning Baylor the distinction of an “Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution.” Through a collective effort of administrators, faculty and staff, Baylor has established a foundation for Hispanic students to flourish.
More than 170 Years of Spanish Language Teaching
Baylor’s commitment to Latin America is not new. Spanish has been taught at Baylor since at least 1852. With 35% of Spanish majors and minors identifying as Hispanic, Baylor’s Division of Spanish and Portuguese aims to immerse students in the Spanish-speaking world. The Division boasts a growing Spanish for Heritage Speakers program, which offers three levels of instruction for students who have grown up exposed to Spanish at home and/or who possess cultural connections with the language. As Division Director Dr. Gabrielle Miller explains, the main goals of the heritage program are for students to strengthen and professionalize their Spanish language skills while fostering a deeper appreciation for their heritage. Course materials aim to cultivate and validate heritage speakers’ cultural experiences and develop critical awareness about complex social issues affecting Hispanic communities in the U.S.
Aspiring health care professionals participate in the immensely popular Certificate in Spanish for Health Professions, also housed with the Division of Spanish and Portuguese. In 2024, 25% of the program’s 106 graduates identified as Hispanic. The capstone course of the certificate program goes beyond specialized medical vocabulary in Spanish to develop conversational skills and cultural competency through clinical observations and service learning in the Spanish-speaking community. Certificate candidates complete a final project by working one-on-one with a Spanish professor either to conduct interdisciplinary research at the intersection of health, humanities, and the Spanish-speaking world, or to design a long-form interview in Spanish with a medical professional.
Fostering In-depth Understanding of Latin America: Research and Study Abroad
Dr. Lizbeth Souza-Fuertes, Director of the Latin American Studies program, notes that the program she directs began in 1969 and is dedicated to promoting an intellectually stimulating, interdisciplinary environment by providing students with the means to understand the multiplicity of cultures and remarkable diversity in the Americas. Students may pursue a major or minor with an interdisciplinary curriculum that includes coursework from the Departments of Anthropology, Economics, Environmental Studies, History, Modern Languages and Cultures (Spanish and Portuguese), Music, Religion, and Political Science. Many students come from Hispanic or Latin American backgrounds and graduates have pursued careers in diplomacy, medicine, law, and academia. One student was recently awarded a Fulbright ETA.
Interdisciplinary collaboration and building bridges between academic enterprises are essential to the research enterprise at Baylor. Dr. Felipe Hinojosa, the Jackson Family Endowed Chair for Baylor in Latin America, along with faculty from a wide array of disciplinary backgrounds, engage in research that is hemispheric in scope and focused on Latinx and Latin American Studies. Rather than a vertical approach that privileges a mostly white, U.S. hegemonic focus, work in this area at Baylor seeks to foster horizontal relationships between Hispanic populations in the U.S. and region. This work also aims to better understand the colonial relationship the U.S. has maintained with Latin America.
Baylor also offers an extensive range of study abroad programs that allow students to immerse themselves in the Spanish language and cultures across Spanish-speaking destinations. These programs span Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Portugal, and Spain, providing rich cultural and linguistic experiences. Spain remains the most popular destination in Europe, with Costa Rica leading in Central America and Argentina being the top choice in South America. Over the past seven years, nearly 600 Hispanic students have studied abroad, making up 13% of the total Baylor population abroad—the largest group of underrepresented students. With Baylor’s current and next strategic plan emphasizing Latin America, new heritage-based and Spanish and Portuguese language programs will be developed, further expanding transformative opportunities for students.
Supporting and Enhancing Hispanic Students’ Success on Campus
Student programming on campus also abounds for Hispanic students at Baylor. For example, “The Latino/a/x Student Success Initiative (LSSI)” team, which includes Baylor faculty, staff, and student leaders, provides a central hub for collaboration to enhance Hispanic students’ holistic experience and sense of belonging. Baylor’s Adelante: First Year Experience program aims to equip undergraduate freshman or Hispanic transfer students with the skills, information, and support systems needed to identify student services, improve academic performance, and graduate from college. According to Director Steven Fernandez, this program serves primarily first-generation Hispanic students throughout their first year with workshops and events focused on topics identified by researchers, practitioners, and students as being vital to the college retention and success of Hispanic students at Baylor. It also gives undergraduate students a personalized, culturally competent support network that adds value to their college experience.
In light of this program’s accomplishments, Baylor was recognized in 2024 by FirstGenForward as a leader in first-generation student success. Upon receiving this recognition, Michelle Gonzalez, First in Line (FIL) manager at Baylor, stated that “We are excited to see the continued evolution of our efforts of encouraging, challenging and equipping our first-generation students at Baylor University.” Beyond the first year, students in their sophomore to senior year can participate in Baylor’s Adelante Beyond Program, designed to cultivate mentorship, enhance leadership opportunities for its members, and provide continuous community and civic engagement opportunities.
As the oldest continuously operating university in Texas, Baylor today is not the same institution it was in 1845. Texas is also not the same state. In 2022, the Latinx population became the largest demographic in the state at 12 million people, making Texas a majority minority state. With these internal demographics in mind, and with an eye toward welcoming Hispanic students from around the country, and indeed the world, Baylor is poised to build on its success for decades to come.
