According to the U.S. Department of Education, “a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) is defined as an institution of higher education that—(A) is an eligible institution; and (B) has an enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic students at the end of the award year immediately preceding the date of application.” While this definition nicely sums up the requirements a school must meet to become an HSI, being an HSI and truly serving the Hispanic community goes beyond statistics. And so we here at Hispanic Outlook are running an ongoing article series highlighting those schools that have achieved HSI status and how they are truly Hispanic-Serving Institutions.
Bloomfield College
(BC)
Located in New Jersey, BC serves 2,000 students more than half of which identify themselves as first-generation. Its student organizations include the Association of Latin American Students (A.L.A.S.), as well as CARIBSO whose purpose is to create unity by exhibiting diversity through the display of the numerous cultures on campus.
http://www.bloomfield.edu/
College of Southern Nevada
(CSN)
As one of the largest and most ethnically diverse colleges in Nevada, CSN makes it a priority to provide an affordable, collaborative and welcoming environment that allows students of any culture to shine. Its student clubs include the Student Organization of Latinos and Allies, as well as the Multicultural Club.
https://www.csn.edu/
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
(UTHealth)
UTHealth’s primary teaching hospitals are Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital. Its Hispanic Health Research Center’s primary objective is to identify the salient risk factors for obesity and diabetes in Americans of Mexican descent living in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
https://www.uth.edu/
Florida SouthWestern State College
(FSW)
The mission of FSW is in part to prepare a diverse population for creative and responsible participation in a global society. FSW has four campuses, and its student clubs include the Cultural Arts Club at its Charlotte Campus and the Multicultural Club at both its Charlotte and its Collier Campus.
https://www.fsw.edu/
Orange County Community College
(SUNY Orange)
SUNY Orange, with campuses in two New York locations, offers programs of study leading to several transfer and career degrees. It offers TRiO Student Support Services, a federally funded program intended to boost performance and help discover potential for motivated students having a low income, disability or are considered first-generation.
http://www.sunyorange.edu/
Pueblo Community College
(PCC)
With four locations in Colorado, PCC embraces a diverse student body and supports all individuals in attaining high-quality postsecondary credentials across its academic disciplines. Scholarships are available through the PCC Foundation, and private scholarship information is also made available on PCC’s website, including from the Latin American Educational Foundation (LAEF).
https://www.pueblocc.edu/
San Diego Mesa College
(Mesa College)
As one of the largest and most successful of California’s community colleges, Mesa College has implemented initiatives to better serve its Hispanic community and diverse student body, including Proyecto Exito, the Latinx Alliance, STEM Conexiones, the Avanza Student Engagement Center and SEEDS (STEM Engagement for the Enrichment of Diverse Students).
http://www.sdmesa.edu/
San Jose State University
(SJSU)
Located in California, SJSU’s mission’s social and global responsibilities include helping its graduates develop diverse and global perspectives through engagement with its multidimensional community. It features the Cesar E. Chavez Community Action Center for volunteering opportunities, as well as the MOSAIC Cross Cultural Center for diversity and social justice empowerment.
http://www.sjsu.edu/
Essex County College
(ECC)
With three locations in New Jersey, ECC takes pride in the richness of its diversity and is open to students with a wide variety of backgrounds and abilities. Its student clubs and organizations include the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting, as well as the Latino Student Union.
http://www.essex.edu/
West Texas A&M University
(WTAMU)
WTAMU is an inclusive community of learners that prides diversity as one of its core values. Its campus organizations include the Association of Latino Professionals for America, the Bilingual/ESL Education Student Organization, the College Assistant Migrant Program Organization of Students 2.0, the First-Generation Student Organization and the Hispanic Student Association.
http://www.wtamu.edu/