Welcome to the The Quarterly Connection, where we dive a little deeper into our programming as well as share upcoming activities and opportunities for you to engage in. This month we are excited to spotlight a significant milestone in our campus' commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and student success. We are proud to announce the establishment of our Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Steering Committee, which is not just a committee; it's a movement towards creating a more inclusive campus that acknowledges and values the contributions of our Hispanic/Latine students. It's about making a difference, fostering a sense of belonging, and above all, it's about empowering every student to reach their full potential.
The University of Colorado Denver and Anschutz Medical Campus became the first research university in the state to attain status as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), according to an October 2021 designation by the U.S. Department of Education. To qualify for this status, a university must have undergraduate full-time enrollment that is comprised of at least 25% Hispanic/Latine students and demonstrate a high concentration of students who are eligible for Pell Grants. Recently, CU Anschutz regained their HSI status alongside CU Denver.
As a committee, our mission is advising on how to address inequities and foster a responsive, inclusive, and identity-safe climate for University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus students, faculty, staff, trainees and community members from Latine and other minoritized groups by advocating for programs that improve social, emotional, academic, and career development and that are linked to systems of accountability. These include, but are not limited to, efforts in the following areas:
- Fostering a sense of belonging, inclusion and well-being
- Implementing evidence-based practices for advancing success
- Providing holistic, evidence-based academic and professional development opportunities to build asset-based mindsets that are inclusive
For more information visit CU Anschutz Hispanic Serving Institution Advisory Committee.
The CU Anschutz HSI committee is excited to announce our inaugural symposium: The Latine Excellence Symposium on Monday, September 16 in the Health Sciences Building. This all-day event will begin with a keynote with internationally recognized scholar Dr. Gina Ann Garcia.
Dr. Garcia is a public scholar advocating with and for HSIs and is committed to disrupting the status quo of postsecondary education. Her goal is to transform HSIs and other colleges and universities that enroll the most compositionally diverse students. She delivers public lectures that motivate people to think critically about the role and function of colleges and universities, offers training and workshops to help faculty, staff, and administrators assess their institutional practices and approaches to serving Latine/x and other racially and economically minoritized students, and consults directly with HSI educators and leaders. Dr. Garcia is the author of “Transforming Hispanic-Serving Institutions for Equity and Justice” and “Hispanic Serving Institutions in Practice: Defining “Servingness” at HSIs.” The HSI committee looks forward to hosting this incredible speaker on our campus.
The symposium will also feature opportunities for networking with peers and colleagues as well as investigating what ‘being an HSI’ means for our campus with workgroups. Our goal as the HSI committee is to create this space for connection, collaboration, and deepen our understanding of the needs of latine campus community members. The information gathered from these groups and the symposium will determine the course of action and programs this committee seeks to implement. There will also be cultural presentations and we look forward to celebrating the diversity within Latinidad.
Additionally, we are excited to introduce the Con Ganas Award which recognizes students, staff, faculty, and community members, who use their life experiences as a Latine to shape and influence their work. Winners of the Con Ganas Award will have demonstrated a profound commitment to enhancing the Latine experience on campus and in our community. The work could be centered on innovation for Latine retention and support, challenging existing practices or policies, inspiring others and/or advocating for fairness, justice, and basic human rights. Each Con Ganas Award includes a monetary prize and will be announced at the Latine Excellence Symposium on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus Sept 16th, 2024. A nomination link will be sent out soon.
If you’re an individual or department interested in supporting the HSI Committee, we invite you to connect with us here to learn more about how to get involved.