Dear UCSC Community,
As we prepare to welcome our students, staff, and faculty to the start of the 2023 fall quarter, we are excited to first celebrate National Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Awareness week next week: September 11 - 17.
HSI Week is an opportunity to celebrate and build awareness of the work and the important role HSIs play in improving access to education and advancing equity practices for underserved students. Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) are higher education institutions that enroll more than 25% of Hispanic students. Only 19% (571) of higher education institutions meet this definition but HSIs enroll 62% of all Latinx students. UCSC is proud to be certified with the Seal of Excelencia (2022-2025) which recognizes our intentionality and historical effectiveness in serving our Latinx students.
This past year, HSI Initiatives and El Centro deepened our partnership through our unwavering commitment to centering and elevating student voices. We recognize the importance of building a campus community that embraces our students’ voices and stories and provides an opportunity for students to share their cultural knowledge and experience. This year, we are building even more opportunities to engage with students, staff, faculty, alumni, and the community about our role as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and what servingness looks like to us.
Join us as we continue to connect and build community:
- Café Con Pan for Staff and Faculty Friday, September 15 | HSI Modular 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.
- Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month with a Film Screening of the Strawberry Picker documentary featuring local Chicano Artist, Juan R. Fuentes, and a discussion with the filmmakers from Inspira Studios Tuesday, October 10 | Stevenson Event Center 6 - 8 p.m.
- Plática with the Authors of Latinx Guide to Graduate School Friday, October 13
- La Bienvenida: Fall Student Welcome, Saturday, October 14 | Quarry Amphitheater 1-4:30 p.m.
- HSI Equity Talks coming in November
Stay connected via our Instagram: @ucsc.hsi and @elcentro_ucsc where we regularly share current and upcoming information.
Thank you to the HSI Leadership Committee, the Division of Student Affairs and Success, student organizations, and the many UCSC departments and leaders who share our vision of authenticity for educational equity.
Hasta Pronto!
Charis Herzon, HSI Initiatives Director & Xiomara López, El Centro Director and the
HSI and El Centro Teams
