The Growing Role of Hispanics in Higher Education

HACU is a national organization that represents more than 450 colleges and universities that collectively serve two-thirds of the more than two million Hispanic students in U.S. higher education across 32 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. HACU works to advocate for increased access to higher education for Hispanics, as well as working toward improving the quality of higher education that people receive. HACU is active in helping Hispanic higher education professionals network, interact, and work toward improving both their careers and the institutions in which they work.

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Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs: The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) does a lot of work advocating for increased Hispanic access to higher education and for improving the quality and relevancy of their higher education experience. Tell us a bit about some of your current initiatives and other work in this area.

Antonio R. Flores, HACU: A major advocacy thrust is for increased federal funding for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). This set of some 270 colleges and universities enroll more than half the Hispanics in higher education today, but receive only a little over half the federal funding per student as all of higher education. In addition, we are urging passage this year of the DREAM Act, which would allow states to offer in-state tuition to certain undocumented residents and open the way to citizenship.

We have also instituted a Hispanic-Serving School Districts initiative intended to promote collaboration between K-12 and higher ed, especially HSIs, to address pipeline issues.

Annual conferences provide networking opportunities and a chance to learn about promising practices. In addition, we do a number of student, faculty, and staff programs aimed at building institutional capacity and preparing students for college and careers.

Hibel: Hispanics represent the largest and fastest growing minority population in the United States. Likewise, within higher education, Hispanic enrollment is up 15 percent¹ in U.S. colleges and universities. Do you think that a similar increase in Hispanic faculty, staff, and administrators in colleges and universities is an important goal, and why?

Flores: Absolutely. Students need to see faculty and administrators that look like them; they need to see real-life examples of Latinos in higher education to recognize the full range of their academic and career possibilities. In addition, institutions need to have the experience of Hispanic educators who understand the culture and background of the students, and who can help the institution broaden its own understanding of its mission and methods.

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