EDITORIAL: Becoming more than a ‘Hispanic-enrolling’ institution
As of spring 2018, Hispanics made up 35% of the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL) student body. Although classified as a “Hispanic-Serving Institution” (HSI), UHCL has more to do in order to be more than a “Hispanic-enrolling institution.”
In 2010, UHCL was designated an HSI when they met the criteria of having at least 25% of full-time undergraduate students identify as Hispanic. A federal program aimed to assist the Hispanic student population in higher education, the HSI designation has been given to over 500 institutions.
The U.S. Department of Education’s HSI Division states the program provides grant funding to higher education institutions for the strengthening and expansion of programs, facilities and services related to educational opportunities for Hispanic Americans and other underrepresented populations.
While the designation should be highlighted and promoted, the “Hispanic-serving” portion of the label requires additional work on UHCL’s part. The designation should be less about the number of persons enrolled and more about taking an active stand in supporting Hispanic students’ higher education journey.
Taking a look at the numbers
The United States Census Bureau states as of July 1, 2017, Hispanics are the largest ethnic minority in the United States, totaling 58.9 million – 18.1% of the national population. The Bureau projects Hispanics to constitute 28.6% of the population by 2060.
In fall 2018, there were 3,132 students identified as Hispanic at UHCL. As the second-largest ethnic student group on campus – behind white students, who made up 37.9% (3,398) of the population – Hispanic students should be reaping more benefits from an HSI.
Based on statistics from UHCL’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness, 627 Hispanic students graduated with either a bachelor’s (507), master’s (116) or a doctoral (4) degree in the 2017-2018 academic year. Comparatively, 878 white students graduated from UHCL with either a bachelor’s (622), master’s (246), or a doctoral degree (10) the same year.
Additionally, HSI institutions should have a proportional number of Hispanic faculty to its Hispanic student population. Out of 782 faculty members at UHCL in fall 2018, only 12.9% (101) were Hispanic, while 53.7% were white (420). The fact that UHCL has only a 2.9% difference between Hispanic and white student enrollment but has a 40.8% difference among Hispanic and white faculty members signifies a key part of the institution’s overall diversity dilemma.
A 2018 study by Anna J. Egalite of North Carolina State University and Brian Kisida of the University of Missouri, found minority students are more inclined to view instructors of the same ethnic and racial background as role models. In 2014, the American Economic Association published a study that found minority students who were taught by minority instructors saw the closing performance gaps by 20-50%. Thus, when it comes to Hispanic student success at UHCL, the drastically low number of Hispanic faculty should raise concerns.
Lack of Hispanic-centric services and programs
Beyond a minor in Latina/o and Latin American Studies (LLAS), a grant-funded program in STEM, and a student organization called the Latinx and Indigenous Students Taking Action (LISTA), UHCL does not have much to offer in terms of carrying the title of “HSI.”
LLAS, LISTA and the Office of Student Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (OSDEI) tend to host the most programming geared toward educating the UHCL community about the Hispanic/Latinx population. Furthermore, these programs often revolve around the timeframe of Hispanic Heritage Month.
When it comes to grant-funded programs, the HSI Division of the U.S. Department of Education’s online record of awards given show UHCL received funding in 2017 for the Pathways to STEM Careers: A University-Community College-Industry Partnership program. This program is geared toward UHCL Hispanic/Latinx students interested in or teaching the STEM field. However, participation requirements also state the student does not need to identify as Hispanic/Latinx but reside in a low-income household.
While these existing endeavors are important, there should be more promotion and expansion upon these programs and organizations on a university-wide level. Providing sufficient funding and resources for these ventures is essential; neglecting to do so only exacerbates the existing problems.
HSI institutions striving for excellence
UHCL is one out of over 500 institutions nationwide to hold the HSI designation and is probably doing as much as any other HSI. However, this university could strive to become one of the better examples of actually serving the Hispanic population.
Excelencia in Education, a nonprofit organization focused on improving Latinx student achievement, recently announced the inaugural recipients of the Seal of Excelencia. These nine winning institutions – including Arizona State University, Austin Community College, California State University Channel Islands, El Paso Community College, Florida International University, Grand Valley State University, South Texas College, University of Arizona, and University of Texas at El Paso – have demonstrated great strides in providing services and resources for their Hispanic student populations.
For instance, Florida International University has a 66% Hispanic student population and offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in “Latin American & Caribbean Studies” and “Spanish,” which is also offered as a doctoral degree. Meanwhile, Austin Community College has a 37% Hispanic student body and employs bilingual staff members, in particular for the Student Affairs Help Desk and Financial Aid Office.
Outside of these Seal of Excelencia institutions, places such as the University of Central Florida (UCF) are hosting roundtable discussions and workshops centered around undocumented immigrant students, and those within both the Latinx and LGBTQ+ communities. UCF has also produced school merchandise in Spanish.
Locally, the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) has established not only a Center of Critical Race Studies but also a Center of Latino Studies. UHD has a 50% Hispanic student body population and offers a mentorship program called Latinas Achieve specifically for female Latinx students.
These are merely a few ways institutions across the nation have managed to not only enroll a high number of Hispanic/Latinx students but also encourage their success.
Simple steps to truly serve
To be clear, UHCL is indeed a diverse campus in terms of its student body. However, it severely lacks this same diversity, especially with regard to the Hispanic/Latinx population, when it comes to faculty and administrative leadership.
With this in mind, there are various ways UHCL can begin making immediate changes. First, there must be an examination of how new faculty members are recruited and offered positions. Furthermore, these positions should be prioritized based on how they will impact the student population.
Services such as financial aid, academic advising and admissions should be required to have at least one bilingual staff member. Additionally, materials in every office and department should be provided not only in English but also in Spanish. There should also be bilingual tutors and/or teaching assistants available in all four colleges.
When it comes to programming, there should be an emphasis on understanding and highlighting the Latinx community beyond Hispanic Heritage Month. Workshops and open forums should be held throughout the year to further conversations on topics including immigration and systemic racism.
More Latinx food options should be provided both in the Patio Café and the food trucks brought to campus. School merchandise should include items in Spanish, while the Bayou Theater should make a conscious effort in bringing attention to Latinx entertainment.
Artwork around campus should include pieces created by Latinx artists. Photos in the Faculty Club and the faces of distinguished alumni around campus should include not only members of the Latinx community but people of color in general.
Lastly, the university needs to make a stronger effort in reaching out to the local community, not just for recruitment purposes but rather working with predominantly Hispanic high schools and school districts to encourage students to attend college, even if it is not at UHCL.
It is time for UHCL to stop thinking about what an HSI is and concentrate on how to best serve the Hispanic student population. The time to take action is now if the university intends on being the solution instead of merely a solution.
