UNC will become a Hispanic Serving Institution

UNC TO BE ACCREDITED BY 2025.

Sofía Márquez/El Comercio de Colorado

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The University of Northern Colorado (UNC) is making sure to support its growing Latino student population. Some 24 percent of UNC students are of Hispanic origin. With this percentage, UNC is close to being accredited as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). According to current federal legislation, HIS are those universities that have 25 percent or more Hispanic students in their undergraduate programs.

Tobías Guzmán, director of the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, is convinced that UNC could receive its HSI accreditation by 2025. Once HSI status is granted, its Hispanic students will be eligible for a series of grants funded by the federal government. These funds will serve to meet the needs of these students while they complete their university studies. In particular, the funds will focus on supporting those students who are struggling to overcome minority disadvantages.

“We are committed to serving the Hispanic community that chooses to enroll at UNC for higher education. That commitment does not end in the classroom. From there we provide permanent support and our intention is to implement strategies and systems that help our students, particularly Hispanic and Latino students, to be successful during their studies and after they graduate. The ultimate purpose of all these efforts is for students to be able to succeed in their studies and in their professional lives,” said Guzmán.

Increasing percentage of graduates

Any resources that may come to UNC as an HSI will be very helpful. “There is a huge gap between the number of white students and the number of Latino students who get their college degree in the United States and in Colorado. In the particular case of UNC, 41.5 percent of Latino students graduate. Meanwhile, 57 percent of Anglo-American students finish their studies. Closing this gap is what we are committed to,” says Guzmán.

UNC will become a Hispanic Serving Institution UNC se convertirá en institución al servicio de los hispanos

SERVING THE HISPANIC POPULATION| Tobías Guzmán, official in charge of the project to turn UNC into an HSI. (Photo/ UNC Press)

The gap in the number of graduates between Anglo and Hispanic students can be reduced by addressing pre-existing or historical disparities. “There are structural issues that are present in higher education that need to be addressed by faculty and administrators. The problem is often that every time these students arrive on campus, the university does not know how to support them and how to meet their needs,” Guzmán concluded.

HSI in Colorado

In 2025, or sooner, UNC will join the ranks of higher education institutions serving the Hispanic population. Among those institutions are Metropolitan State University (MSU-Denver), Colorado Mountain College (CMC), and CSU Pueblo.