September 20, 2011

Alliance for Equity in Higher Education opposes budget cuts for MSI programs

Today, the Alliance for Equity in higher Education, composed of the Hispanic Association and Colleges & Universities (HACU) President and CEO Antonio R. Flores, President & CEO of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) Carrie Billy and President of National Association For Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) Lezli Baskerville, hosted a Congressional Staff Briefing to highlight the importance of preserving funds for federal programs for MSIs.

The briefing focused primarily on two sets of MSI-specific programs: Title III and Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the HUD-MSI University Partnership Program. These programs are designed to address the unique needs of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). They also provide vital resources that enhance the capacity of our institutions to increase the nation’s competitiveness and promote social stability and cultural richness.

Guest speakers included two presidents from each cohort who discussed the impact that these funds have had on their institutions and communities. The MSI University and Community College panel included:

  • Dr. Sharon Hahs, President of Northeastern Illinois University (Illinois) - HSI
  • Dr. Felix Matos Rodriguez, President of Eugenio Maria de Hostos Community College (CUNY) (New York) - HSI
  • President Thomas Shortbull, Oglala Lakota College (South Dakota) - TCU
  • President Cheryl Crazy Bull, Northwest Indian College (Washington) - TCU
  • Dr. Charlie Nelms, President of North Carolina Central University - HBCU
  • Dr. Beverly Hogan, President of Toutaloo College (Mississippi) - HBCU

The Alliance for Equity in Higher Education was established in 1999 by AIHEC, HACU, and NAFEO to represent the shared interests of Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Combined, these Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) educate more than one-third of all students of color in the United States. MSIs disproportionately address the needs of low-income minority students while contributing significantly to generating a highly skilled workforce, developing civic and community responsibility, and producing citizens who are exceptionally attuned to the increasingly diverse country in which we live.



  

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, founded in 1986, represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Latin America, Spain, and school districts throughout the U.S. HACU is the only national association representing existing and emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The Association’s headquarters are in San Antonio, Texas, with regional offices in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento, California.

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