October 24, 2012
NJ Revilla-Garcia
HACU and DOI strengthen partnership with MOU
MOU provides cooperative framework to engage Hispanic community
The Department of the Interior (DOI) has renewed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) to provide a cooperative framework to develop programs that engage the Hispanic community and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).
The Bureau of Reclamation will manage the MOU, which includes promoting career opportunities, professional development and research 
for students, faculty and staff at HSIs in efforts to build a 21st Century diverse workforce. The MOU will remain in effect for five years and replaces a MOU that expired in March. To view the MOU, click here.
Through the previous MOU with HACU, Interior and its Bureaus have worked closely with HSIs. Examples include:
- The Bureau of Land Management worked with Phoenix College in Arizona to develop an Academic Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resource Stewardship.
- The BLM, Bureau of Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service are working with Adams State University in Alamosa, Colo., to develop a Natural Resource Conservation Curriculum and internship opportunities. The Office of Surface Mining recently signed a MOU and developed a distance-learning course with Adams State University.
- The National Park Service is initiating a cooperative agreement with Cal Poly Pomona to undertake a documentation project of the "Forty Acres" National Historic Landmark associated with César Chávez and the farm worker movement.