FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 1, 2006

Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities conference attracts over 1600 attendees to San Antonio

Education leaders discuss ways to promote the success of Hispanic students

San Antonio, TX – The 20th Annual Conference of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) proved a powerful platform for presenting unique ideas and ways to promote the success of Hispanic students and leaders.

“HACU’s 20th Anniversary Conference was by every measure the best conference to date,” said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores.  “The support and commitment shown by all the attendees, the sponsors and the San Antonio community in general this year was tremendous.”

The national conference concluded Monday in San Antonio and attracted more that 1600 college, community, public policy, philanthropic and student leaders to discuss the future of the Hispanic student body.

Over 50 workshops covered a wide range of issues, projects and opportunities relating to the conference theme and featured hundreds of presenters from the education, corporate and public service sectors.  In addition, a Student Track brought over 350 students to San Antonio for education and career focused workshops.  Plenary and featured roundtable sessions focused on Hispanic higher education policy issues, promising practices, international linkages, and K-12 collaborations with higher education.

Two Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) between HACU and Global Learning Semesters (GLS) and the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS) will expand scholarship support for Latinos and other students at HACU member institutions to study abroad.  The Coast Guard also recommitted itself to HACU’s mission with the signing of a new MOU on Sunday.

HACU honored individuals and institutions with its highest annual awards.  In keeping with the 20th Anniversary theme, many of the honorees were recognized for long-term support for HACU’s mission of championing Hispanic higher education.

• P. Gus Cardenas, one of HACU’s founders, received the HACU Lifelong Leadership Award;
• The Home Depot received the Outstanding HACU Private Sector Partner Award;
• The California State University System received the Outstanding HACU-Member Institution Award;
• AT&T received the Extraordinary Philanthropic Partner Award;
• The USDA was honored with the Outstanding HACU Public Sector Partner Award;
• Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, a powerful advocate for HSIs in Congress, received the HACU Exemplary Policy/Advocacy Leadership Award.

HACU’s 20th Annual Conference welcomed a stellar roster of Hispanic higher education advocates, including the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Michael Johanns and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, who addressed the crowd at the Partnership Lunch on Monday.

The many sponsors of HACU’s 20th Annual Conference won repeated rounds of applause from packed workshops and general conference sessions for their ongoing support of Hispanic education and workforce initiatives.

Over 180 leading employers, scholarship and fellowship providers and service providers opened the conference Exhibit Hall doors to the San Antonio community as part of the conference.

HACU’s 21st Annual Conference is scheduled October 20-23, 2007, in Chicago, Illinois.

For more information, contact HACU at (210) 692-3805 or visit http://www.hacu.net/.

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The Honorable Michael Johanns, Secretary of Agriculture for the USDA, addresses attendees at the Partnership Lunch	(l-r) Andreas Polemitis, Chairman of GLS, with Antonio Flores, and William Gertz, President of AIFS signing the MOU	(l-r) Dolores Fernandez, President of Eugenio Maria de Hostos Community College, City University of New York and the Treasure of HACU’s Governing Board, The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison, and Antonio Flores, President and CEO of HACU