For immediate release
Hispanic higher education leaders and Defense Department
meet
To expand Hispanic education research, internship opportunities
WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Hispanic higher education leaders met Thursday with U.S. Department of Defense officials to seek new agency investments in the Hispanic higher education community for research, teaching and student internship opportunities.
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Dr. Ricardo
Romo co-chairing the meeting |
A new HACU/DoD Project Partnership Task Force formed by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) and the Department of Defense (DoD) met for the first time at the Pentagon. The task force is made up of presidents and chancellors of HACU member colleges and universities in California, Texas, New York, Colorado and Puerto Rico.
“HACU applauds this proactive approach to establishing the foundation to provide more federal resources to our under-funded colleges and universities,” HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores said.
HACU represents more than 359 colleges and universities, which together serve the largest concentrations of Hispanic higher education students, including federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) that receive only about half the federal funding on average per student compared to non-HSIs. This partnership will lead to increased collaboration between the various agencies within the Department of Defense and HSIs in the areas of civilian and military employment and national security-related research.
“We are confident the task force will open new doors to scientific research funding, faculty exchanges and other resources for our higher education institutions in support of the country’s strategic defense and research needs,” Flores said.
Task force members agreed to make internship opportunities an important goal of this partnership. The nation’s largest Hispanic college internship program each year introduces record numbers of Hispanic students to paid internships and potential career opportunities in federal service. Although Hispanics make up the country’s largest ethnic population, they remain the most under-represented population group in federal workforce ranks.
HACU members of the HACU/DoD Project Partnership
Task Force are:
• Donald Averill, Chancellor, San Bernardino Community College District,
California;
• Dolores Fernandez, President, Eugenio Maria de Hostos Community College,
City University of New York;
• Ricardo Romo, President, University of Texas at San Antonio;
• Christine Johnson, President, Community College of Denver, Colorado;
• Jose Mendez, President, Ana G. Mendez University System, Puerto Rico.
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Task Force at work |
HACU and the DoD formed the task force following the signing of a Collaborative Partnership Agreement in late 2003. The formal objectives of the agreement are: to develop programs and coordinate activities to enhance the capacity of HACU to support DoD objectives and initiatives; to increase HSI response to and participation in DoD awards and grant opportunities in research, development and technical assistance; and to increase employment opportunities within the DoD for students, faculty and graduates of HACU member institutions.
For more information, contact HACU at (210)
692-3805. Ext. 3214. Or visit www.hacu.net.