November 3, 2017

NJ Revilla-Garcia

HACU hosts California Hispanic-Serving Institutions Summit

More than 40 higher education representatives participated in a California Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) Summit convened by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), Western Regional Office, at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront on Oct. 29, 2017.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a California higher education funding proposal from HACU recently introduced in the California state legislature. The proposal grew out of several years of conversations with California HACU members about ways HACU can best impact funding for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) in the state.

HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores provided an update on the proposal, which is intended to reduce the educational attainment gap of underserved students by providing supplementary funds for targeted support services and programs to assist low income, English language learners, foster youth, and potentially first generation students.

The funding formula proposed would:

  • Provide 20 percent more state funding for students that fall within one of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) categories.
  • Provide an additional 50 percent of the adjusted base for community colleges whose districts’ underserved populations exceed 55 percent of the enrollment.
  • Identify student service programs that are seeking similar outcomes and have proved to be best practices at colleges and universities across the country.
  • Outline targeted goals and accountability measures to ensure increased student outcomes and completion rates.

Presentations included a Higher Education Legislation and Budget Overview from Calif. Assembly Member Monique Limón of the 37th Assembly District (Santa Barbara and Ventura County) who is authoring the legislation, and Assembly Member Kevin McCarty, 7th Assembly District (Sacramento) who is  chair of the Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance.  Both members discussed the budget implications of the bill and the need for increased funding to support underrepresented students across the state.

The Education Trust's Director of Higher Education Policy, Tiffany Jones, Ph.D., provided a historical context and research on higher education funding. Los Angeles Mission College President Monte E. Perez, Ph.D., and vice chair of HACU’s Governing Board, and Larry Salinas, executive director of government relations for Fresno State University, spoke about the need for enhanced higher education funding for underserved students and opportunities and strategies to build advocacy and support for the proposal.  

 

Photo: (Left) Maria Alvarez Executive Director of Legislative Affairs gives remarks during the California HIS Meeting in San Diego, Calif. on Oct. 29. 2017.  

The HACU California HSI Summit brought together superintendents, college and university presidents/CEOs, vice-presidents, directors, deans, chancellors and other academic leaders. Representatives from the following institutions were among those in attendance.

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

California State University Channel Islands

California State University System Office

California State University, Dominguez Hills

California State University, Long Beach

California State University, Los Angeles

California State University, Monterey Bay

California State University, Northridge



  

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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