FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 29, 2006

HACU Kicks Off 20th Anniversary Conference

San Antonio, TX – Over 1400 attendees were on hand to kick-off the beginning of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities’ (HACU) 20th Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.  The conference ends Tuesday morning.

HACU is celebrating its 20th anniversary during this year’s conference.  In 1986, the association was founded on the campus of Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU).  From a founding membership of 18 institutions, HACU has grown to represent more than 450 colleges and universities committed to Hispanic higher education success in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Latin America, Spain and Portugal.  Although member institutions in the U.S. represent about 10 percent of all higher education institutions nationwide, together they are home to nearly two-thirds of all Hispanic college students.  HACU is the only national educational association that represents Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).

“HACU is excited to be in San Antonio, its birthplace, for its 20th anniversary,” said Antonio Flores, President and CEO of HACU.  “With over 200 exhibitor and 1400 attendees with us for the next few days, we expect this to be the best conference to date.”

During the Opening Plenary, Antonio Flores, President and CEO of HACU, presented his State of HACU address where he not only spoke about the challenges HACU faces in advancing its mission of Hispanic higher education success, but also about the many accomplishments the association has had over the last 20 years.

HACU also signed two important Memorandums of Understanding with Global Learning Semesters and the American Institute for Foreign Study, both dealing with study abroad opportunities for HACU’s members.

With over 50 workshops that covered a wide range of issues, projects and opportunities relating to the conference theme of “20 Years of Championing Hispanic Higher Education Success” and featuring hundreds of presenters from the education, corporate and public service sectors, along with a Student Track that brought over 300 students to San Antonio, HACU’s national conference will be informative and productive to all its participants and offer them unique networking opportunities.

For more information about HACU or the conference, please visit http://www.hacu.net/.

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