United States President Joseph Biden Jr. and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) announced that September 12-18, 2022, will be observed as National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week. The observance takes place during National Hispanic Heritage Month, which is celebrated September 15 to October 15 each year.
Five City Colleges of Chicago – Harold Washington College, Harry S Truman College, Malcolm X College, Richard J. Daley College, and Wilbur Wright College – are designated as Hispanic-Serving Institutions by the United States Department of Education for having Latinx student populations above 25%. Additionally, all seven City Colleges of Chicago are united by a commitment to provide an excellent college experience for our Latinx and Hispanic students.
Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) play a significant role in providing a higher education to Hispanic and Latinx students nationwide. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, HSIs make up less than 20% of higher education institutions in the United States, but they enroll two-thirds of all Latinx undergraduates. This week recognizes the 559 HSIs throughout the nation for their work and critical role in educating and empowering Hispanic and Latinx students.
City Colleges does more than provide educational services to Latinx students – engaging and supporting Hispanic and Latinx students is part of our larger mission to serve as a pathway to upward mobility for diverse student populations in Chicago. Our colleges are committed to guiding diverse students, including Latinx and Hispanic students, toward academic and career success through programs and scholarships.
In 2021, Wilbur Wright College was one of only ten schools nationwide to receive the prestigious Seal of Excelencia certification from the national non-profit Excelencia in Education. Earlier this summer, the college was highlighted in an additional Excelencia in Education report for its commitment to its students beyond graduation, and its engineering program was named a 2022 “Example of Excelencia” by the same organization.
Malcolm X College advisor Marisa Moyet-Lugo was recently selected as a 2022-23 fellow in the Hispanic Association of Colleges’ Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo. The program is designed to increase Hispanic/Latinx representation in executive and senior-level positions in higher education and prepare fellows for leadership roles in Hispanic-Serving Institutions. Harold Washington College President Daniel López Jr., PhD, was a fellow in the Leadership Academy’s inaugural cohort of 2019.
We also offer an Associate in Arts program in Latin American and Latinx Studies made up of faculty and students with a desire to study the richness of Latinx culture and history in greater detail, and many of our colleges have active Organizations of Latinx American Students that meet throughout the school year to celebrate a diverse global heritage.
As we kick off Hispanic-Serving Institutions week and prepare for Hispanic Heritage Month, City Colleges of Chicago remains committed to preparing all students for post-secondary success through intentional and inclusive programs and supports.
