MCC is named Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution for 2015-16
Monday / April 24, 2017
Dr. Robin Lilienthal, MCC Provost
Marshalltown Community College received word last week that it has been named an Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution for the 2015-16 academic year.
Excelencia in Education (Excelencia) and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) announced that the 2015-16 academic year saw continued and concentrated growth in the number of Latinos attending college. As a result, there is an increase in the number of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) in the United States. In general, HSIs have 25 percent or more Latino enrollment. In 2015-16, 14 percent of all institutions of higher education (472 HSIs) enrolled 64 percent of all Latino undergraduates.
Additionally, the number of Emerging HSI colleges (like MCC) approaching the 25 percent Latino student enrollment threshold also shows an upward trajectory from 310 to 323. While these numbers are promising at first glance, the success of Latino students at these schools continues to be a challenge. Excelencia and HACU are implementing programs and conducting research to inform ways to improve the success of Latino students.
“Having the highest percentage of Latino/a students of any college or university in the state of Iowa is not only a point of pride for MCC, but also a demonstration of our commitment to serving the unique needs of our students,” says Dr. Robin Lilienthal, MCC Provost. “It’s very special to be named an Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution, we and look forward to the future as an HSI.”
“Since 2006, we have seen a 78 percent increase in the number of institutions classified as HSIs, and with a growing number of Emerging HSIs,” said Deborah Santiago, Chief Operating Officer & Vice President for Policy at Excelencia. “I am confident this trend will continue. This means we must be laser-focused on the success of the Latino student population, making sure these institutions are investing in practices that clear a path from matriculation to commencement. We aim to inform those practices with our data and research through our HSI Center for Policy & Practice (HSI-CP2).”
Some important facts about HSIs to note:
• HSIs enroll nearly two-thirds of all Latino undergraduates.
• Many HSIs have relatively low enrollment, with 59 percent of HSIs enrolling 2,000 or less total full-time students.
• 44 percent of HSIs were community colleges, and 66 percent were public institutions.
• A majority of HSIs are located in urban areas and are concentrated geographically, with 81 percent of these institutions in California, Texas, Puerto Rico, Florida, New York, and New Mexico.
• HSIs and Emerging HSIs are present in all but 13 states.
“The continuing growth in the number of HSIs is a positive sign of progress in educational opportunity and achievement for Hispanics, who account for almost three quarters of the growth in the U.S. workforce in this decade. Hispanic educational success is vital to America’s future prosperity and security,” said John Moder, Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer at HACU.
HACU collaborates with member colleges and universities to improve access to and the quality of postsecondary educational opportunities for Hispanic students, and meets the needs of business, industry and government through the development and sharing of resources, information and expertise.