State Advocacy

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities regional offices across the U.S. serve to advocate for the growing number of Hispanic-Serving Institutions in those areas, and partner with state governments in higher education. Two regional offices established: the Western Regional Office (WRO), focuses on Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington; and the Midwest Regional Office (MRO), focuses on Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Kansas and Nebraska.

The Western Regional Office opened August 2005 in Sacramento, California to advocate for higher education policy and track legislative issues across several states. 

The success of the WRO led HACU to open the Midwest Regional Office in Chicago, Illinois in 2024.

Each office monitors state legislation and works with policymakers and elected officials to advocate for policies that support HSIs, emerging HSIs, and HACU-member institutions and the students they serve. State legislative agendas are coordinated and aligned with HACU’s federal legislative agenda. 

Regional office staff collaborate with and support member institutions in their regions to provide the best resources and opportunities for HSIs and the students they educate.