March 18, 2020
Advocacy for HSIs to be the focus of the HACU’s virtual 25th Capitol Forum
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities’ (HACU) virtual 25th Annual National Capitol Forum on Hispanic Higher Education will take place on April 21-22, 2020, with sessions covering the most pressing legislative and appropriations priorities for Hispanic-Serving Institutions. This marks the first time the annual Forum will be held as a virtual event. See the online schedule for complete details.
Two free virtual pre-conference sessions will be held a day prior to the Forum. The sessions on “Funding Opportunities for HSIs,” will include presenters from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Education, and National Science Foundation.
The virtual Capitol Forum will include the following sessions:
The Opening Plenary will feature The Honorable Diane Auer Jones, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.
An “Update on the Higher Education Act Reauthorization and its Impact on HSIs,” will include Terry Hartle, senior vice president of government and public affairs at the American Council on Education.
“Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Shaping the Economy and the Workforce,” will include Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, chancellor, City University of New York and Nicole Smith, chief economist at the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University.
The “2020 Congressional Elections and Changing Demographics,” will include James Woodworth, commissioner at the National Center for Education Statistics, Andrew Kreighbaum, federal policy reporter at Inside Higher Ed, and Michael Macagnone, staff writer at CQ Roll Call.
A State Delegation Information Session will be held in preparation for the congressional teleconference and virtual meetings, as well as a Student Advocacy 101 session.
The second day of the Forum will include an “HSI Policy Update from Congressional Leaders,” featuring U.S. Representative Raúl Grijalva and U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro and will be followed by virtual congressional meetings.
The virtual Capitol Forum will offer an opportunity for increased participation and engage more individuals in the advocacy and funding efforts for HSIs. The deadline to register online is April 20. Online registration is available. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.