August 17, 2023

HACU webinar Telling the story: Asset Mapping Strategies to become an Emerging HSI

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities is hosting a webinar on strategies for colleges and universities pursuing an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution status titled, “Telling the story: Asset Mapping Strategies to become an Emerging HSI,” presented on Aug. 30, 1 p.m. CT, by Yudi Lewis, executive director of Hispanic-Serving Institution Initiatives at Weber State University.

This workshop will describe how Weber State University has collaborated with academic affairs and student affairs, connecting K-12 students, current students, and workforce partners to the university in moving towards an emerging HSI designation and increasing Hispanic and Latino WSU enrollment to 15%, reflecting Utah's Hispanic and Latino population. WSU is working on examining its institutional practices and how the university currently serves its Hispanic and Latino communities.

The presenter will facilitate a discussion on creative asset mapping strategies for higher education institutions and the effectiveness of highlighting PK-20 and workforce partnerships to increase student recruitment, retention and community engagement. Also discussed is the process of collaborating with institutional leaders to identify opportunities for highlighting community engagement opportunities. Participants will better understand how to center their institution's community identity around access, support, and service practices.

This webinar is one in a series being presented by HACU this year. To register for this webinar, click here.

Yudi Lewis is the executive director of HSI Initiatives at Weber State University and is a nationally recognized professional in higher education with 30 years of experience creating Prek-16 and community partnerships. She developed tuition-free STEM summer bridge programs for high school students that have been replicated on other campuses. Lewis is an alum of HACU’s Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo and UC Berkeley’s Executive Leadership Academy, and her work has been recognized by the White House and Excelencia in Education. She earned a bachelor’s from Utah Valley University, a master’s from the University of Phoenix and is a doctoral candidate at the University of Utah.