FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 17, 2024

HACU applauds the Historic Executive Order establishing a President’s Board of Advisors for Hispanic-Serving Institutions

SAN ANTONIO – The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities applauds President Biden and his staff on taking this historic step of establishing a President’s Board of Advisors for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), which will advise the White House and federal agencies about appropriate approaches and resources to expand and strengthen participation in federal capacity-building grant opportunities. The current number of 600 HSIs and 412 Emerging HSIs has made the establishment of this board of clear national importance, and the Biden Administration’s recognition of the importance our HSIs play in educating the next generation of America’s leaders, teachers, engineers, doctors, nurses, or public servants is clear.

“HACU is delighted that President Biden has issued this Executive Order expanding opportunities for our Hispanic-Serving Institutions, colleges and universities serving the most diverse communities across our nation, educating more than 5.3 million students, including two of every three of the 3.6 million Hispanic students in college today. It was 25 years ago when HACU began advocating for the establishment of the President’s Board of Advisors for HSIs, a journey that finally sees our destination within sight,” said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores. “The Executive Order is a landmark chapter in the story of HSIs and HACU. Establishing the board is a crucial step being taken at the federal level to ensure the success of HSIs and the students they serve, and we justifiably celebrate this accomplishment with all HSIs and their supporters. We are grateful for everyone who joined the advocacy efforts for the establishment of a President’s Board of Advisors for HSIs that has been a major HACU priority for decades, especially the members of the President’s Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics. We are committed to working with the President in moving the board’s work forward to ensure the future workforce of our nation remains competitive in the global economy.”

Through a new Executive Order, a President’s Board of Advisors on HSIs will be created that will work to:

• Increase awareness of opportunities for HSIs to equally participate in Federal programs and enhance the capacity of HSIs to meet the educational needs of their students.
• Identify best practices for HSIs to scale effective strategies, programs, and initiatives to support the educational success and economic mobility of their students.
• Improve the ability of HSIs to align program offerings with the economic needs of the Nation and their local economies, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and teaching.
• Coordinate efforts to help HSIs become or remain fiscally secure institutions.
• Foster cross-sector collaboration among HSIs and philanthropic, public, and private sector organizations.
• Strengthen Federal recruitment activities at HSIs to build accessible and equal pathways into Federal career opportunities for HSI students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
• Provide tools, data, and analytics to support HSIs in improving educational equity, excellence, and economic opportunity for students.

Read the Fact Sheet on the Administration New Actions to Expand Here

About HACU

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, founded in 1986, represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Latin America, Spain and school districts throughout the U.S. HACU is the only national association representing existing and emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The Association’s headquarters is in San Antonio, Texas, with offices in Washington, D.C, Sacramento, California, and Chicago, Illinois.

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