Dr. Eliseo “Cheo” Torres

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) launched the HACU Hall of Champions on October 31, 2011, with the induction of Dr. Antonio Rigual, founding Executive Director of HACU, during the association’s Silver Anniversary Gala.  Under the following guidelines, HACU will invite nominees and induct individuals to the Hall of Champions annually.

Eligibility Criteria:

1. Nominees may be living or deceased.

2. Nominees must have made extraordinary contributions to HACU and Hispanic higher education success.

3. Nominations shall document evidence of nominees’ special accomplishments in championing Hispanic higher education success.

4. The award shall be accepted by the nominee in person or, if the nominee is deceased, by a family representative.

Nominations:

1. HACU will invite nominations via communication to member presidents/CEOs in early Spring of each year. This communication will include explicit criteria for the nomination of nationally or internationally recognized individuals. Only one nomination per member institution shall be allowed. The call for nominations will include the list of prior awardees.

2. Nominations will be reviewed and rated by a HACU senior staff ad hoc committee in April of each year.

3. Nominations and corresponding recommendations will be prepared by HACU senior staff for review by the Executive Committee of the Governing Board.

Selection:

1. The President of HACU will submit to the Executive Committee of the HACU Governing Board the list of nominees, along with relevant nomination information and appropriate recommendations or observations on nominees for consideration.

2. The Executive Committee members will consider staff recommendations on nominees.

3. The Executive Committee shall decide on their final selection(s) at least two months before the HACU Annual Conference either via e-ballot or teleconference.

4. Only one finalist will be selected per year, unless the Executive Committee decides to name a second, but in no case shall more than two persons be inducted in any given year.

5. The Executive Committee may decide not to select an inductee for any given year and may also choose to review nominations on file from prior years for further consideration.

Inductee(s) will:

1. Be honored at HACU’s Annual Conference.

2. Receive a HACU statuette.

3. Be featured in The Voice of Hispanic Higher Education.

4. Be featured in a virtual Hall of Champions web page on HACU’s website.

5. Be listed on a Hall of Champions plaque at HACU headquarters.  

 
Criteria and procedures are subject to change