The University of California, Davis, is now eligible to be one of the nation’s few research-intensive universities designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, or HSI, after fall enrollment numbers crossed the threshold for HSI status for the first time.
Latinx enrollment at UC Davis has reached a new peak of about 8,100 students or 25.1% of undergraduate full-time-equivalent students, which surpasses the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria of at least 25% for HSIs. This fall’s 25.1% was up from 24.6% last year.
Hispanic Outlook Magazine last month named UC Davis as one of the “Top 100 Colleges and Universities for Hispanics,” and the people leading UC Davis’ effort to become a Hispanic-Serving Institution, or HSI, say that’s just a peek at things to come.
“It’s been our past, our present and our future,” said Lina Mendez, director of HSI Initiatives. “I see this as something that can benefit the entire campus, and not just Hispanic students.”
Vice Chancellor’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion proudly launches AVANZA, a UC Davis Hispanic Serving Institution Initiative branding campaign that celebrates our servingness to the Chicanx/Latinx community. We chose the term, AVANZA, because it honors the strength, energy, and forward thinking of our comunidad at UC Davis.
Author Adolfo Guzman-Lopez writes and speaks about Oscar Gomez—A star activist of the 1990s Chicano student movement who was majoring in Chicano Studies and Behavioral Science at UC Davis when his life was tragically cut short in 1994. Gomez was a DJ on La Onda Xicana, a weekly show he hosted on KDVS. He was granted his degree posthumously in 2019.
La Gente traces the rise of the Chicana/o Movement in Sacramento and the role of everyday people in galvanizing a collective to seek lasting and transformative change during the 1960s and 1970s. In their efforts to be self-determined, la gente contested multiple forms of oppression at school, at work sites, and in their communities. Márquez shows that the Chicana/o Movement was not solely limited to a handful of organizations or charismatic leaders.
While Latinos have seen an increase in college enrollment over the last decade, completion rates are stagnant or declining. As a result, there is a widening gap between this group and non-Hispanic whites in the attainment of college degrees. This presentation will highlight research related to Latinos’ college success, emphasizing the promise of Latino-attentive approaches for boosting college completion.
