Excelencia in Education has announced the 10 institutions that earned the Seal of Excelencia certification in 2021. The announcement was made during a virtual/in-person broadcast from The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. James Kvaal, the U.S. Department of Education Under Secretary, delivered remarks.
According to Excelencia, this year’s cohort joins a group of 14 institutions that are ensuring America’s future through their commitment to serving Latino students while serving all. The 2021 Seal-certified institutions are:
Excelencia began Seal certification in 2019. An institution earns the seal by demonstrating momentum for Latino student progress in their data, dedication to transforming the institution into an environment where Latino students thrive, and strategies in leadership that articulate a focus on advancing Latino student success.
“These Seal-certified institutions have been able to articulate and demonstrate they are modeling the behavior we need to see to accelerate Latino student success,” said Deborah Santiago, co-founder and CEO of Excelencia in Education. “They are having a measurable impact in changing the face of higher education.”
The 135 presidents and chancellors of the 170 institutions in the organization’s network, and presidents for Latino Students Success, enroll one in four of all Latino students in higher education. More importantly, these institutions account for one in three of all Latino graduates.
“These Seal certified institutions are trendsetters,” Santiago added. “Combined, they enrolled 10% of all Latino college students and graduated 12% of all Latinos in the U.S. That is powerful and says a lot about their intentionality.”
Launched in 2004, Excelencia has established a network of educators and policymakers to address the U.S. economy’s needs for an educated workforce and engaged civic leaders.
“We are proud that by creating the Seal of Excelencia, we have catalyzed a transformation in higher education,” said Sarita Brown, Excelencia’s co-founder and president. “It is gratifying to see that even during a pandemic and national reckoning for social justice, we doubled the number of institutions who were Seal certified this year. That shows a need and real desire to accelerate Latino student success. Excelencia shows how institutions can lead the way through these challenging times.”
The Seal is not a ranking, nor an award. It is a rigorous verification process that culminates with certification. It is part of Excelencia’s tactical and systemic approach to closing the education equity gap, meeting a goal of 6.2 million Latino students attaining college degrees by 2030, and supporting America’s civic and workforce needs by effectively preparing Latinos, now the nation’s second-largest ethnic population.
“Excelencia sees more institutions are striving to hold themselves accountable to intentionally serve Latino students with the Seal of Excelencia,” Brown said. “The institutions that earned it – as well as those striving to earn it – have told us that the Seal application process led to growth and institutional changes to better serve Latino students and all students.
“What they are accomplishing is the student success this country needs in order for the growing Latino population to be the educated workforce and engaged civic leaders our country needs now and, in the future,” Brown continued. “This is the reason we started the Seal of Excelencia in 2018. Now, it is here, and everyone can see the results happening in real-time. This is a movement that is proving, unequivocally, it can be done.”
Excelencia in Education accelerates Latino student success in higher education by promoting Latino student achievement, conducting analysis to inform educational policies, and advancing institutional practices while collaborating with those committed and ready to meet the mission. For more information, visit: EdExcelencia.org
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