HSI launches a new education policy and advocacy certificate program

 

POSTED ON Dec 12, 2022

 

The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) announced recently that UTA’s College of Education has launched a certificate specifically for students interested in working with Hispanic-Serving Intuitions (HSI).

The Hispanic Serving Leadership Preparation Certificate is a graduate-level program designed for UTA students interested in empowering Hispanic student success.

According to 2020-2021 analysis by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), there are more than 220 two-year degree-granting institutions with full-time equivalent undergraduate Hispanic student enrollment of at least 25%. Other findings show there are 154 four-year public HSIs, in addition to another 171 that are four-year private institutions. In total, HACU represents more than 559 HSIs in 29 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

“Our HSI certificate provides a path for preschool through high school and college educational leaders and professionals who want to specialize in serving Latinx students,” said Maria Yareli Delgado, UTA assistant professor or educational leadership and policy studies.

Delgado created the certificate program in collaboration with Elsa Camargo, UTA assistant professor of educational leadership and policy studies. Delgado herself came to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 15 years old and took English as a Second Language (ESL) classes in high school.

“It’s very exciting for two Latinas to be leading this initiative,” Delgado said. “I want to teach UTA students about the importance of owning a voice that advocates for minority students.”

UTA’s College of Education is one of the nation’s top schools for education professionals, with programs that prepare educators for leadership in classrooms and in educational policy. In addition, the University is designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education and recently eared the Seal of Excelencia from Excelencia in Education.

These institutions demonstrate they go far beyond enrollment with strategies that align data, practice, and leadership with the ability to intentionally serve Latino students that enhances their capacity to serve all students.