HSIs are rethinking efforts that support their students beyond degree completion

 

POSTED ON Jul 20, 2022

 

Excelencia in Education has released a new report on the action Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) are taking to create learning experiences that promote workforce preparation and foster Latino post-completion success.

In a previous report, Excelencia advocated that the economic recovery from the pandemic and calls for equity in education underscore the need to increase the number of doctors, engineers, educators, and other professionals that must come from the young and growing Latino population in order to meet national needs for future civic leadership and the workforce.

Latino representation within the workforce is expected to increase by 3% every year, the report said. Currently, Latinos make up 18 percent of total employees across all occupations but only 8 percent of all science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workers. The percentage of Latino workers in STEM occupations has only increased by 1 percent annually since 2016.

The new brief which is titled “Beyond Completion: Post-completion Efforts at Hispanic-Serving Institutions” reveals that post-completion success for Latino students is a campus-based conversation that is gaining traction and support in a growing number of institutions.

According to the report, at least seven HSIs surveyed are focused on efforts to support Latino, and other students, beyond degree completion.

Excelencia in Education collaborated with these HSIs to examine post-completion success efforts. They include Austin Community College, California State University-Fullerton, Long Beach City College, Texas State University, University of Arizona, University of Illinois Chicago, and Wilbur Wright College.

The report found that these HSIs are progressing beyond completion to meet the needs of the nation’s economy by developing strategies and practices that more intentionally serve Latino degree completers. Excelencia identified three strengths that demonstrate the cohort’s efforts to advance post-completion success from the intention to serve Latino completers:

“Our data points to the need to demonstrate intentionality and impact in serving our students,” said Deborah A. Santiago, Excelencia’s co-founder and CEO. “For years we have said that institutions must shift from simply enrolling Latino students to serving them with intentionality. This is why. These seven institutions are evolving and having an impact because of their focused intent, and it benefits all of their students.”

“The institutions we are privileged to work with can articulate their role in educating low-income, first-generation, and students of color and they know their work does not end with graduation,” Santiago added. “A quality education is part of a student’s journey to a job and career. The seven institutions we worked with for this brief accepted the challenge to examine their data, practices, and leadership efforts to define the institutional role post-completion. They are committed to being intentional in their post-completion role to support Latino and other post-traditional students.”