News (Noticias) for Higher Education

Today the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) announced the recipients of the John S. Martinez Scholarship Fund and will present them $1,500 scholarships during a press conference at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. The scholarship recipients are in DC participating in a legislative hearing during the 4th Annual NALEO National Summit on the State of Latino Education & Legislative Hearing on Pre-K and Early Grades. “We are proud of our scholarship recipients,” said NHCSL President Joseph Miro (DE). “Through our partnership with Comcast and these scholarships we can provide young and talented Hispanic students the opportunity to attend college and learn about public service at an early age.”

NHCSL’s scholarship fund was created to develop Hispanic leaders through exposure and learning opportunities within the public service arena. The scholarships are funded from a $150,000 grant to NHCSL from the Comcast Foundation; the grant will continue to be applied over the next year in support of the NHCSL scholarship program.

With state legislators in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, and Maryland, this program offers guidance and financial support to 12 Hispanic high school students selected by the NHCSL, Hispanic state legislators and educational institutions. Each student will receive his or her $1,500 scholarship after graduating from high school with a GPA of 3.0 or better.

The scholarship recipients for the second year of the program include: Isaiah Fransua, Alexandria Salazar and Yadira Solis from Colorado; Rebecca Espinosa, Emilio Lopez and Glysel M. Rivera from Florida; Maritza Gomez, Brenda Ortega and Omar A. Torres from Illinois; Barbara Hendrick, Ruben Antonio Muñoz Ochoa and Mariana Olaizola from Maryland.

“This grant provides Latino students a unique opportunity to gain leadership skills and learn about the public and private sectors,” said Susan Gonzales, Vice President for the Comcast Foundation. “We are proud to partner with programs such as the NHCSL John S. Martinez Scholarship Fund to significantly impact the development of our future leaders.”

The National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) is a nonpartisan organization representing the interests of Hispanic state legislators from all states, commonwealths, and territories of the United States. NHCSL is a catalyst for joint action on issues of common concern to all segments of the Hispanic community. For more information, visit www.nhcsl.org. “

Hispanic Heritage Month got off to an especially hospitable and personal start in Aggieland Thursday evening when two longtime Hispanic professor/administrators opened their homes to a host of students—perpetuating a tradition they began four years ago. They now have hopes of expanding the number of participating students and faculty.

Dr. Luis Cifuentes and Dr. Victor Arizpe and their wives, who live next door to one another, welcomed into their homes a host of Aggies—mostly but not all Hispanics—as part of a program known as “Mi Casa Es Su Casa”—translated “my home is your house.”

“Mi Casa Es Su Casa,” part of the Memorial Student Center Committee for the Awareness of Mexican-American Culture ( CAMAC ) at Texas A&M, is primarily intended to develop a support system for freshmen and transfer students, noted Liliana Garcia, the student who chairs MSC-CAMAC this year.

“Mi Casa Es Su Casa” has been kicked off each year with patio dinners at the adjacent homes of Dr. Arizpe, professor of Hispanic studies; his wife, Norma Arizpe, a senior lecturer in Hispanic studies; Dr. Cifuentes, professor of oceanography and interim vice provost, and wife, Dr. Lauren Cifuentes, associate professor of educational psychology.

Other Texas A&M Hispanic faculty members have joined in by hosting every-other-month sessions for smaller student groups throughout the school year.

The faculty members and CAMAC leaders say they hope to expand the program to include even more faculty and more students.

“This program is in a sense having a home away from home for these students, particularly those entering as freshmen or as transfer students,” Cifuentes said, adding that it gives them “a welcoming environment.”

Arizpe agreed, saying “As members of the Mexican American / U.S. Latino Faculty Association ( MALFA ), we have enjoyed coming together to create a welcoming and supportive environment for Hispanic students by bringing them into our homes. One of our primary goals is to let students know that we care for their success at Texas A&M University and that we are here to help.”

Daniel Hernandez, MALFA facilitator this year, joined in the welcoming program and cited its benefits. “The initiative is an excellent opportunity to create significant and value added relationships between students and faculty that will enrich the A&M experience for all concerned. Students in particular will learn the benefits of building relationships that willenhance them academically, socially and professionally,” he noted.

Cifuentes and Arizpe emphasized that the core of the “Mi Casa Es Su Casa” program is the cadre of other volunteer faculty members who take up the hosting and related work after the fall kick-off session.

“Mi Casa Es Su Casa” is receiving funding assistance this year from the Texas A&M Office of Admissions & Records as part of its retention program designed to keep students in school and on track to graduate, Garcia said.
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hree programs at institutions of higher education— in California, Arizona, and Texas—have been selected as “Examples of Excelencia” (examples of excellence) in a national initiative to identify and honor programs and departments boosting Latino college enrollment, performance and graduation.

The winning programs will be announced tonight in Houston by Excelencia in Education, the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that administers the initiative and works to accelerate higher educational success for Latino students. Sallie Mae is a signature sponsor of this year’s Examples of Excelencia program.

The 2008 Examples of Excelencia are:

• The Bilingual Nursing Fellows Program at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Ariz.;
• The Bachelor of Architecture Program at Woodbury University in Burbank, Calif.; and
• The Intellectual Entrepreneurship Pre-Graduate School Internship Program in the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin, Texas.

“These programs are true examples of excellence and will provide a model for others to follow,” said Sarita Brown, president and founder of Excelencia in Education. “They equip students with the skills they need to succeed in an increasingly demanding workplace and offer institutions and policymakers powerful ideas and strategies to tap this generation of Latino college-going students.”

Hispanic Americans are still less likely to attend college than their white or black counterparts. U.S. Department of Education statistics show that Hispanics are one-third as likely as whites and about half as likely as blacks to earn a bachelor’s degree.

A new study from Sallie Mae and Gallup shows that Hispanic college students and parents believe in the value of a higher education. For example, 86 percent of Hispanic students strongly believe that college is an investment in their future, and 54 percent of parents strongly agreed with the same statement. However, many Hispanic families are not adequately planning for college prior to the end of high school. More than two-thirds of Hispanic parents did not receive any financial aid while their child was in K-12 and more than half (56 percent) of the young adults who were not attending college indicated that they had not received any financial aid information in K-12, according to a report from the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute and The Sallie Mae Fund.

Examples of Excelencia is one part of the overall effort by Excelencia in Education and other groups to support and engage campus leaders and policymakers in accelerating higher educational success of the U.S. diverse Latino populations and thus grow this country’s human capital.

“These programs have worked diligently to create strategies to improve higher educational achievement for Latino students,” said Henry Cisneros, executive chairman of CityView and an Excelencia honorary board member. “It is particularly important to identify and expand such programs as the Latino proportion of the U.S. population grows. Today’s Latino college students will be America’s future workforce and leadership.”

At the associate level, the Bilingual Nursing Fellows Program (BNFP) at South Mountain Community College recognized the nationwide need for bilingual nurses and developed an innovative curriculum and system of support services to guide students through the nursing program with the ability to practice their profession in English and Spanish. BNFP uses a cohort model for its classes, closely monitors student progress, and coaches students in areas that need improvement. Latinos comprise 97 percent of the participating students and 90 percent of graduates work in hospitals whose patients are majority Latino.

At the baccalaureate level, Bachelor of Architecture Program at Woodbury University provides a global academic experience for its students, more than 40 percent of whom are Latino. By integrating international study programs in Europe, Asia and Latin America, one of the program’s main focuses is embracing the cultural and academic diversity of its students. First-year retention rates for Latinos in the program surpass the university average by almost 5 percent, and 90 percent of Latino students graduate within five years.

The Intellectual Entrepreneurship Pre-Graduate School Internship Program at The University of Texas at Austin offers undergraduate students a unique internship experience that encourages graduate study and career development that complement their personal passions and commitments to community. The program aims to increase diversity in graduate education by bringing underrepresented minorities and first-generation college students into the graduate school pipeline. Since 2003, the program has seen a dramatic increase in interns. Latino students make up the largest group of interns in the program, more than half of whom subsequently enroll in graduate school.

“Sallie Mae congratulates these outstanding institutions for their leadership in developing innovative programs that engage the talents of this country’s fastest-growing population group,” said Maria Frias, senior vice president of Sallie Mae’s south region. “Through sponsorship of this Excelencia in Education initiative and other programs, Sallie Mae is committed to ensuring Latino students can achieve their dreams of a higher education.”

Sallie Mae’s philanthropic arm, The Sallie Mae Fund, sponsors the “First in My Family Scholarship Program” in partnership with the Hispanic College Fund. Last school year, through scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000, the program helped more than 150 Hispanic-American students—the first in their families to attend college—continue their education.

This fall, Excelencia in Education will release the 2008 edition of What Works for Latino Students: Examples of Excelencia Compendium. The publication will describe in detail how the 2008 recognized programs achieve positive results and will suggest ways their strategies may be adapted for use in other communities. For more information, please visit, www.EdExcelencia.org.

SLM Corporation (NYSE:SLM), commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the nation’s leading provider of saving- and paying-for-college programs. The company manages nearly $172 billion in education loans and serves 10 million student and parent customers. Through its Upromise affiliates, the company also manages more than $19 billion in 529 college-savings plans, and is a major, private source of college funding contributions in America with 9 million members and $450 million in member rewards. Sallie Mae and its subsidiaries offer debt management services as well as business and technical products to a range of business clients, including higher education institutions, student loan guarantors and state and federal agencies. More information is available at www.salliemae.com. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.

Excelencia in Education aims to accelerate higher education success for Latino students by providing data-driven analysis of the educational status of Latino students, and by promoting education policies and institutional practices that support their academic achievement. A 501(c)(3) organization, Excelencia links policy, practice and research to inform and compel a growing network of results-oriented educators, community-based professionals and policymakers to address the U.S. economy’s need for a highly educated workforce.

Sallie Mae
Patricia Nash Christel, +1-703-984-5382
patricia.christel@salliemae.com

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he Cincinnati Chapter of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) has announced the date and time of its annual ‘Education for Success’ seminar sponsored by Kroger. The event, designed to help Hispanic high school students ages 13-18 prepare for college, will be held Saturday, September 27 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Cintas Center at Xavier University.

Keynote speakers for the event include Carver Johnson, Chief Diversity Officer for The Kroger Company; and Jason Riveiro, Ohio State Director and Cincinnati Chapter League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) President.

Presentations will highlight preparation tips for financial aid and the SAT and ACT tests, as well as best practice advice for working with college admissions departments and filling out applications. Representatives from Greater Cincinnati universities and successful area Hispanic professionals will also be in attendance to share their stories and advice.

“We know how overwhelming the college application process can be, and have created Education for Success in order to help and encourage Cincinnati Hispanic High School students to better prepare for a successful post-secondary education,” Cincinnati NSHMBA president Gema Bahns said. “This event will give area students the added bonus of networking with representatives from area universities and from the national board of directors of NSHMBA.”

The NSHMBA Education for Success event sponsored by Kroger will be held Saturday, September 27 on at Xavier University in the Cintas Center Schiff Family Banquet Room 1 from 8:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided to all Education for Success attendees. The event is free, but reservations are required, and can be made by contacting Alma Bartos, Vice President, education, of the Greater Cincinnati NSHMBA chapter: education@cincinnati.nshmba.org or (513) 602-6100.

About The National Society for Hispanic MBAs
The National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) was created in 1988 as a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization. Widely known as the “Premier Hispanic Organization,” NSHMBA serves 32 chapters and 7,000 members in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. It exists to foster Hispanic leadership through graduate management education and professional development. NSHMBA works to prepare Hispanics for leadership positions throughout the U.S. so that they can provide the cultural awareness and sensitivity vital in the management of the nation’s diverse workforce. More information can be accessed at: www.cincinnati.nshmba.org.”

Procter and Gamble (P&G) and its Bounty, Charmin, Tide, and Pampers brands, announced they are contributing $150,000 to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF), the nation’s leading organization supporting Hispanic higher education, to provide scholarships for Latino students pursuing college careers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. The targeted nature of the contribution underscores the fact that Hispanic professionals are greatly underrepresented in these fields and many students who wish to pursue studies in them cannot afford to pay for a college education.

The announcement was made in New York yesterday by HSF President & CEO Frank Alvarez and Edgar Sandoval, General Manager, North America Marketing and Multicultural Business for P&G, at HSF’s Alumni Hall of Fame event, which honors Hispanics whose success demonstrates the power of higher education and highlights how earning a college degree can change individual lives and society as a whole for the better.

A Congressional Research Service report from 2008 on the U.S. Science and Technology Workforce indicates that science and technology-related professions are among the 30 fastest-growing occupations, with a growth rate of 27 percent compared to the 10 percent average for all other occupations. Data from the U.S. Census also confirms that only 13 percent of the Hispanic population 25 and older currently holds a bachelor’s degree or higher.(1)

“Providing early college preparation and financial support are key factors in encouraging Hispanic students to pursue STEM careers and help broaden the science, technology, engineering and mathematics workforce to meet future needs,” said Alvarez. “Last year, we were able to award 659 scholarships in the STEM fields, but unfortunately we also had an unmet need of 1,474 other, academically-qualified applicants we could not help simply due to lack of funding. Our partnership with P&G will allow us to meet more of the growing need for scholarships in these important areas.”

HSF’s scholarship application period is open now and will run until February 27, 2009. HSF and P&G will award 48 scholarships of $2,500 to eligible Hispanic students who will be enrolled in school the fall of 2009.

“As the Hispanic population in the United States continues to grow, it is important that we keep facilitating their access to a college education in order to build a diverse base of professionals in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” said Sandoval, who was the recipient of an HSF scholarship when he was an engineering major, exemplifying the impact a scholarship from HSF can have in a student’s life.

“Together with HSF, P&G hopes to help empower Hispanic youth with the tools to achieve their dreams, so they can ensure their economic prosperity and improve their lives and those of their families,” he added.

Thanks to its diverse group of engineers, scientists and researchers, P&G can consistently deliver new and innovative products that enhance its consumers’ experiences and meaningfully improve their everyday lives.

“The fact that I have an engineering degree gives me a sense of success. An engineering career can open the doors to employment at important companies,” said Guillermo Vidal, Senior Engineer for Charmin at P&G. “I encourage Hispanic students to reach out to HSF to get the resources they need to pursue a degree in the areas of STEM because only a few of us Hispanics are taking advantage of the great opportunities these fields offer.”

P&G has been a corporate partner of HSF for over two decades, contributing more than $3,000,000 in support of its commitment to help educate future Hispanic leaders. During the last academic year, P&G also funded the production of HSF’s College Road Map, a bilingual guidance tool to help parents and students navigate the college application process. The Road Map was distributed to 200,000 middle and high school Hispanic students and their families throughout the country.

For more information on how to apply for these scholarships, please visit www.hsf.net “

Latino College Dollars, a website offering interactive, no-cost information about scholarships available to Latino students, received over 110,000 unique visitors in the first eight months of 2008.

“We are continually updating the website,” said Corina Espinoza, Director of the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute (TRPI) Kids to College program. “And the 2008-09 directory will be coming out in late October.”

Latino College Dollars currently offers over 325 sources that students may contact for college scholarship information. The website grew from a TRPI research project assessing information available on the web to Latino students. “Curiously, we found that half of the websites on Latino scholarships were not functional,” stated Wendy Chavira, Associate Director of Operations at the Institute. “However, the remaining websites offered relevant information. Rather than saving the information, we decided to publish it.”

According to TRPI research, lack of information on college financing options is widespread among Latino youth and parents. Latinos lag behind in college preparation, resulting in only 7.2 % of Latinos between the ages of 18-24 enrolled in a 4-year college institution.

Please click here to visit TRPI’s Latino College Dollars website.

Click here to view the 2007-2008 directory.

TRPI encourages organizations offering scholarships for Latino students to contact the Institute to be included in the next Latino College Dollars directory.

About TRPI Founded in 1985, the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute advances informed policy on key issues affecting Latino communities through objective and timely research contributing to the betterment of the nation. TRPI is an affiliated research unit of the University of Southern California School of Policy, Planning, and Development, and is associated with the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy at Columbia University.

Contact:

TRPI @ (213) 821- 5615″

Colorado State University is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month starting Sept. 17 with many on-campus activities from salsa dancing lessons, luncheon discussion panels and Latino stories.

El Centro Student Services will have an open house from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, in Room 178 of the Lory Student Center for the public to visit the organization. Other festivities for this month-long celebration include the following.

- Sept. 23: “Hola Amigos! Latino Stories, Puppets and Music” will take place from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Fort Collins Library. Ages four and older are encouraged to attend and listen to children’s stories reflective of Hispanic Heritage Month.

- Sept. 25: “7th Annual Evening of Music, Dance and Fashion” will take place at the Lory Student Center from 7-9 p.m. This event is sponsored by El Centro, Friends of the Library and CIRA LTD. of Fort Collins.

- Oct. 4, 5, 18 and 19: “Successfully Engaging Culturally Diverse Students” workshops will be held in the Lory Student Center from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. The workshops will focus on intercultural competency skills.

- Oct. 8: “Faces of America,” sponsored by El Centro and Campus activities, will be held in the Lory Student Center from 7-9 p.m.

- Oct. 8: “Women at Noon Brown Bag Luncheon” will be held in Room 214-216 Lory Student Center. A Latina panel will discuss “Success and Challenges at CSU.”

- Oct. 14: “Salsa Magic Night” will be held in the Lory Student Center north ballroom from 7-10 p.m. providing salsa lessons, open dance and performances.

- Oct. 15: “17th Annual Math and Science Technology Day” will be held from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Main Ballroom of the Lory Student Center.

- Oct. 30: “El Dia de Los Muertos” will be held at the Front Range Community College Larimer Campus from noon-4 p.m. During “The Day of the Dead,” community members will bring altars to commemorate their lost loved ones. “The Day of the Dead” dates back 500 years when conquistadors landed in the Americas. Today it is still practiced, especially in Mexico.

- Oct. 31 and Nov. 1: “El Dia de Los Muertos” will be celebrated at the Fort Collins Library. Nov. 1 is All Saints Day, and families and community members are invited to visit the altar exhibits displayed from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.

- Nov. 3 to Nov. 6: “El Dia de Los Muertos Celebration and Educational Programming at CSU,” sponsored by ASAP, Campus Activities, El Centro and Sigma Lambda Beta Inc.

Hispanic Heritage Month began in 1968 to commemorate the achievements of the Hispanic community. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan changed the celebration from a week-long event to a month. Sept. 15 was chosen because it is the day for independence of five Hispanic countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

For more information about the events and activities of Hispanic Heritage Month, visit www.elcentro.colostate.edu or call El Centro Student Services at (970) 491-5722.”