New report explores a blueprint for the University of California to become a Hispanic-Serving Research Institution system
Co-authored by UC Irvine School Dean Frances Contreras, the comprehensive report shares recommendations for ways to equitably serve Latinx faculty, staff and students.
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Irvine, Calif. February 26, 2024 — A recent report by a University of California (UC) committee, including UC Irvine School of Education Dean and Professor Frances Contreras, provides valuable insight into ways the University of California can become a Hispanic-Serving Research Institution (HSRI) system. Along with Dean Contreras, the report was written by Marcela Cuellar, UC Davis associate professor and Chancellor’s Fellow, and Juan Poblete, UC Santa Cruz professor and chair.
Currently, four UC campuses, including Irvine, are federally designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) towards establishing a Hispanic-Serving Research Institution (HSRI) System within the UC framework. |
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The report, Reimagining the University of California to Serve Latinx Equitably: A Blueprint for Becoming a Hispanic-Serving Research Institution (HSRI) System, was commissioned by the UC Office of the President.
As the UC system is approaching the distinction of becoming a collection of fully-fledged HSRIs, the report offers “recommendations aimed at establishing frameworks, structures, and environments that truly embody the notion of servingness through the entire UC system.”
The report recommends a multifaceted approach:
“We hope that this report serves as a start of an ongoing conversation around what the UC system can do to better serve our Latinx students for years to come,” Dean Contreras said.
“We have this in-house powerful network of scholars who are incredibly productive at problematizing these issues and have for decades. … Within and across UC, we are part of this network that's critical, that are part of the solution, that can offer real time analysis so that we're improving services,” she said.
As a system with the largest number of HSRIs, the report stated, UC has the potential to become a national leader in developing frameworks, interventions and model approaches.
As the UC system is approaching the distinction of becoming a collection of fully-fledged HSRIs, the report offers “recommendations aimed at establishing frameworks, structures, and environments that truly embody the notion of servingness through the entire UC system.”
The report recommends a multifaceted approach:
- Create a UC HSRI vision in which the system can produce a shared definition, actionable goals and annual reports, and a systemwide equity summit.
- Support Latinx students by measuring success beyond enrollment and graduation, increasing support and resources to graduate and undergraduate students, and reducing student debt.
- Provide more Latinx faculty and staff support through intentional hiring and retention of Latinx faculty and establishing diversity task forces.
- Increase research capacity through an HSRI research center and by incentivizing research-practice partnerships rooted in Latinx communities and within Latinx-serving institutions.
- Develop a data infrastructure to provide accountability and agency, establish a data task force, standardize measurements for evaluating HSRIs, and hire institutional research staff.
“We hope that this report serves as a start of an ongoing conversation around what the UC system can do to better serve our Latinx students for years to come,” Dean Contreras said.
“We have this in-house powerful network of scholars who are incredibly productive at problematizing these issues and have for decades. … Within and across UC, we are part of this network that's critical, that are part of the solution, that can offer real time analysis so that we're improving services,” she said.
As a system with the largest number of HSRIs, the report stated, UC has the potential to become a national leader in developing frameworks, interventions and model approaches.
