A presidential proclamation designates September 16-22 as National Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) Week. FPU is among the institutions of higher education named an HSI by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.
"Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) have helped bring the dream of a college education within reach for many Hispanic students and their families, and this week, we celebrate the critical role these colleges and universities play in American higher education," President Barack Obama wrote. (The entire proclamation is here.)
To qualify as an HSI, Hispanic students must make up at least 25 percent of a college's or university's enrollment. At FPU, 32 percent of traditional undergraduate students are from a Hispanic background, along with 39 percent those in the adult degree completion program and more than 20 percent of graduate students.
"We are proud to be a Hispanic-Serving Institution," said FPU President Pete C. Menjares. "The face of Fresno Pacific is the face of California's Central Valley—our students come from this region and many are the first in their families to attend a university. It is our mission and our privilege to help these students, be they traditional college students or working adults, attain their dream of an excellent education that benefits them, their families, their professions and their communities."
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) was established in 1986. Today, HACU represents more than 400 colleges and universities committed to Hispanic higher education in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Latin America, Spain and Portugal. While HACU institutions in the U. S. represent less than 10 percent of all higher education institutions nationwide, they are home to more than two-thirds of all Hispanic college students. More at hacu.net