SALEM — Salem State University is set to host the first New England Hispanic and Minority Serving Institutions Conference on Thursday, July 18 and Friday, July 19.
The university is on the verge of being designated as a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI), meaning at least 25% of the student body identifies as Hispanic. HSI status allows schools to apply for federal grants to further improve resources for minority students.
The conference is welcoming leaders from other local institutions that are on a similar trajectory, including North Shore Community College, Bunker Hill Community College, and Holyoke Community College. It will be centered around talks from two keynote speakers, as well as a panel discussion among some high-ranking members of the participating schools.
Dr. Elisa Castillo, SSU’s assistant vice president for Hispanic-serving institution and minority-serving institution initiatives, was a driving force behind bringing the event to life. She said that in comparison to other parts of the country, New England’s emphasis on HSI is not as great.
“We want to help institutions be really prepared to address the needs of the population, but also make sure we’re providing that educational experience where students can thrive,” Dr. Castillo said.
Dr. Castillo revealed that a ‘“Salem State road map to servingness” was recently developed by more than 50 staff members. She said it includes short- and long-term goals for inclusion.
“We don’t want to just write a plan and then put it on a shelf,” Dr. Castillo said. “We want to really move it forward.”
Dr. Gina Garcia and Deborah Santiago, the co-founder and CEO of Excelencia in Education, are the conference’s keynote speakers. Santiago said the Washington D.C.-based organization has expanded nationwide throughout its two decades of existence.
“The focus is accelerating Latino student success in higher education,” Santiago said. “I hope that this consortium creates kind of a backbone of support… we’re here to help them with that.”
Garcia emphasized that her company intends to keep in consistent communication with the schools if they wish.
The two-day conference begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Sophia Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts on SSU’s North Campus.
