Hispanic Serving Institution

Guttman is proud to be a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). As defined by the federal Higher Education Act, a HSI is a degree-granting institution with a full-time undergraduate enrollment that is at least 25 percent Latinx. At Guttman, Latinx students comprise nearly 60 percent of our population, and we are dedicated in our responsibility to enable them to thrive and succeed.

The HSI designation is extremely important to us especially with a growing number of Latinx enrolling in college. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Latinx population is over 50 million and 3.6 million Latinx were enrolled in colleges in the U.S. in 2016, up 180 percent from 1999 (Pew Hispanic Center). Guttman’s focus on equity and on fostering an inclusive campus community ensures the success of all students, especially those who identify as Latinx.

Guttman is also a Minority Serving Institution (MSI). As defined by the federal Higher Education Act, MSI means that Guttman is an institution whose enrollment of underrepresented groups exceeds 50 percent of the total enrollment. At Guttman, nearly 60 percent of the student population identify as Latinx, 27 percent identify as African-American, 8 percent as White, and 5 percent as Asian.

The charge of the Guttman Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Working Group is to examine the implications of being a HSI by identifying and recommending ways we can move from a culture of Hispanic enrolling to Hispanic serving. The Working Group will provide guidance to the college on policies, practices and procedures to support our critical mass of Latinx students while paying attention to cultural, linguistic, and social contexts relevant to HSIs. The goal is to use recommendations from the Working Group to create a culturally engaging campus environment for Latinx and other students from traditionally marginalized identities in which they can succeed.

Using Dr. Gina Garcia’s “Servingness” framework as a guide, the Working Group will analyze and assess institutional structures as well Latinx student outcomes and experiences. Attached is Dr. Garcia’s framework as a reference.

Members:   
Marcus Allen
Joseph Contreras
Patricia Jean
Vivian Liu
Nestor Melendez
Luis Zambrano
Lavita McMath Turner
Bindi Patel
Jessica Portilla
James Rodriguez