According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Hispanic population increased by 43%, rising from 35.3 million in 2000 to 50.5 million in 2010. Latinos now account for 16% of the nation’s population. As this change in demographics took place, there was also a change in the student populations of many of the country’s historically white institutions. Many of these colleges and universities now enroll and educate a student body that is at least 25% Latino, making them Hispanic Serving Institutions.
We currently have, according to Excelencia in Education, 265 Hispanic serving institutions that meet the federal government’s definition. If population trends continue, this number will increase rapidly and this leads me to wonder what we really know about Latino college students and more specifically, Hispanic Serving Institutions. What are researchers studying? What do campus administrators and faculty know about this growing group of students?
Fortunately, there are growing numbers of scholars pursuing research questions that pertain to Latino students and Hispanic Serving Institutions. For example, Anna Maria Nunez, an assistant professor at the University of Texas atSan Antonio, studies Latino access to both Hispanic Serving Institutions and community colleges. Both Luis Ponjuan, assistant professor at the University of Florida, and Victor Saenz, assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin, are doing important work on Latino male college students and their experiences. Stella Flores, assistant professor at Vanderbilt University, is studying the college outcomes of Hispanic Serving Institutions. And, of course, Sylvia Hurtado has done excellent work related to Latino student outcomes at majority institutions for years. All of these scholars and many others are adding to our knowledge on Latino higher education.
We need to read their work and use it to inform our teaching and practice at majority institutions, especially those with growing Latino populations. We need to do this in order to provide the best education and experiences possible to Latino students. We should also look to some of the more prominent and active Hispanic Serving Institutions, such as University of Texas at Brownsville, National Hispanic University (California), and University of Texas at El Paso for expertise on educating Latino students. These institutions have substantial track records.
All institutions of higher education must prepare for the changing demographics on their campuses as racial and ethnic minorities become the majority. We need to ensure that all students get the best education possible so that they can contribute to their surrounding communities and society at large.
