WestConn joins Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
DANBURY, CONN. — Western Connecticut State University has long been dedicated to helping students from all walks of life succeed in higher education. That commitment, which includes reaching out to the nation’s largest minority population, has recently earned WCSU membership with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.
WestConn President James W. Schmotter is pleased that the university is a Partner Institution member with the association. Today, more than 6 percent of WCSU’s student enrollment is Hispanic/Latin and the university’s total minority enrollment is more than 16 percent.
“We are pleased that WestConn has been recognized as an institution that embraces diversity and helps students from all backgrounds to attain their goals of higher education,” Schmotter said. “The Danbury area is rich in human diversity, and this university is dedicated to meeting the needs of Hispanic and other minority students. We’re achieving this through improving the quality of education and providing necessary resources to assist students. Most recently, we’ve been awarded a major grant for this purpose from the Nellie Mae Foundation.”
Established in 1986 with a founding membership of 18 institutions, HACU today represents more than 450 colleges and universities committed to Hispanic higher education in the United States, Puerto Rico, Latin America, Spain and Portugal.
According to the HACU, fewer than 10 percent of all higher education institutions in the U.S. are members. Together that 10 percent is home to more than two-thirds of all Hispanic College students. HACU is the only national education association that represents Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). Thousands of Hispanic students benefit from HACU through internships, scholarships, college retention and advancement programs, pre-collegiate support and career development opportunities and programs.
HACU’s goals include promoting the development of member colleges and universities; improving access to and quality of postsecondary educational opportunities for Hispanic students; and meeting the needs of business, industry and government through the development and sharing of resources, information and expertise. HACU also provides assistance and outreach to HSIs by hosting technical assistance workshops throughout the country on available federal program grants and other resources.
WestConn also is one of six New England universities chosen this year for a grant from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation to participate in a program that will increase the number of underrepresented populations graduating with four-year degrees. The university offers support, such as the Latin American Student Organization, that enhances the knowledge of Latin American culture and organizes a wide variety of activities. A social, non-political organization, LASO further increases the visibility and participation of its member students on campus.
