Van Hollen, Menendez, Padilla, Cornyn Unveil Bipartisan Resolution Recognizing 559 Hispanic-Serving Institutions
The resolution designates the week of September 12, 2022 as “National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week”
Today, as our nation celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), co-chairs of the Senate Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Caucus, alongside Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), in unveiling a bipartisan Senate resolution recognizing 559 HSIs across the country that play an important role in educating and providing professional development opportunities to the next generation of emerging Hispanic leaders. The resolution designated the week of September 12, 2022 as “National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week.”
Defined as degree-granting institutions where total Hispanic enrollment constitutes no less than 25% of the total enrollment, HSIs play a critical role in educating Hispanic youth and creating economic opportunities for the economies in which these institutions are embedded. HSIs are located in 29 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, with emerging HSIs located in 40 states and the District of Colombia.
The resolution is supported by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU).
Joining Senators Van Hollen, Menendez, Padilla, and Cornyn in cosponsoring the resolution are Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
A copy of the resolution can be found HERE and below.
Designating the week beginning on September 12, 2022, as ‘‘National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week’’.
Whereas Hispanic-Serving Institutions are degree-granting institutions that have a full-time equivalent under- graduate enrollment of at least 25 percent Hispanic students;
Whereas Hispanic-Serving Institutions play an important role in educating many low-income and underserved students and creating opportunities and increasing access to higher education for such students;
Whereas, in the 2020-2021 academic year, 559 Hispanic-Serving Institutions operated in the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, enrolling more than 3,500,000 Hispanic students, according to the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and Excelencia in Education;
Whereas Hispanic-Serving Institutions are engines of economic mobility and a major contributor to the economic prosperity of the United States;
Whereas, according to the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions represent 16 percent of all institutions of higher education, yet serve 30.4 percent of all undergraduate students and 66.1 percent of all Hispanic students;
Whereas Hispanic-Serving Institutions are located in 29 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico;
Whereas the number of Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions, defined as institutions that do not yet meet the threshold of 25 percent Hispanic full-time equivalent enrollment but serve a Hispanic student population of between 15 and 24.9 percent, stands at 393 institutions operating in 38 States and the District of Columbia;
Whereas Hispanic-Serving Institutions are actively involved in empowering and improving the communities in which the institutions are located;
Whereas Hispanic-Serving Institutions are leading efforts to increase Hispanic participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (commonly known as ‘‘STEM’’);
Whereas the top 10 institutions of higher education ranked by Third Way based on the economic mobility of the graduates are Hispanic-Serving Institutions;
Whereas celebrating the vast contributions of Hispanic-Serving Institutions to the United States strengthens the culture of the United States; and
Whereas the achievements and goals of Hispanic-Serving Institutions deserve national recognition: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate—
(1) recognizes the achievements and goals of Hispanic-Serving Institutions across the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico;
(2) designates the week beginning on September 12, 2022, as ‘‘National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week’’; and
(3) calls on the people of the United States and interested groups to observe the week with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs to demonstrate support for Hispanic-Serving Institutions in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.