Hispanic Serving Institution
The HSI designation makes HCC eligible to apply for special grants to expand educational opportunities and enhance services and supports for Hispanic students.
In fall 2016, Holyoke Community College marked a major milestone. For the first time, Hispanic student enrollment at the college surpassed 25 percent. With that, HCC joined a growing national club of colleges and universities recognized by the U.S. Dept. of Education as "Hispanic Serving Institutions," or HSI's.
The HSI designation makes HCC eligible to apply for special grants to expand educational opportunities and enhance services and supports for Hispanic students, who have historically trailed their white classmates in the metrics typically used to quantify academic success: persistence (remaining enrolled from one semester to the next), retention (remaining enrolled from one year to the next), course completion, and graduation.
"The LatinX population is growing," said Carlos Santiago, Massachusetts commissioner of Higher Education, during a May 2018 forum at HCC focused on strengthening the school as a Hispanic Serving Institution. "These students are coming to your doors. They're coming in with all different backgrounds. For some of them, English is not their first language. Some of them are coming from school districts that didn't quite give them the skills they need to be successful walking in on day one. They're coming in with gaps." Addressing these achievement gaps is a key provision of HCC's new strategic plan.
Explore the links below to learn more about HCC's status as an HSI.
Click here to learn about HCC's Latinx Empowerment Association group for students.
El Centro aspires to provide a Hispanic-thriving learning community to meet the needs of Latinx and Spanish-speaking students, where they can receive culturally responsive guidance and support essential to achieve academic success, advancement, and a sense of belonging.
'Success for All'
Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018
Holyoke Community College explores its future as a federally recognized Hispanic Serving Institution.
A Firm Commitment
Thursday, May 24, 2018
HCC spent a day exploring its future and renewed its commitment to improving the success of all students, especially Latinos and other traditionally underserved populations.
Strategic Plan
As stewards of Holyoke Community College, the future is in our hands. Embarking on a strategic plan is an opportunity to think deeply about HCC's role in the community. Through this process we will articulate an aspirational vision for HCC and chart the way forward, further, toward the future we will create for HCC.
