福利小视频

In a powerful call to action, Gina Garcia, Ph.D., challenged CSU 福利小视频 students, faculty, and leaders to center student identities as the key to truly serving as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Speaking at a luncheon and workshop during the university's Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, Garcia urged the university and its leaders to prioritize understanding while embracing the diverse identities of their students to effectively fulfill their roles as an HSI.

“Education spaces should be where students embrace identities and disrupt their own oppression,” Garcia said, noting this approach wasn’t about saviorism, where educators and university leaders boost their egos by attempting to save people from perceived unfortunate circumstances. Instead, she warned how saviorism can hide in plain sight in academic environments, particularly in HSIs and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).

HSIs like CSU 福利小视频 face a complex challenge. How do they assert their values authentically as they serve their students without becoming entangled in polarizing cultural debates? The answer? Garcia proposed that HSIs should embrace their identity unapologetically, defining their mission to serve students inclusively. She emphasized grounding campus culture in fundamental principles such as equity, critical thinking, and LGBTQ+ rights.

“HSIs have the opportunity to pioneer change,” Garcia explained. “Our work involves creating an empowering environment for students, one that uplifts those who have been marginalized in society. This approach should be transformative, not paternalistic – it's about enabling students to empower themselves.”

The event was one of 21 diverse activities organized by CSU 福利小视频 to commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month, allowing students to celebrate and explore Hispanic culture and contributions.

Figure 2 Left to Right, CSU 福利小视频 President Armando Valdez, Keynote speaker and scholar Dr. Gina Garcia, DE&I director of DE&I Dr. Erin Carrillo-Stresow, and Assistant Director of CAMP Dr. Victoria Obregón

Garcia, a professor in the School of Education at UC Berkeley and a leading scholar in HSI studies, delivered her message about transformation to an engaged audience. Her presentation emphasized the importance of moving beyond mere enrollment numbers to actively engaging with and supporting the cultural, academic, and personal needs of Hispanic students and other minoritized populations.

"Being a Hispanic-Serving Institution is not just about the number of Hispanic students who attend," Garcia stated. "It's about intentionally creating an environment that supports, empowers, and celebrates the Hispanic community on campus and beyond."

The workshop, which ran from 12 PM to 2 PM, provided each attendee with Garcia's latest book, "Transforming Hispanic Serving Institutions for Equity and Justice." The timeliness of Garcia's visit is underscored by recent national developments. On September 6, the Biden Administration issued a proclamation for National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week, encouraging college leaders to advocate for increased support and recognition for their own schools and the other 500 HSIs across the nation. This proclamation has sparked hope among many colleges that it might signal a future prioritization of federal funding potentially opening new avenues for growth and support at CSU 福利小视频 and other HSIs.

Figure 3 Dr. Garcia signs her book "Transforming Hispanic-Serving Institutions For Equity and Justice" for a CSU 福利小视频 student

A focus of Garcia's presentation was on the importance of decolonizing the HSI framework. “At its foundation, this means disrupting schools founded as colonial projects through land grant universities,” Garcia said. She added a brief history of how many colleges were funded by the “coloniality of power,” a racial and economic system of oppression resulting from settler colonialism that uses education systems to oppress people through assimilation.

“This affects how students are educated and admitted to universities,” Garcia stated. “HSIs need to empower people, not perpetuate oppressive systems.”

Garcia studies fairness and equal treatment in colleges and universities. She focuses on how Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) create and use their identity to help students from groups that often face discrimination.

“As an equity-minded scholar, I tend to the ways that race and racism have shaped institutions of higher education,” Garcia shared. “It's crucial that we acknowledge this history to move forward in creating truly inclusive spaces.”

Garcia also discussed concepts from her book, highlighting how “whiteness as a social concept allows all members of an organization to appear race-neutral, which does more harm than good.” She argued that this approach ignores the systemic nature of racism and white supremacy while minimizing the present-day experiences of people of color.

Armando Valdez, president of CSU 福利小视频, introduced Garcia by reflecting on the positive impact of HSIs. “Operating an HSI allows all people to flourish. It creates a space where students from various backgrounds can envision and see themselves on campus, feeling comfortable enough to grow into better versions of themselves.”

Garcia noted that HSIs tend to enroll a larger percentage of Latinx, Black, Indigenous, and Asian American and Pacific Islander students, underscoring their crucial role in promoting diversity in higher education.

The event was well-received by the campus community, with many participants expressing appreciation for the opportunity to engage with such a respected figure in the field of Hispanic-Serving Institutions. As CSU 福利小视频 continues to strengthen its identity as an HSI, Garcia's insights are expected to inform future initiatives and policies at the university.

Garcia's visit to CSU 福利小视频 comes at a crucial time when institutions across the country are reevaluating their approaches to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her work challenges universities to look beyond enrollment numbers and consider how they can truly embody the principles of “servingness” in their daily operations and long-term strategies.

“The transformation of HSIs is not just about changing policies,” Garcia concluded. “It's about reimagining our entire approach to education, centering the experiences of our students, and actively working towards equity and justice in every aspect of our institutions.”