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Jess Cook
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The Office of Inclusive Excellence is excited to announce this year’s programming for Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Week at Salem State University.
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) has announced National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week will be observed Sept. 9-15, leading us into National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated Sept. 15 - Oct. 15, 2024. HACU-member Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) are encouraged to observe the week with campus activities to heighten awareness of the important role HSIs play in improving access to education and advancing equity for traditionally underserved students.
Salem State is proud to be an emerging HSI and is intentional about welcoming our diverse student population and offering curricular and co-curricular opportunities that will help our students thrive.
As the Commonwealth’s Civic Engagement University, we are also focused on centering community, elevating cultural wealth and advocating for the needs and possibilities of our community. As such, we worked together to create a Massachusetts consortium of emerging and designated HSIs with community college partners, and we hosted the inaugural New England Hispanic and Minority Serving Institution Conference this past July 2024. The conference was very well received and has been described as “transformational” by participants. The intentional work that SSU has done over the last several years to become a servingness institution was evident to all. We will continue to build partnerships and leverage the possibilities and opportunities of becoming a Hispanic and Minority Serving Institution in our region.
To learn more about what it means to be a Hispanic Serving Institution, the work we are doing at SSU to center our Hispanic or Latina/e/o/x students and better serve all students, we welcome you to join Assistant Vice President for HSI-MSI Initiatives Elisa Castillo, the Office of Inclusive Excellence, the Center for Teaching Innovation, and the Center for Civic Engagement for the following HSI Week 2024 activities.
HSI-MSI Conference Campus Debrief
Tuesday, September 10, 4-5 pm | Forten Hall 123 (behind Starbucks)
Join Cynthia Lynch and Elisa Castillo for a campus debrief to discuss your experience at the summer HSI-MSI conference and discuss next steps and opportunities for Salem State as the Civic Engagement University and emerging Hispanic and Minority Serving Institution. Coffee and churros will be provided!
Advancing Together: Roadmap to Becoming a Hispanic-Serving Institution
Wednesday, September 11, 3-4 pm | Virtual via Zoom
Join Elisa Castillo and the Center for Teaching Innovation team to focus on our SSU journey to become a Hispanic-Serving Institution. This workshop provides an opportunity for faculty and staff to come together and review the latest updates and progress on our university's roadmap toward becoming an HSI.
Participants will engage in discussions about the strides made, challenges encountered, and upcoming milestones. The session aims to foster a shared understanding of our collective efforts and reinforce our commitment to creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for Hispanic students.
Who Are Our SSU Hispanic & Latina/e/o/x Students and How Can We Better Serve Them? | Hybrid Program
Thursday Sept 12, 1-2 pm | Martin Luther King Jr. Room, Ellison Campus Center and Virtual via Zoom
Please register via Zoom if you plan to join us virtually.
Join us for a hybrid program to learn about our SSU Hispanic or Latina/e/o/x students and how we can better serve them. Elisa Castillo will share feedback from the survey that went out to all SSU students who identify as Hispanic this past spring semester and will discuss recommendations on how to better serve Latina/e/o/x students.
Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month
Following HSI Week, Salem State celebrates Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month, which takes place from Sept 15-October 15. With events and programming across campus, we have a full calendar of academic, social and professional development events focused on the Latina/e/o/x and Hispanic community.
Faculty, staff, students and community members are encouraged to attend as many programs as they are interested in. We especially look forward to welcoming Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month keynote speaker Alejandra Campoverdi, author of national bestseller First Gen: A Memoir, on September 23 at 11 am in Vets Hall, Ellison Campus Center.
Wishing you a happy HSI Week and Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month!