Trinity University's Madrid says that a program similar to the one that his association is attempting to create has already been established for women and African Americans -- the American Council on Education's ACE Fellows Program. The purpose of that program -- and the one HACU would like to establish -- is to form a pool of candidates that will be extra ordinarily successful, he says. (see Black Issues, May 14, 1998)

However, Madrid doesn't feel that the ACE Fellows Program has been particularly advantageous for Latinos.

"It was successful in tapping women.... Latinos were not a target of that program and didn't benefit from it," says Madrid, adding, "The fact is, the United States is not prepared to let Latinos assume positions of power."

Not everyone agrees with Madrid's assessment.

"When I first became a president, all the Latina college presidents could have met in a telephone booth," says Dr. Piedad F. Robertson, president of Santa Monica College in California. "There was only one other one."

The former ACE fellow says part of the problem with creating more Latino or Latina college presidents is identifying those individuals who are qualified.

While this can be an arduous task, Robertson is "encouraged" by the more than 100 Latino higher education leaders who exist in today's postesconclary market. She feels a personal obligation to steer other Latinas in the right direction. It is a mission she takes seriously and points to her recent referral of Dr. Lupita Tannatt to the ACE Fellows program as an example.

"A lot of us have the responsibility to `grow your own.' Just because it was hard for us, doesn't mean it has to be hard for everyone else."