Hispanic students tend to succeed more at institutions where there is a culture of inclusiveness and an explicit commitment from the leadership to serve the community, according to a new report from The American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ (AASCU).
The association conducted a study aimed at understanding why some state-supported four-year colleges and universities retain and graduate Hispanic students at much better rates than their peers.
The “Hispanic Student Success Study” selected 11 public universities for two reasons: their high graduation rates with little or no difference in the rates for Hispanic and non-Hispanic students, or because they experienced an increase in Hispanic students’ graduation rates since 2000. Among the chosen few, George Mason University had the smallest percentage of Hispanics in the student body with 7.6 percent, and the largest was Texas State University at San Marcos with 20.1 percent.
There was not one overriding factor that was responsible for students’ success at the institutions, says John Hammang, director of special projects and development at AASCU.
“There wasn’t any one thing that these schools were doing that could not be replicated at any other public institutions. It was a matter of culture and of leadership,” Hammang told Diverse.
These campuses were intentional in their commitment to Hispanic students’ success, highlighting this commitment in their mission statements, strategic plans, and public communications. More importantly, these institutions are successful with Hispanic students in part because they are dedicated to success for all students. Finally, these campuses are able to succeed in part because they have been able to recruit a “critical mass” of Hispanic students.
“There were enough students to be part of the community… and could impact the community,” adds Hammang.
