How Do We Get There?

HSI Steering Committee

Chaired by Tobias Guzmán, vice president of the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Kirsten Fleming, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, the HSI Steering Committee builds on our efforts toward becoming Colorado's next Hispanic Serving Institution, highlights the importance of cross-campus involvement, and is comprised of UNC students, faculty, and staff.

Steering Committee Goals:

1. Find and incorporate HSI "Best Practices" into UNC culture
2. Develop processes for faculty research and grant-funding opportunities involving HSI initiatives
3. Identify and implement practices to support the persistence and graduation of Hispanic/Latinx-identifying students
4. Research strategies to recruit and retain more faculty and staff of color at UNC
5. Complete and submit UNC's application for Federal HSI designation

• Members of the HSI Steering Committee
  • Rourke Bailey, assistant director of business analysis and application support, Information Management & Technology
  • Danica Brown, community director, Housing and Residential Education
  • Sharon Bywater-Reyes, assistant professor, Environmental Geoscience
  • Teresa Castro, assistant director, Office of Alumni Relations
  • Samuel Dong Saul, assistant professor, Graphic Design
  • Whitney Duncan, associate professor, Department of Anthropology
  • Jenna Finley, associate vice president, Division of Student Affairs
  • Barbara Garrett, director & associate professor, Department of ASL & Interpreting Studies
  • Christina Golletti, dean, College of Performing & Visual Arts
  • Melinda Gurule, success coach and advisor, Soar program
  • Susan Keenan, associate dean, College of Natural and Health Sciences 
  • Chris Kyser, assistant professor, School of Teacher Education
  • Andrea James, associate professor, School of Biological Sciences
  • Jorge Jaquez-Márquez, marketing & creative specialist, Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Carlos José Pérez Sámano, bilingual communications strategist, Marketing and Communications
  • Deanna Herbert, director of news and public relations, Marketing and Communications 
  • Brandon Lagunas, academic advisor, Monfort College of Business
  • Pete Lien, associate vice president, Enrollment Management
  • Charles Moore, assistant professor, School of Music
  • Gizeh Martinez, academic advisor, Center for Human Enrichment
  • Miranda Martino, assistant director, Disability Resource Center
  • Jen Mayer, interim assistant dean, UNC Libraries
  • Lesly Moran Maqueda, undergraduate student, Chicana/o and Latinx Studies program
  • Kyle Nelson, professor & chair, Department of Sociology
  • Christopher Perkins, associate director, Housing and Residential Education
  • José Davíd Reynoza, assistant director of diversity and access, Office of Admissions
  • Matthew Sanchez, HR coordinator, Department of Human Resources
  • Stacey Tekansik, accounting specialist, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
  • Rodolfo Vargas, director, Cesar Chavez Cultural Center and DREAMer Engagement Program
  • Javier Viñasco Guzmán, associate professor and director, Latinx Music program
  • Ryan Virgil, retail operations manager, Sodexo
  • janine weaver-douglas, director, Marcus Garvey Cultural Center and interim executive director, Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion — learn why dr. janine's name is in lowercase. 

Subcommittee Structure

UNC's HSI leadership has outlined the five following subcommittees to lead UNC into the next phase of planning and execution. These subcommittees will be both researching best practices at key peer institutions and model HSIs, while also reviewing and assessing the current status at UNC, with the hope of providing findings and recommendations in subcommittee areas. 

• HSI Infrastructure Development at UNC

  Members: Tobias Guzmán, Kirsty Flemming, and Jonathan Alcántar

  Tactics:

  • Research peer and model HSIs for infrastructure planning to review Infrastructure. 
  • Visit peer and model HSIs as well as HSIs in Colorado Consortium to review Infrastructure models at each.
  • Develop Infrastructure model for UNC’s HSI designation that both engages our needs as a regionally accredited institution and is reflective of HSIs in Colorado Consortium and at outlined peer and model HSIs. 
  • Develop Leadership Structure for UNC’s HSI designation that both engages our needs as a regionally accredited institution and is reflective of HSIs in Colorado Consortium and at outlined peer and model HSIs. 
• Admissions & Recruitment of Latinx Students (and Families)

  Members: Rourke Bailey, Samuel Dong Saul, Andrea James, Pete Lien, Lesly Moran Maqueda, Kyle Nelson, Jen Mayer, Carlos José Pérez Sámano, José Davíd Reynoza, Matthew Sanchez, and Javier Viñasco Guzmán — Liaison: 

  Tactics:

  • Research peer and model HSIs for model recruitment efforts, including: researching the recruitment model, staffing structure, pipeline planning with K12 and Community College partners, community engagement strategy, and storytelling efforts by the institution.
  • Assess Current UNC Recruitment Model and SEM Planning including: Campus Visit Days, storytelling, messaging changes for both Spanish language audiences and Latinx audiences, addressing pipeline development with Community College and local district partners.
  • Assessing Staffing – Is it representative and culturally and linguistically reflective? 
• Retention and Success of Latinx Students

  Members: Danica Brown, Teresa Castro, Jenna Finley, Melinda Gurule, Susan Keenan, Brandon Lagunas, Gizeh Martinez, Miranda Martino, and Ryan Virgil, Rodolfo Vargas (member/liaison)

  Tactics: 

  • Research peer and model HSIs for model Retention and Graduation efforts. Researching: retention model, staffing structure, co-curricular engagement, classroom and faculty-student culture, student support services, events and programs, and other retention methodology.
  • Assess Current UNC Retention Efforts via a Servingness Framework. Including: community building, Financial Supports (scholarships, emergency funding options, housing costs, open-source document opportunities, food, and housing options for low SES students), advising and student success efforts, co-curricular Supports, Mental Health counseling, microaggression training for faculty and staff, improved sense of belonging on campus, Cultural and Resource Center supports, and Career Readiness and launch supports. 
  • Graduation through an HSI Lens — 4-year graduation rates are assessed in all programs, Career Launch is part of the student experience. 
• Faculty Research and Grants

  Members: Sharon Bywater-Reyes, Whitney Duncan, Barbara Garrett, Christina Golletti, Charles Moore, janine weaver-douglas — Liaison: Jonathan Alcántar

  Tactics:

  • Research peer and model HSIs for grant infrastructure planning and application. This includes funding for: programming initiatives, infrastructure building, utilizing a Servingness framework in grant applications, centralizing HSI-style grant funding.
    • Arapahoe Community College (Title 3 Development Funding)
    • Colorado Mountain College (HSI Grant Hub)
  • Assess current UNC model for Faculty Research & Grants. Look at what is in existence currently, and how UNC has moved from previous frameworks. Review Community-based Research Practices as part of Faculty Assessment toward Tenure – Especially as they tie to serving the Latinx students and community.
  • Grant Applications Include Framework on Servingness — Resources going to serve Latinx Students, HSI faculty seed grants, and culturally responsive curriculum development
  • Representation of Colleges — HSI funding Latinos in STEM careers, co-curricular programs, Latinx-identifying staff and faculty intentional recruitment. 
• Best Practices of New HSIs

  Members: Tobias Guzmán, Kirsty Flemming, and Jonathan Alcántar

  Tactics:

  • Research peer and model HSIs for Human Resources and Academic Affairs efforts in: recruitment and pipeline development for Latinx-identifying faculty and staff, retention of Latinx-identifying faculty and staff, Employee Resource Group (ERG) models, development of supports and sense of belonging on campus. 
  • Assess UNC current model for HSIs for Human Resources and Academic Affairs efforts in: recruitment and pipeline development for Latinx-identifying faculty and staff, retention of Latinx-identifying faculty and staff, Employee Resource Group (ERG) models, development of supports and sense of belonging on campus. 
  • Research peer and model HSIs for Advancement and Mar/Comm efforts in:
    • Alumni engagement and identity-focused alumni groups
    • Data and reporting around alumni and donors at peer institutions like Weber State, Cal State Los Angeles, Arizona State, San Diego, and schools within the Colorado HSI Consortium. 
    • Donor engagement and funding opportunities. 
  • Assess UNC current model for HSIs for Advancement and Mar/Comm Efforts in:
    • Alumni engagement and identity-focused alumni groups
    • Data and reporting around alumni and donors at peer institutions like Weber State, Cal State Los Angeles, Arizona State, San Diego, and schools within the Colorado HSI Consortium. 
    • Donor engagement and funding opportunities. 

HSI faculty fellows, Jonathan Alcantar and Dr. Tobias Guzmán, will support the steering committee by leading key action subcommittees. The steering committee will meet on a monthly basis to ensure progress in support of the priorities listed above.

In the News

Internal and external coverage of UNC's HSI efforts, programs and events geared toward our Hispanic/Latine-identifying communities.