Texas State kicked off its annual Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Week celebrating Hispanic and Latino students’ cultures, histories and communities for Hispanic Heritage Month.
Under Title V of the Higher Education Act, an HSI is an institution of higher learning where at least 25% of its full-time equivalent undergraduate student population is Hispanic.
Jorge Velez, a dance education junior, said during Hispanic Heritage Month, Latino and Hispanic students have the opportunity to get further in touch with their cultural sides. Although his experience as a Hispanic student at Texas State has been a positive one, Velez said there is still room for more inclusivity on campus.
“[Texas State] does a lot for us to always have different events, different opportunities for us to go to and experience being involved with our culture,” Velez said. “But it’ll never feel 100% genuine and [Texas State] could try a bit harder.”
In 2011, Texas State earned recognition as an HSI, and by 2022-23, it was one of 111 universities in Texas to hold this designation.
Chair of Texas State’s HSI Community Council Bob Vasquez said HSI universities help create and provide new educational opportunities for students past generations did not have access to.
“From academic affairs, student success, from advancement, lots of different aspects of research and lots of different voices represented,” Vasquez said.
Former Texas State President Denise Trauth approved the HSI Community Council, an advisory group aimed to elevate and assist the work for Texas State Latino student success.
“The whole university is an HSI, it’s not just students that are in HSI or football or academic, it’s the entire university,” Vasquez said. “If you’re going to have an advisory council regarding HSIs, then everyone, all voices need to be on that council.”
In an email interview with The Star, Vice President for Student Success Cynthia Hernandez wrote that as an HSI, Texas State has access to various funding opportunities and communities of practice focused on expanding educational opportunities for all.
“We take pride that the demographics of the students who attend Texas State mirror those of the state of Texas,” Hernandez wrote. “Hispanic-Serving Institutions are places where everyone has an opportunity to learn and to succeed academically and professionally,”
As of fall 2023, Hispanic students are the leading student demographic, making up 40.7% of the overall student body with 39.2% being white, non-Hispanic. According to the Texas Demographic Center‘s 2022 data, Hispanics also make up the biggest portion of the Texas population at 40.2%.
Velez said although he was not aware of Texas State’s HSI classification, he is glad to see Hispanic and Latino representation and support on campus.
Vasquez said the HSI Community Council’s primary focus is to work on integrating HSI status to the university’s Run to R1 efforts.
“The HSI council brings with it the HSI status to say, ‘How do we incorporate our undergraduate students in that process? How do we make sure they’re also contributing to graduate level student success?’,” Vasquez said. “It’s good that they’re here working on the bachelor’s degree, but we are also creating a pipeline for [undergraduate students] to pursue a PhD.”
Vasquez said cultural shock and imposter syndrome are only some of the struggles Hispanic students face when navigating their college careers.
“You have to make that adjustment, and the challenge then is, ‘Do I belong here?’ and I think that’s a big challenge for most freshmen, that sense of belonging, that sense of connection to that new place,” Vasquez said.
Hernandez said from Sept. 15-Oct. 15, Texas State celebrates the histories of Hispanic communities inviting its students, faculty and staff to come together and celebrate the impact of these cultures.
Velez emphasized the importance of acknowledging Hispanic Heritage Month, especially at an institution like Texas State.
“Always be in touch with your culture because I know, when you are away from your families it is kind of tough,” Velez said. “Texas State offers those [HSI] events that I feel are the closest thing we can get to celebrating our cultures.”
