What is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI)?
Due to the tireless efforts of committed faculty and staff through the years, Saint Mary’s is leading the Lasallian network in the United States by taking bold steps to focus on serving and shepherding Latinx students toward success future leadership. Initiatives like the Hispanic Serving Institution Advisory Council, the creation of ALLIPAS, the founding of the Institute for Latino and Latin American Studies (ILaLS), and student organizations like La Hermandad and Baile Folklórico Guadalupano foster an environment that centers Latinx experiences to ensure that all students feel a sense of belonging and community at Saint Mary’s. The commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is evident in how this core of faculty and staff holds the College accountable to continuously evaluate and adapt its policies and programs not only to admit more Latinos and Latinas, but also to serve them effectively and build a campus where they can thrive.
HSIs are colleges or universities that have at least 25% of their full-time undergraduate students identifying as Hispanic or Latino. This designation, designed by national Hispanic leaders to reduce structural and historic inequities, is given by the U.S. Department of Education, which also provides grants and funding to support HSIs in improving their academic quality and institutional stability.
In 2014, Saint Mary’s formed the Hispanic Serving Institutions committee, a group of faculty and staff who were charged with preparing the college’s first application for the HSI designation. Since 2015, Saint Mary’s has earned the designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution. Saint Mary's is the first college in the Lasallian Association of Colleges and Universities to receive HSI designation. Ultimately, Saint Mary’s College endeavors to be a model for other HSIs, particularly private liberal arts institutions and the broader Lasallian network.
In 2025, with the support and input of key faculty, staff and administrators, the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Advisory Council was formed. Having a constituted council should strengthen our HSI status and demonstrate that we are committed to our students, making Saint Mary's College more competitive for grant opportunities and collaboration with other institutions.
The HSI status of Saint Mary's College of California is not just a demographic label but a strategic commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, firmly grounded in the college's mission, Lasallian ethos, and strategic plan. The HSI designation represents the college’s progress toward becoming a more diverse institution while also acknowledging the work required to become more inclusive in serving our students and community with an eye towards transformation, liberation, racial equity and social justice.
The HSI status is integral to Saint Mary's College's strategic plan, Transformation 2028. By actively serving and engaging a significant Hispanic population, the College aligns its strategic goals with the changing demographics of the student body, California in particular, and the country in general. This strategic alignment ensures that the institution remains responsive to the evolving needs of its community members and continues to prioritize inclusivity, academic excellence, and social responsibility as outlined in Transformation 2028.
Initially emerging as grassroots efforts in the 1980s, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) gained recognition from educators and policymakers for enrolling a substantial number of Latinx students. By 1986, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) was established as a membership organization for HSIs, taking the lead in advocating for their formal recognition by Congress. This advocacy culminated in 1992 when legislative approval was finally granted, allowing for targeted federal appropriations to support HSIs.
As the enrollment of Latinx students in higher education continues to grow annually, and more institutions become eligible for HSI status, these institutions have become increasingly vital to national college completion and workforce development goals. HSIs play an essential role in providing access to higher education for Latinx students but have historically been underfunded and lack sufficient resources. Adequate funding is critical to enhance the institutional capacity of HSIs, enabling them to offer necessary student support services that promote persistence and graduation.
With this support, HSIs not only provide access to higher education but also stand as models for effectively enrolling, serving, and graduating a diverse student population.
In 2013, there were 600 Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) in the U.S., accounting for 20% of all colleges and universities. An additional 411 institutions were classified as "emerging" HSIs, with 15-24% of their undergraduate students identifying as Latinx. HSIs collectively enroll 62% of all Latinx undergraduates, over 2 million students, along with a significant number of Black students.
