Hispanic Serving Institution
February 20, 2025
Voices on Paper: students unite
A variety of students gathered in the visual arts building on Wednesday to make posters in support of the protest that will be held in downtown Goshen this Saturday. The event was organized by students from the student task force — the organization’s current name that the leaders hope will soon become more refined, as they plan to submit an application to become an official club soon. The event opened with a brief presentation from the planners, explaining the reason for gathering, and providing ideas for possible poster slogans — such as “we are human,” “unidos jamás seremos vencidos” or...
September 19, 2024
Year three for GC as an HSI
Goshen College is entering the third year of its Hispanic Serving Institution designation and with that experience comes a more developed sense of what it means to be an HSI. As far as change goes, much of what the college has been able to achieve is thanks to a Title V federal grant for Developing Hispanic Serving Institution (DSHI) programs. Gilberto Pérez Jr., vice president for student life and Hispanic serving initiatives, as well as dean of students, explained that GC received $3 million to serve Hispanic students, as well as others who have been historically underserved. Jan Kauffman, assistant...
September 28, 2023
HSI: Laying the foundation for what’s to come
Though Goshen College was thrilled to receive the designation of a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) last January, it was still unclear to many what this meant practically for students. According to last year’s press release, the designation comes as a result of the college having 25% of its full-time undergraduate students identifying as Hispanic and a high number of students who demonstrate financial need. The primary benefits of the designation are that the college now has access to Title III and Title V funds through the U.S. Department of Education. For example, GC became eligible for and recently received a $3...
September 28, 2023
Title V grant funds Hispanic initiatives
Goshen College will receive a grant of just under $3 million over five years through a Title V grant from the U.S. Department of Education, following its induction as a Hispanic-Serving Institution last spring. The grant’s main focus will be on improving resources, expanding the Good Library and contributing to the well-being of students. The grant is called Conexiónes por Excelencia (Connections for Excellence) and is only available to a college if it is designated as an HSI, a designation GC received in January of this year. Leading up to it, the college had to reach the required 25% Hispanic...
September 28, 2023
LSU a place for guidance and celebration
National Hispanic Heritage Month is a time for celebration, and with Goshen College’s new status as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, the Latino Student Union is feeling the pressure. “I do feel like there’s a big pressure on this month,” said Gladys Leon Diaz, one of the student leaders of LSU. “Just to make sure we’re being inclusive enough. As an HSI … there’s just no way we can’t do anything or do the bare minimum.” Hispanic Heritage Month comes at a difficult time for students. Falling just weeks after they arrive back on campus, there isn’t much time to get plans...
September 28, 2023
Owning your identity
A Hispanic-Serving Institution has to have at least 25% of its full-time undergraduate students identify as Hispanic for consecutive years. In athletics, though, only 16.3% of student-athletes identify themselves as Hispanic, according to Justin DeWeese, assistant athletic director of communications. So, what does it mean to be a student-athlete as a Hispanic individual? Stephany Claudio, a junior psychology major, spoke about how she ended up running at GC. At first, Claudio ran for fun, but when high school started, she came to the realization that she needed to find a way to pay for college. “I felt pressured to just...
March 30, 2023
Diaz considers producing vs. serving at an HSI
“I want to share my story. I want others to not struggle, and to have the support that I didn’t have” — that’s how Rocio Diaz describes her work at Goshen College. Diaz is the director of community engagement and adult outreach, working for the school’s Center for Community Engagement (CCE). Her job description is extensive and has evolved significantly over the past few years. After moving from Texas, Diaz began working for GC as an administrative assistant for the Center of Intercultural and International Education on Feb. 13, 2008 — an important date to Diaz. “I have it written...
January 26, 2023
GC designated as Hispanic-Serving Institution
Last week, Goshen College was labeled as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) by the U.S. Department of Education. This means that for consecutive years the college has met the criteria of having at least 25% of full-time undergraduate students identify as Hispanic/Latinx and enrolling a significant number of students who show financial need. “We are committed to deepening our relationships with Hispanic/Latinx students and their families as we work toward more fully realizing equity and inclusion for students of all backgrounds and identities,” said President Rebecca Stoltzfus. “As we have stated in our vision: ‘Rooted in the way of Jesus, we...
October 13, 2022
Goshen College to become a Hispanic Serving Institute
Goshen College is poised to become only the third college in Indiana to earn the designation Hispanic Serving Institution, which requires that Latinos make up at least 25% of the undergraduate student body. The designation, which Goshen College would share with Calumet College of St. Joseph and Indiana University Northwest, is expected to happen next year when the college submits a final key application form. “I feel a lot of pride,” said Gilberto Perez Jr., the vice president for Student Life and dean of students. “We have become a place where we all learn more about Latino culture. We’re all...
September 15, 2022
City of Goshen to host 2nd Hispanic Heritage festival on Saturday
National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed annually from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. People whose families emigrated from Central and South America, the Caribbean, Spain and Mexico are celebrated for their contributions and cultural heritage. After months of planning, the Hispanic Heritage Festival will return to downtown Goshen for the 2nd year this Saturday from 1:00 to 11:00 pm. The event was brought to fruition by Community Pro Education, a nonprofit organization promoting inclusion and cultural diversity. “[The] Hispanic Heritage Festival is a great opportunity to bring the community together,” said Manny Cortez, the president of Community Pro Education. “We...
September 17, 2020
GC anticipates future as Hispanic-Serving Institution
With a 32% Hispanic population in undergraduate enrollment, Goshen College will begin the process of applying for status as a Hispanic-Serving Institution this year, becoming one of four colleges in Indiana to move towards this goal. “This is the first year that we meet the criterion of at least 25% enrollment of Hispanic U.S. citizens,” President Rebecca Stoltzfus said. “It is not an immediate qualification, and will probably be a two-year process. But this is a strategic priority for Goshen College, and so we will begin this work.” In 2007, only 6% of the student body was Hispanic, compared to...
September 21, 2019
GC nears goal of becoming Hispanic Serving Institution
With an upward sloping trend over the last decade, Goshen College has officially exceeded 25% Hispanic population for undergraduate enrollment and is well on its way to be deemed as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Ten years ago, GC’s undergraduate Hispanic population reached just over 5% of the total undergraduate enrollment. Richard Aguirre, community impact coordinator for GC, credits this growth to many different goal-oriented initiatives put in place by the college. “We achieved 25% Latino enrollment by providing easier access to a GC education through enhanced financial assistance and support programs, transforming our campus into an intercultural teaching and learning community...
September 28, 2017
Goshen nears goal of becoming Hispanic Serving Institution
Goshen College is drawing closer to reaching its goal of becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution. According to the U.S. Department of Education, in order qualify as a Hispanic Serving Institution, schools must have an undergraduate full-time equivalent enrollment in which at least 25 percent of students are Hispanic. As of this fall, Goshen College stands at 23 percent. The incoming class of 215 full-time students is 32 percent Hispanic. Goshen College has the goal of qualifying for the ranking by next year. After achieving eligibility status, there remains a year-long application process. “The college is investing more in Latino student...
March 30, 2017
GC works for Latino Higher Education
Goshen College will be co-sponsoring the first Indiana Latino Higher Education Conference at The University of Notre Dame on Thursday, April 13. The goal of the conference is to showcase what Goshen College and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) have done in the past several years to promote Latino student enrollment and retention in higher education and to encourage other independent colleges to do the same. To be considered a HSI, the institution must have an undergraduate Latino enrollment of at least 25 percent. This conference was conceived in early 2016 by Richard Aguirre, director of corporate and foundation relations, and...
March 16, 2017
Brenneman awarded for leadership
President James Brenneman was presented with the Alfredo G. de los Santos Jr. Distinguished Leadership in Higher Education award on March 11, recognizing his work with Hispanic students in higher education on the Goshen College campus. This award is presented to administrators who demonstrate excellence in their profession. It is named for de los Santos Jr., who worked as a leader, faculty member, mentor and champion in higher education. Brenneman was selected by a panel of experts in higher education. The award was given by the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE). AAHHE is a national, educational non-profit...