The University of Arizona has been named the Outstanding Member Institution by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities in recognition of the university's excellence in support of HACU's mission to champion Hispanic success in higher education.

UArizona will be recognized at HACU's 34th annual conference, "Championing Hispanic Higher Education: Fostering Excellence and Social Justice," taking place virtually Oct. 26-28.

"We are extremely proud to earn this prestigious honor from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities," said University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins. "Serving Latinx students is central to advancing our mission as Arizona's land-grant university and to our status as a Hispanic-Serving Institution."

UArizona has been an active HACU member institution for 25 years. In early 2020, the university hosted the HACU Ascending Leaders Forum on campus, an initiative to promote staff diversity in senior leadership positions at colleges and universities. The university has also collaborated with HACU to host several webinars to inform successful Hispanic higher education practices and has been working with HACU to create a research-intensive R1 Hispanic-Serving Institution Consortium.

"We are honored to receive this recognition and see it as a testament to the strong relationships that we have built and nurtured with HACU over the years," said Marla Franco, assistant vice provost for Hispanic-Serving Institution initiatives. "We look forward to many continued partnerships in the future."

In 2018, UArizona earned the designation of Hispanic-Serving Institution from the U.S. Department of Education for its success in the enrollment of Hispanic students and in providing educational opportunities to them. UArizona is one of only a select few Research I and Association of American Universities members that meet the criteria for eligibility for HSI designation. The annual designation is defined by the Higher Education Act as an institution of higher education with an undergraduate student enrollment that is at least 25% Hispanic.

In 2019, UArizona was one of nine institutions awarded the Seal of Excelencia, which was designed to create demand in the higher education market for improving Latino student success by leveraging the momentum of a growing Latino population as those students evaluate and choose to attend colleges and universities that show evidence of truly serving Latino students, according to Excelencia in Education, the organization that awards the seal.

HACU, founded in 1986, represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Latin America, Spain and school districts throughout the U.S. HACU is the only national association representing existing and emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions.

During HACU's annual conference, the association also will also honor Joe Garcia, chancellor of the Colorado Community College System, and Timothy P. White, chancellor of the California State University system, as inductees to its Hall of Champions, which recognizes individuals who embody the HACU mission.

Others to be honored alongside UArizona include:

• U.S. Rep. Will Hurd (Texas) – Exemplary Policy/Advocacy Leadership Award
• Ford Motor Company Fund – Outstanding HACU Philanthropic Partner
• National Science Foundation – Outstanding HACU Public Sector Partner
• Molson Coors Beverage Co. – Outstanding HACU Private Sector Partner

"HACU is proud to recognize Congressman Will Hurd for advocating on behalf of Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Molson Coors, Ford Motor Company Fund, the National Science Foundation and the University of Arizona for their contributions to Hispanic higher education and their dedication to HACU's mission," said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores.

More information is available on the HACU website.