Hispanic Serving Institutes are defined as having at least 25 percent Hispanic full-time undergraduate students. CSUSM currently serves a student population that is nearly 40 percent Hispanic.

Thanks to the grant, CSUSM will fund:

• Innovations in student services including a bilingual/bicultural financial aid specialist and cultural transition academic advisor; bilingual/bicultural mathematics tutors to conduct in-person and online tutoring; and peer mentors for in-person and online support.

• Culturally validating curriculum including the creation of first-year general education courses with a focus on Latino identities; Latino college learning communities; supplemental writing and mathematics courses in hybrid format; and faculty professional development to improve courses which are in high demand but with low success rates for Latino students.

• Meaningful co-curricular offerings including additional research assistants; the second-year Latino Males Mentor Program; programming that addresses contemporary issues shaping Latino students’ educational experiences; and the Pathways to Academic Success and Opportunity (PASO) Parent Institute focusing on college transitions.

• Impactful new technologies including card-swipe technology for services associated with the grant; an instant online chat platform; online meeting technology; tablets for mathematics tutors; and a student computer laboratory for the Latin@ Center.

“We are grateful that the Federal government recognizes our efforts to improve the academic achievement of our Latina and Latino students,” said Karen Haynes, president of CSUSM. “This grant will allow us to enhance our innovative approaches toward making a Cal State San Marcos education more accessible to our region’s students, thus ensuring stronger communities and a more robust pipeline of professionals and leaders for tomorrow.”

WHO: Dr. Karen Haynes, President, CSUSM; Dr. Lorena Meza, Vice President of Student Affairs, CSUSM; Maria Mendoza-Bautista, Latin@ Center Associate Director, CSUSM; Enrique Morones, founder of Border Angels, a San Diego-based non-profit that advocates for human rights, humane immigration reform and social justice; and Quetzal, the Grammy-award-winning Chicano rock band, will perform at the event. Other guests include elected officials, regional leadership, and student, faculty and staff.

WHEN: Thursday, September 17 at noon - remarks begin at approximately at 12:20 p.m.

WHERE: California State University San Marcos, 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Rd., San Marcos.

Remarks will be in the University Student Union amphitheater followed by the official ribbon-cutting at the Center, located in the University Student Union, room 3300A.

Recommended media parking is in Parking Structure I, located near the intersection of Campus Way and Campus View Dr.

WHY: According to the The State of Higher Education in California – Latino Report, published in April 2015, in California Latinos are underrepresented in every segment of higher education and have lower levels of college degree attainment than other racial/ethnic groups. On average, 31 percent of Californians have a bachelor’s degree while only 12 percent of Latinos in the state do. The CSUSM Latin@ Center will serve the nearly 40 percent of CSUSM students who self-identify as Hispanic/Latino by helping these students set goals, gain leadership abilities and develop skills that will help them succeed academically, professionally and personally. A welcoming place for all students, the Center is an inclusive environment that will enhance CSUSM’s mission to be a diverse and welcoming university, reflecting and serving the region.