Four University of California campuses were recognized by the U.S. Department of State on Sunday, Nov. 3, as Fulbright Hispanic-Serving Institution Leaders for 2024, an honor granted to select universities that have both attained Hispanic-Serving Institution status and feature strong engagement with the Fulbright program, the U.S. government's flagship international academic exchange program.
UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara and UC Santa Cruz were among just 51 colleges and universities across the country to be honored. The four campuses are among an elite group of 29 institutions offering doctoral degrees to receive the distinction. The leaders were announced during the International Plenary Session of the annual conference of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU).
“Fulbrighters from HSIs contribute to the Program’s goal of reflecting the full diversity, perspectives, and talents of the American people,” Scott Weinhold, senior bureau official for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, said in a media release.
Today, almost 40 percent of California residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, accounting for the largest racial or ethnic group in the state. To ensure the University meets the needs of these residents, UC has set a goal to become a Hispanic-Serving System, with each of its nine undergraduate campuses being federally recognized as Hispanic-Serving Institutions, or HSIs.
The HSI designation requires that at least 25 percent of student enrollment be Latino/Hispanic students, and that the institution is eligible for Titles III, V or VII grants and/or the nonfederal cost-share waiver. Five of UC’s nine undergraduate campuses have already achieved HSI designations: UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara and UC Santa Cruz. The four remaining campuses are emerging HSIs with 15-24 percent Latinx undergraduate enrollment, as defined by Excelencia in Education, a national nonprofit dedicated to Latinx student success in higher education. UC Davis announced in late October that they are now eligible for HSI status.
“As a university that pursues the intentional agenda of being open, inclusive and committed to academic excellence and global impact, we are deeply proud of this recognition,” UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman said of the honor from the Fulbright program. “I am grateful to all the faculty, staff and students involved in making UC Irvine a Fulbright HSI leader.”
Since its founding in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds and in all fields with the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections, and work to address complex address global challenges. Fulbright is a program of the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. Government. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the program.
The Fulbright Program implements a wide range of initiatives to ensure that its participants reflect all aspects of the diversity of U.S. society and societies abroad. In addition to HACU, the Fulbright Program also cultivates relationships with external stakeholders, including the White House Initiative on HBCUs, Diversity Abroad, UNCF, the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange, the American Association of Community Colleges, and Mobility International, among many others.
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