COVID-19, DACA, and the Responses of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs): A Virtual Town Hall Discussion

Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) are the fastest-growing type of enrollment-based Minority Serving Institutions, serving the educational needs of hundreds of thousands of students, advancing the full spectrum of human knowledge, and invigorating the cultural, social, and economic horizons of the regions they serve. Today these institutions are at the forefront of the nation’s conversations about institutionalized racism, student support, and immigration. These issues permeate political and legal discussions from campuses all the way to the recent Supreme Court decision on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. HSIs are also at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19, researching treatments, keeping their states and communities informed, and often providing direct service to their communities.

How have HSIs responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and to recent events, including the death of George Floyd and the uncertainty surrounding DACA? As HSI presidents look toward the fall, what have they learned from the COVID-19 crisis, how will their institutions evolve as a result, and what might that mean for the future of HSIs in the United States? How will HSIs adapt to the serious financial challenges likely to arise in states and the nation in the months ahead as a consequence of COVID-19? What are HSI campus leaders doing in preparation for a stronger and higher-profile role in terms of advocacy and leadership in directly addressing institutionalized racism in this country?

On July 6, join the presidents of four of the nation’s premier HSIs—Joseph I. Castro (California State University, Fresno), Thuy Thi Nguyen (Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, CA), Juan Sánchez Muñoz (University of California, Merced), and Mark B. Rosenberg (Florida International University)—as they discuss COVID-19 and issues of racial injustice.