Section I

1.1  WHEREAS in January of 2023, the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Task Force appointed by Interim President Patrick Phillips released its report after having worked for 1.5 years researching the demographic landscape, the experiences of Latinx students, opportunities, and barriers to Latinx admissions, policies and practices that might have the greatest impact on making the UO a Latinx-serving HSI, and exploring how comparator institutions have attained HSI status; and

1.2  WHEREAS the University of Oregon is categorized as an “Emerging HSI” and currently 15% of students are Latinx; the 2024 freshman class was 17% Latinx, and the percentage of applications to UO from Latinx students has grown significantly in recent years and is now 20 percent; and

1.3  WHEREAS there are numerous benefits to becoming an HSI, including prioritizing the needs of historically underrepresented students; joining an elite group of R1 institutions who are diversifying the academic pipeline; and becoming eligible to apply for multiple federal grants, especially in STEAM fields and student services; and

1.4  WHEREAS this task force engaged in a bottom-up and participatory effort that involved surveying department heads, advisors, deans, students, staff, other administrators, and community members in dozens of conversations and group discussions; and

1.5  WHEREAS UO has joined the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities; and

1.6  WHEREAS UO has appointed a representative to HECC HSI Consortium Steering Committee; and

1.7  WHEREAS 26 percent of K-12 public school students in Oregon are Latinx; and

1.8  WHEREAS there have been many significant programs and efforts to support Latinx students at the UO over the past two decades that are not coordinated, but can be the basis for UO to be a Latinx-thriving institution if integrated that include:

• a thriving Spanish program with 144 majors, 387 minors and a Ph.D. program
• an exceptional Spanish Heritage Language Program (SHL) with over 300 students enrolled in classes since 2022
• a new undergraduate Latinx Studies program that, in three years, has graduated 30 students with 77 others enrolled
• nine new faculty who specialize in Latinx Studies as part of cluster hire and related hires
• the Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies (CLLAS) which has fostered intellectual community, held public events, and funded graduate student and faculty research since 2009
• the Latinx Strategy Group of faculty and staff who serve Latinx students
• The Dreamers Working Group (DWG) which has served Latinx and other Dreamer students for ten years,
• Active Latinx student groups including MEChA, Muxeres, Latinx Male & Allies Alliance, Destino (Christian), Unidos (SOJC),
• Latinx Studies SAIL (Student Academy to Improve Learning) camp the last two summers for high school students; and

1.9  WHEREAS we are encouraged by President Scholz’s statement that he wants UO to become an HSI; and

1.10  WHEREAS the UO Senate and university value shared governance and best practices indicate that the most effective path towards becoming a HSI is when an implementation plan is developed in consultation with the Latinx community, specifically faculty, staff, and students.

Section II

2.1 THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we call on the UO president to commit to working collectively with UO faculty, staff, and students. Specifically, we call for creating a new HSI Steering Committee before the end of the spring 2024 quarter to oversee the development of a UO HSI strategic plan. The goal of the strategic plan would be to prioritize and develop a timeline for implementing the recommendations identified in the January 2023 HSI report. The task force should begin work by the fall of 2024 and complete the formation of the strategic plan and setting of priorities by May 1, 2025; and

2.2 THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that because the HSI strategic plan aligns with at least two of President Scholz’s stated priorities, namely belonging and improving retention and graduation rates, the committee will prioritize retention and graduation rates of Latinx students; and

2.3 THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the new HSI Steering Committee must include the active participation; and leadership of Latinx faculty, students, and staff, along with the representatives of the   senior administration and at least two members of the University Senate. Initial membership in the task force will be decided jointly by the administration working in concert with UO Senate leadership. Once the task force embarks on its work, it may add members as appropriate, for example, from admissions, development, advising, STEAM, and other areas that emerge as contributing to the steering committee; and 

2.4 THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the UO President’s office should provide the task force with appropriate resources, time, and compensation for its important work. This work should not be invisible service work that faculty members must be burdened with. Such compensation should come in the form of staffing FTE, course releases, or stipends for the chair(s) of the HSI Steering Committee; and 

2.5 THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the university president will provide a report to the UO Senate on the progress made following the HSI Steering Committee recommendations in the fall term of 2025.