Ninety-two percent of California Community Colleges are considered Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), which are defined as accredited non-profit institutions enrolling at least 25 percent Latino undergraduates. According to USC Race and Equity Center’s new report, Building Capacity For Equity and Servingness Across California’s Hispanic-Serving Community Colleges, “the remaining campuses are likely to reach the HSI eligibility enrollment threshold in the near future, making the system a HSI system.”

The report introduces the servingness framework, “which provides HSIs with tangible ways to embrace and enact an HSI identity and mission both in practice and research” and offers recommendations on how Hispanic-Serving Community Colleges (HSCCs) can more intentionally serve Latino students while advancing equity. The framework highlights specific “structures for serving” that should center Latino students, including curriculum, student support services, hiring practices, decision making, policies and strategic plans. “Indicators of serving” are also shared as ways to determine how adequately the aforementioned structures are serving Latino students.

Download the Report from the USC Race and Equity Center