Sharing our Story: Highlighting UNC's HSI Journey

Building Bridges: The Power of Networking

As a seasoned advancement professional with nearly 15 years of experience in higher education, and a key member of the leadership team supporting the University of Northern Colorado 's (UNC) work toward becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), I've had the privilege of helping to guide our strategic communication efforts in support of HSI readiness work.

In July of this year, while working remotely from Denver and as an active member of Colorado's statewide HSI Consortium, I took the initiative to connect with colleagues at peer institutions who are engaged in similar endeavors. One of the professionals I reached out to was Manuel Del Real, Ph.D. , the Executive Director of HSI Initiatives and Inclusion at Metropolitan State University of Denver, an institution designated as an HSI since 2019.

During our conversation, Dr. Manny eagerly shared the various strategies and initiatives that he and his team at MSU-Denver have implemented to enhance student support and promote success. He also provided information about publications and reports that effectively communicated their important work to various audiences.

Asking the Right Questions: Understanding the Importance of Showcasing our Work

In the spirit of learning from others, I explored how MSU-Denver was addressing the concept of 'Servingness.' I inquired about their approaches to program development, staff/faculty training, and insights related to fundraising, development, and alumni engagement strategies in the context of HSI initiatives. I also probed into their collaborations with internal institutional partners, like their marketing and communications office, and their strategies for regular reporting to key stakeholders.

Understanding the importance of showcasing our work to specific audiences, especially those invested in our institution, is vital to initiatives like this; because we are not solely pursuing an HSI designation, we are changing the culture of our institution.

With this knowledge, and the support of Dr. Tobias Guzmán , VP for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at UNC, I decided to adapt concepts from these conversations to create a compelling narrative about UNC's journey toward HSI status. This narrative outlines our timeline and progress, the purpose behind our HSI readiness work, current programs and initiatives demonstrating 'Servingness' on our campus, accomplishments from the past academic year, and our upcoming campus-wide objectives.

Crafting Our Narrative: Identifying Key Audiences and Adding our own Flare

For this project, we identified UNC stakeholders such as the Board of Trustees, alumni, donors, community leaders, business partners, state legislators, leaders at HSIs and emerging HSIs across the state, and external stakeholders familiar with our HSI and DEI initiatives as our primary audience.

Through our print piece, we aim to:

• Generate excitement about our progress toward HSI status.
• Emphasize our long-standing commitment to serving students of color, especially Latinx-identifying students and families.
• Position UNC as a leader in better-serving Latinx students in Colorado.
• Spotlight our current priorities as an emerging HSI, with a focus on Recruitment, Retention, Graduation, and creating a Sense of Belonging for Latinx-identifying students.
• Present data supporting these priorities, including student diversity, enrollment figures, retention and graduation rates, and alumni economic impact in our region.
• Showcase examples of current programs that illustrate our commitment to serving the student body and our local community.
• Create a polished, branded, and professional piece that our stakeholders are eager to share within their networks.
• All while we ensure the piece remains relevant throughout the coming year, regardless of our ability to apply for an HSI designation.

In addition to the above, and as a member of UNC's Advancement team, I've integrated unique sections that tie to our strategic plan, highlight donor engagement in HSI and DEI efforts, and showcase how HSI readiness work impacts all students who enter our doors.

We achieved this by:

• Preserve Brand Identity: Collaborating with our centralized Marketing and Communications team, we maintained brand colors, logos, and fonts, while incorporating culturally reflective styling from Latin American culture.
• Highlight Demographic Changes: Utilizing key enrollment, student, and alumni data to showcase demographic shifts that underscore the need for HSI designation and investment in practices that support student success.
• Align to Strategic Plan: Addressing specific elements of the President's Rowing, Not Drifting 2030 Strategic Plan , demonstrating how the "Students First" concept complements HSI's focus on 'Servingness,' fostering a sense of belonging and opportunities for success for all students.
• Prioritize Diversity and Inclusion: Emphasizing the importance of anti-bias and anti-black discrimination training, as well as investment in resources that support our first-generation student community.
• Recognize Donor Support: Acknowledging the long-standing investment of our donor community in initiatives that enhance culturally reflective co-curricular activities and provide critical resources to Latinx-identifying students like scholarships and program funding.
• Highlight 2023-24 Priorities: Outlining our major areas of engagement for the upcoming year, including attending the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities 2023 conference, developing findings and recommendations aligned with the subcommittees for our HSI Steering Committee, HSI Staff and Faculty Fellows participating in Colorado’s Statewide HSI Consortium, and applying for the Federal HSI designation.

My Commitment: We Share our Work with our Internal and External Community

In conclusion, our journey towards HSI status at UNC is a collaborative effort that involves sharing our work and insights across the institution, and with colleagues across the state.

As professionals who engage in similar initiatives across various two- and four-year institutions, it's crucial for us to share how we communicate the value and impact of our HSI and DEI efforts.

After all, we are all accountable for the work we are doing in support of student success at our institutions, and should have insight on how others are communicating our work effectively. And... This concept is not a standalone creation; it's a fresh iteration of Dr. Manny's work with a distinct UNC flare.

Acknowledgments: A Collaborative Effort

From concept, to project request, to development, to copy, it's been such a pleasure to write and develop this print piece. Before you dive into the four-page concept document (formatted for 11 x 17 landscape view), I want to extend special thanks to the individuals who played pivotal roles in its development.

• Gretchen Kershner , the dedicated designer behind this project.
• Jeff Exstrum , Executive Creative Director, and Jorge M. Jaquez-Márquez , DEI Marketing & Creative Specialist, for their invaluable input on design, layout and printing.

?See the 2023-24 "Our Pursuit of HSI" document:

Please excuse any color rendering issues.

Let's connect:

If you'd like to learn more about my work on this piece, please connect with me or schedule a meeting . I'd be happy to share the details of our approach.

About the author:

Cristóbal (Chris) Garcia is a first-generation college graduate, holding a master's degree in business from Colorado State University. Currently, Chris serves as UNC's Associate Director of Alumni Relations and Staff Fellow for Hispanic Serving Institution initiatives and is an active member of Colorado's statewide HSI Consortium. He was recently recognized as a Notable Minority Leader in Northern Colorado by BizWest magazine for his advocacy. Chris regularly authors articles covering topics such as leadership, career development, higher education, and Hispanic/Latinx culture.

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