This keynote address is recommended for colleges and universities that may not be HSIs (yet) or just beginning their journey towards this designation. It’s also good for colleges and universities that are not HSIs but trying to understand how to serve an increasingly racially and ethnically diverse undergraduate population. Dr. Garcia draws from her book Becoming Hispanic Serving Institutions: Opportunities for Colleges and Universities, describing the different “types” of HSIs: Latinx-enrolling, Latinx-enhancing, Latinx-producing, and Latinx-serving. She then provides evidence of how HSIs fit within these types based on empirical data collected with three HSIs in Chicago. Dr. Garcia challenges audience members to think about how becoming an HSI is an individual process for each college and university.

This keynote address is recommended for colleges and universities that have already achieved the HSI designation and are figuring out what it means to be an HSI in practice, beyond the 25% enrollment of Hispanic/Latinx students. Dr. Garcia discusses her book Hispanic Serving Institutions in Practice: Defining “Servingness” at HSIs, which is an edited volume offering 16 chapters written by Title III and Title V Directors at HSIs across the country. She lays out the Multidimensional Conceptual Framework for Understanding “Servingness,” providing a definition of the concept of servingness. She talks about the “structures for serving” and gives examples of how HSIs are transforming their structures in practice. She also complicates the “indicators of serving,” providing examples of how HSIs can assess the extent to which they are serving Latinx students. Dr. Garcia challenges audience members to think about servingness as a multidimensional concept that can be addressed in unique ways by each college and university.

This keynote address is recommended for colleges and universities that have already achieved the HSI designation and that are actively enacting servingness through HSI grant activities and other culturally relevant approaches. It’s also good for colleges and universities that are not HSIs but looking for unique approaches to organizing for equity and justice. Dr. Garcia talks about her book, Transforming Hispanic Serving Institutions for Equity & Justice, and provides an organizational framework that advances equity, justice, and liberation for racialized organizations. She lays out the framework, which includes nine organizational dimensions, and offers examples from practice. Dr. Garcia encourages audience members to think about how committing to equity and justice is grounded in concepts about organizational change and transformation.