Excelencia in Education Names FDU’s Latino Promise and HACER Programs Finalists for the 2022 Examples of Excelencia
Teaneck, NJ (August 31, 2022) – Excelencia in Education, the nation’s premier authority on efforts accelerating Latino student success in higher education, announced today 20 evidence-based programs across the U.S. as finalists for the 2022 Examples of Excelencia. Among them is Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Latino Promise and HACER programs.
Latino Promise and HACER are sister programs, both designed for Latino students to receive a personalized approach to higher education. Latino Promise is for students with English fluency while HACER is for English language learners and includes free ESL courses.
Examples of Excelencia was created in 2005 and is the country’s only national effort to identify, aggregate, and promote evidence-based practices improving Latino student success in higher education. As leaders seek where to invest time and resources in what works for Latino students, these 20 programs demonstrate that it is possible to develop asset-based, culturally responsive practices that can improve success for Latino and other post-traditional students.
“Excelencia is answering the national call to identify and invest in evidence-based practices that improve college completion,” said Deborah Santiago, Co-founder and CEO of Excelencia in Education. “These 20 programs are evidence-based exemplars led by practitioners working directly with students and community that go beyond enrollment to intentionally serve students on their journey to degree completion.”
This year, Excelencia received 93 program submissions representing 17 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The 20 finalists will be featured online as well as in Excelencia’s Growing What Works Database – the only national online, searchable database for institutional leaders, funders, and policymakers interested in identifying what works for Latino students.
“Institutions of higher education are designated as Hispanic serving if they enroll at least 25% Hispanic undergraduate students, which does not take into account whether an institution is actually meeting these students’ needs,” said Associate Dean of Becton College Janet Boyd. “Excelencia in Education is a national organization dedicated to identifying those institutions that are intentionally serving Latino students and to collecting data on best practices for all to learn from. That FDU’s Latino Promise/Hacer has been selected as a finalist is a huge honor because it means our program has been recognized as a model of what works, that the program does, in fact, provides Examples in Excelencia to be emulated.”
On September 29, 2022, four of the 20 finalists will be announced as the 2022 Examples of Excelencia and recognized at the annual Celebración de Excelencia. The national announcement will be made in Washington, D.C. at the Mayflower Hotel and live-streamed online.
“Excelencia increases national awareness of efforts effectively engaging the growing Latino student population,” said Sarita Brown, Co-founder and President of Excelencia in Education. “We are relentless, as are these program leaders, in promoting the benefits to institutions and this country through intentionally serving Latino and other post-traditional students.”
To learn more about the 2022 finalists for Examples of Excelencia visit: https://www.edexcelencia.org/examples-excelencia-finalists
Every year, Examples of Excelencia begins with a national call for nominations encouraging individuals and programs to share initiatives accelerating Latino student success in higher education. Excelencia in Education reviews all program profiles of those intentionally serving Latino students and, this year, identified 20 finalists using rigorous criteria. Finalists identified in each of four categories—associate, baccalaureate, graduate, and community-based organizations—are presented to a national selection committee composed of higher education leaders, grantmakers, and stakeholders. The committee assesses the strength of innovative, intentional, culturally relevant, and effective practices tailored to Latino students and their communities to select the four Examples of Excelencia.
About Excelencia in Education
Excelencia in Education accelerates Latino student success in higher education by promoting Latino student achievement, conducting analysis to inform educational policies, and advancing institutional practices while collaborating with those committed and ready to meet the mission. It has published over 100 analyses, highlighted over 385 programs from across the country to advance effective, evidence-based practices, and distributed over $2 million to promote programs producing results for Latino students. Launched in 2004 in the nation’s capital, Excelencia has established a network of results-oriented educators and policymakers to address the U.S. economy’s needs for a highly educated workforce and engaged civic leaders. For more information, visit www.EdExcelencia.org.
Examples of Excelencia expands on the legacy of work first started in 1999 by its two visionary leaders, Deborah Santiago and Sarita Brown. Since 2005, Excelencia in Education has received over 1,900 program submissions; recognized over 385 programs for their impact in accelerating Latino student success, and raised and awarded over $2 million to the programs making a difference for Latino students to support their sustainability and expansion.