I offer this letter in response to the Columbia Chronicle’s recent article addressing the college’s status as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), in hopes of clarifying the college’s current eligibility and plans for the immediate future.
Recently, Columbia College Chicago was identified as an HSI for the first time by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, based on the fact that 25.8% of our students identified as Hispanic in our Fall 2022 IPEDS data. We celebrate this growing cohort of students, and we commit to leveraging this distinction to support our student success, equity and inclusion goals.
The article states that a representative from the U.S. Department of Education confirmed that the college is eligible to apply for Title III and Title V grant programs as an HSI and based on our proportion of students with high financial need. While true of our Fall 2023 enrollment data, the 2024 application directs institutions to use 2021 data to assess eligibility. In Fall 2021, the college’s Hispanic enrollment was 24.4%, below the eligibility threshold. We did not deprioritize these opportunities, nor did we miss a deadline. The college is not yet eligible to apply for these grants, but we will be soon.
The Title III and Title V grants available to institutions designated as HSI are extremely competitive. Successful institutions engage robust grant-writing offices or hire external consultants to support their applications. Many institutions plan for multiple years before applying. To be successful, we must first invest in the internal support and programming that demonstrate our commitment to the success of our Hispanic student population.
To that end, the college is establishing an HSI Task Force in 2024 comprised of faculty, staff and students, charged with recommending systems, supports and activities to facilitate the achievement of our Hispanic student population. This group will help us build a foundation that allows us to build a case for additional financial support from the Department of Education and other entities. We hope to begin applying for grants once we are eligible, as soon as 2025.
I thank the Chronicle for highlighting this important opportunity. I am also thankful for this chance to celebrate our growing Hispanic student population as a vibrant and essential part of the Columbia College Chicago community.
Copy Edited By Vanessa Orozco
Nathan Bakkum is the senior associate provost and associate professor of Music at Columbia College Chicago.
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