Facilitating College Success among Emerging Hispanic Serving Institutions: Multiple Perspectives Yield Commonly Shared Diversity Goals

Although colleges must have a full-time Latino student enrollment of at least 25 percent to federally qualify as a Hispanic Serving Institution, colleges with a Latino student enrollment of 15-24 percent are commonly referred to as "Emerging Hispanic Serving Institutions." As more community colleges approach such Latino student enrollment percentages, the changing demographic presents opportunities and challenges relative to diversity. It is important to equip community college administrators, all of whom are public administrators, to effectively manage their changing institutions and promote student success. Utilizing a qualitative approach, this article analyzes multiple perspectives on factors related to Latino student success. The central findings of this article suggest that, while multiple perspectives exist, there are common areas of consensus relative to promoting cultural competency and fostering Latino student success. First, many Latino students arrive to campus with limited college knowledge. Administrators and faculty can make important progress in increasing college knowledge through specific formal and informal means. Second, administrators, faculty, and students, identified the need to hire more Latino faculty, increase bilingual staff, and provide cultural competency training for all faculty. Third, engaging Latino families and the broader Latino community is critical in promoting Latino student success. Community colleges need to reach out to Latino students' families directly and include a family-based perspective in their recruitment and retention efforts. This article provides guidance for public administrators in community colleges as they align their educational systems to better meet the needs of Latino students.