UTEP’s Excellence in Service to Hispanic Students Recognized with Seal of Excelencia Recertification
UTEP was one of the first institutions to be certified in 2019
EL PASO, Texas (Sept. 30, 2022) — In recognition of The University of Texas at El Paso’s excellence in service to Hispanic students, Excelencia in Education, a national organization that advances higher education for Hispanic students, recertified UTEP with its Seal of Excelencia in a ceremony attended by President Heather Wilson in Washington, D.C. today.
The Seal of Excelencia is a national designation that recognizes colleges and universities that demonstrate excellence and intentionality in serving Hispanic students. UTEP was one of the first institutions to be certified with the Seal in 2019 and is among the first to be recertified. Nine college and universities were recertified this year – all members of the inaugural cohort – including El Paso Community College – and six colleges and universities received the seal for the first time.
“UTEP is America’s leading Hispanic-serving university,” Wilson said. “We support Excelencia’s work to focus on best practices and results. The seal validates that UTEP is a role model for others.”
UTEP has the highest Hispanic student enrollment rate out of 146 universities in the nation that have the R1 designation given by the Carnegie Foundation to institutions with the highest levels of research activity. UTEP also has the highest percentage of Hispanic faculty members in that same group.
“Excelencia in Education created the Seal of Excelencia to differentiate institutions that became Hispanic-Serving Institutions because of demography and geography from those that are Hispanic-serving because of intentionality and impact,” said Deborah Santiago, co-founder and CEO of Excelencia. “The seal provides a road map for all institutions, led by data, practice and leadership, that does not end with the certification. It supports a path to intentionally making progress in serving Hispanic students.”
UTEP recently inaugurated the Diana Natalicio Institute for Hispanic Student Success to study the practices that are most impactful in empowering Hispanic students, develop leaders in Hispanic-serving institutions and shape higher education policy.
This year, UTEP also led the launch of the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities, which Wilson chairs. The 21 member universities are the only R1 institutions that the U.S. Department of Education has also recognized as Hispanic serving.
“The response to the Seal of Excelencia by colleges and universities is evidence of leadership within higher education and its capacity to meet this moment in our country,” said Sarita Brown, co-founder and president of Excelencia in Education. “Excelencia continues making common cause with leaders from all sectors who recognize that supporting the success of today’s Latino college students grows our country’s talent and ensures America’s bright future.”
About The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is America’s leading Hispanic-serving university. Located at the westernmost tip of Texas, where three states and two countries converge along the Rio Grande, 84% of our 24,000 students are Hispanic, and half are the first in their families to go to college. UTEP offers 170 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs at the only open-access, top-tier research university in America.
Last Updated on September 30, 2022 at 12:00 AM | Originally published September 30, 2022
By MC Staff UTEP Marketing and Communications
