Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI)

The award of the recent Title V Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) grant presents a singular opportunity for Angelo State University. The receipt of over $629,000 in each of five years (over $3 million in total) provides the university with financial resources to achieve the goals of the grant, which are a “significant increase in retention and graduation” of our undergraduate student population. The grant states this goal will be achieved by “improving the academic and academic support structure at ASU.” Direct beneficiaries of this goal are “undergraduate  students at the institution, especially those of Hispanic descent.”

My review of the award narrative indicates three critical imperatives:

1. To tie the grant goals directly to our institutional strategic plan for retention
2. To create an integrated university enrollment management architecture
3. To migrate permanent financial support for these goals from the grant to the institution

The grant narrative details the current institutional challenges to be remedied:

• Extensive developmental education needs in English and mathematics
• Fragmented tutoring and learning support
• Inadequate student engagement
• Advising weaknesses
• Insufficient support for faculty/staff training in diversity issues
• Minimal outreach to area high schools and communities

These are a series of organizing committees identified by the grant to include:

• Project Steering Committee
• HSI Leadership Advisory Board
• Multiple sub-groups organized around specific tasks such as the English Administrative Team and the group for summer bridge activities

The most decisive factor to achieve the requisite increase in retention and graduation rates is clearly stated: “critical to effective management of this important project is the direct involvement of the President’s Cabinet.”

This memo will serve as notice that I will form and chair the President’s Cabinet strategic oversight group to ensure that the critical institutional imperatives identified above are achieved through the organizational structures detailed in the award. The members of this group will be the four Vice Presidents and the Title V Project Director, Mr. Joe Munoz. We will meet  regularly to integrate the separate actions detailed in the award into an institutional whole.

But, before the strategic oversight group can meet we must: 1) identify what personnel and resources currently exist or we are planning to add to address the institutional challenges noted above; and 2) determine what personnel and resources are identified by the grant for similar purposes. This review is needed to ensure that we are not duplicating positions nor are we omitting areas which must be incorporated into this project. As an example, other university initiatives, such as the Center for Academic Excellence, are also being revised in ways they will impact the objectives of the Title V grant. This review is also essential since we may be facing legislature-directed budget cuts that will require us to review carefully long-term personnel commitments against institutional strategic plans. We must also keep in mind the mandate of the Higher Education Cost Efficiencies committee created by Governor Perry on Sept. 9, 2009. On Nov. 1, 2010, its final report was issued with specific guidance to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on implementing cost efficiencies in our public institutions. Administrative efficiencies in providing services to student were among the several recommendations detailed by the report.

As we did when we merged into the Texas Tech University System, an implementation team will be created to review these institutional issues and provide an initial recommendation to the strategic oversight group. After that report is reviewed, we will begin to initiate the various aspects of the grant, including personnel hires, in an integrated fashion. Because so many of these topics involve recruitment, retention, support activities and personnel for the entire institution through the new division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, I’ve asked Vice President Valerio to chair the implementation team. He will work with each member of the strategic oversight group to identify members from each division/program for the implementation team and to insure that the focus on the two primary populations – undergraduates at the institution, especially those of Hispanic descent – is purposefully maintained. My direction to Dr. Valerio is to have the work of the committee ready for review  by the strategic oversight group no later than Dec. 15, 2010.

Again, thank you for your support of this exciting new initiative for ASU.

Joseph C. Rallo
President