About HSI-NOW
The Hispanic-Serving Institution Network of Wisconsin (HSI-NOW) is a coalition of leaders from colleges and universities across the state. Our mission is to collectively develop the ideal conditions to serve, educate and advance Hispanic/Latino* students to create equitable opportunities in higher education.
Our vision is to become Wisconsin’s leading network for the advancement of Hispanics/Latinos in higher education.
HSIs represent 17% of all higher education institutions, yet serve 67% of all Hispanic students
Source: Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
HSI-NOW
History
As representatives from institutions of higher education, we are profoundly aware of the racial and ethnic disparities that exist in our region and we feel a deep responsibility to help bridge the educational opportunity gap in our community. The HSI model is one pathway that many of our institutions have recently decided to pursue in order to recruit and support an increasing number of underrepresented students.
Starting as an informal network of like-minded colleagues from various campuses in Milwaukee, we turned to each other for advice and support. As our network grew, we made a commitment to collaborate, rather than compete, to work toward the collective uplift of our community. Thus, in February of 2019, the HSI Network of Wisconsin was born with representatives from six institutions of higher education: Alverno College (Wisconsin’s first HSI), Marquette University, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Mount Mary University (Wisconsin’s second HSI), UW-Milwaukee, and UW-Parkside. We have since grown to include Carroll University, Gateway Technical College, UW-Stout, UW-Whitewater and Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. We continue to welcome new members to the network.
Through this coalition, we are walking a common pathway, sharing our experiences, struggles, and successes, learning innovative practices from each other, and collaborating on community engaged events that foster dialogue around how to promote greater equity on our campuses. Although many of our institutions have not yet achieved the federal designation of “HSI”, we aspire to embody the “serving” ethos of HSIs, supporting not only our Latinx students, but all of our underrepresented students. Through our work, we seek to put Milwaukee and Wisconsin on the proverbial map for underrepresented students as a region that supports the educational aspirations of our community.