Focused on advancing equity for Latinx students as well the future of Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) post-COVID-19, more than 1,000 higher education and organizational leaders virtually convened last week as part of Excelencia in Education’s Accelerating Latino Student Success (ALASS) Institute.
“Even if we are connecting in this kind of format, the cause remains the same,” said Sarita E. Brown, co-founder and president of Excelencia. “In putting this agenda together, we have looked at the issues of today and we looked at what it is that Excelencia is well prepared to present and engage in.”
During the “Institutional Leadership Advancing Equity with a Latino Lens in a Time of Uncertainty” session, postsecondary presidents discussed ways to address students’ needs during a time of transition caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
At Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), for example, parking lots were turned into Wi-Fi hotspots for students to complete their assignments. Food left on campus was donated to local food banks and students were directed to them. Additionally, NOVA hired bilingual student support specialists to assist students.
“It really was shifting this whole ship and understanding that our job, no matter how stressful it might be, is serving our students,” said Dr. Anne M. Kress, president of NOVA. “And our students look to us as a beacon of hope and consistency at a time of great uncertainty and fearfulness in their lives.”
The presidents also discussed the idea that higher education would not go back to “normal.” Amid the changes, NOVA created new ways to communicate with students, faculty, staff and colleagues.
To be a leader during this time, one must portray empathy or a willingness to move toward that direction said Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz, president of University of California Merced, adding that leaders must be flexible, patient and responsive.
