Holding an ESL course at a local chicken-processing plant, diversity celebrations, connecting with student families and Spanish-speaking campus tour guides are just some of the ways universities in an area like Southwest Arkansas reach the local Hispanic population.
In Arkansas, where the Hispanic population is on the steady rise, it only makes sense for state institutions to court local residents. In a town such as De Queen, which is more than half Hispanic, this is particularly true given a conscious move by the local university branch’s administration.
Such trends are tracked by Dr. John Moder, senior vice president and chief operating officer at the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. He’s been struck by institutions that pay attention to this issue and raise the question, recognizing that the educational landscape is different than it was 20 years ago.
Moder has considered some of the best practices higher education institutions adopt to reach potential Hispanic students.
“One is to recognize that these students are more likely to be first-generation students, so their parents and families don’t have experience with higher education,” Moder said.
Recruiting the whole family, in a sense, will make a student more successful, he said. Hold events and receptions that not only include students, but also make the families feel welcomed. Also, bring high school and even middle school students to the actual campus. Make sure they start to feel welcomed there, and that families know their children will be accepted on campus.
“Students who are graduates of U.S. high schools are going to be comfortable with English. Their parents may or may not be,” Moder said.
