Postsecondary education: Designation of California Hispanic-Serving Institutions

The designation recognizes qualifying public and independent campuses and requires measurable plans to improve Latino students’ retention, completion, graduation, and equity outcomes. It operates only if the Legislature provides funding.

What the law does ​

• Creates the Designation of California Hispanic-Serving Institutions for qualifying University of California, California State University, California Community Colleges, and independent campuses.
• Establishes an eight-member governing board to approve or deny designations by a two-thirds vote.
• Makes the Office of the Chancellor of the California State University the neutral administrator that sets application procedures, accepts and presents applications, notifies applicants, and provides designation insignia.
• Requires initial applicants to commit to Latino student success and submit five-year academic and equity goals, a strategic plan, campus-support information, and student-outcome data.
• Requires renewal applicants to show progress on prior goals and plans, submit updated five-year goals and strategies, and provide additional outcome data.
• Makes initial and renewal designations valid for five years, with applications posted on the applying campus’s website.
• Subjects the governing board to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act.

Who it affects ​

• University of California, California State University, California Community Colleges, and eligible independent college and university campuses seeking the designation.
• Latino students enrolled in or considering degree and certificate programs.
• Campus faculty and staff involved in student support, professional development, curriculum, research, and data analysis.

Context ​

The program becomes operative only after the Legislature appropriates money for it.