A southwest Arkansas community college has earned the U.S. designation of being a "Hispanic-serving institution," becoming what officials say is the first school in the state with such a title. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that the U.S. Department of Education recently awarded the designation to Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A southwest Arkansas community college has earned the U.S. designation of being a "Hispanic-serving institution," becoming what officials say is the first school in the state with such a title.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that the U.S. Department of Education recently awarded the designation to Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas. The new title means at least a quarter of the institution's students are Hispanic.
The college set out in 2011 to increase its Hispanic enrollment to better represent the De Queen community. School officials say they've been hiring staff who represent the community, as well as hosting informational sessions in English and in Spanish.
State data from fall 2017 show no other college or university in Arkansas has even 20 percent of its total student population identifying as Hispanic.
___
Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, http://www.arkansasonline.com
Photo Courtesy of Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas’ Facebook Page
Hispanic Outlook is an education magazine in the US available both in print and digital form. Visit https://www.hispanicoutlook.com/education-magazine for information about our latest issue.
Renew your subscription to Hispanic Outlook here
