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Announcing the Task Force on Becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution (BeHSI)

March 14, 2024

Dear LMU Community,

For several years, LMU has publicly acknowledged its goal of becoming a federally recognized Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). The pursuit of HSI status is deeply aligned with LMU's mission and compels the university to challenge societal structures that perpetuate inequality and strive for a world that is more just and equitable. Becoming an HSI is a concrete expression of LMU's commitment to these values, demonstrating a proactive approach to breaking down barriers to higher education for Hispanic students and creating a learning environment where every student can thrive.

We are incredibly close to achieving our goal, and thanks to the counsel of members of LFA and LSA, we are taking the next step by forming a Task Force on Becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution (BeHSI). BeHSI will help the university to strategically prepare for HSI status by recommending approaches that reflect the histories, challenges, and contributions of Latina/o/x, Indigenous/Hispanic communities, provide support services that address the unique needs of Latina/o/x, Indigenous/Hispanic students and their families, and leverage our location in Los Angeles, with its rich Latina/o/x, Indigenous/Hispanic heritage and vibrant cultural life. By actively preparing for this designation, LMU will improve its ability to help our communities succeed.

The LMU Task Force on Becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution will commence its work in late March 2024, meeting bi-weekly throughout the spring semester and concluding in fall 2024. The task force may require additional subgroup meetings to explore the multiple dimensions of servingness as they apply to our institutional culture and behaviors to create structures for serving our Latina/o/x, Indigenous communities (Garcia, 2019).

BeHSI will submit a report with recommendations to me at the end of the fall 2024 semester. The group’s charge includes:

  • Becoming familiar with principles, practices, and policies that will enhance our servingness of the Latina/o/x, Indigenous student, staff, and faculty community at LMU; 
  • Contributing to the creation and promotion of institutional development efforts that will be central to the transformation of LMU into an HSI;
  • Providing feedback on project and communication plans, as well as draft documents;
  • Serving on theme-specific subcommittee(s) related to one’s expertise and/or area of interest;
  • Engaging broad campus and college/school participation in the HSI transformation process.

I am pleased to announce the membership of the BeHSI Task Force below, co-chaired by Kat Weaver, vice provost for Research, Professional Development, and Online Learning, and Sergio Fernando Juárez, assistant professor of communication studies. The work of this task force will have a lasting impact on our campus community for decades to come, and I am grateful for their willingness to participate in this vital next step for our institution.

Sincerely,

Thomas Poon, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President and Provost
Professor of Chemistry

LMU Hispanic Serving Institution Task Force Membership

  • Sergio Fernando Juárez, Committee Co-Chair, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies
  • Kat Weaver, Committee Co-Chair, Vice Provost for Research, Professional Development, and Online Learning
  • José I. Badenes, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education
  • Juan Ballesteros, Computer Science Major (Undergraduate Student)
  • María Barragán, Director of Undocumented Student Support Services
  • Ernie Bustamante, Assistant Professor of Screenwriting
  • Christine Chavez, Assistant Vice Provost for Institutional Research and Decision Support
  • Emelyn A. dela Peña, Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Dolores Delgado Bernal, Professor of Educational Leadership and Administration
  • Roberta Espinoza, Vice Provost for Global-Local Affairs
  • Carolina Leon, Pastoral Theology Program (Graduate Student)
  • Patricia Martínez, Professor of Management and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in College of Business Administration
  • Alexia Pineda Soto, Associate Director for First-Gen Initiatives
  • Claudio Rodriguez, Director of Chicano-x Latino-x Student Services
  • Eliza Rodriguez, Professor of Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts
  • John T. Sebastian, Vice President of Mission and Ministry
  • Heather Tarleton, Professor of Health and Human Sciences and Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professional Development
  • Maria Christina Vasquez, Assistant Professor of Biology
  • Isabel Villalobos-Galeana, Assistant Director of Community Development
  • Maureen P. Weatherall, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management
  • Elizabeth Wimberly-Young, Director of McNair Scholars Program and Student Research