the word "Avanza" is over the top of a blur duotone image of Yissel Martinez wearing UCD graduation cap and gown, and jumping in a vineyard

Avanza (HSI)

Avanza en UC Davis

Avanza is a UC Davis Hispanic Serving Institution Initiative celebrating our commitment to the Chicanx/Latinx community. Avanza, meaning “move forward,” honors the resilience, energy, and vision of our campus community. Introduced in the 2022-23 academic year, Avanza represents our foundational values of fostering inclusive pathways for diverse scholars, supports our more than 8,000 Chicanx/Latinx students and embodies a legacy of past activism while inspiring a future of progress. Read more about Avanza.

What is HSI?

A Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) is a federally-designated institution of higher learning that has a full-time equivalent enrollment of undergraduate of at least 25% Hispanic students. This designation enables institutions to apply for critical funding to support student success, innovation, and institutional transformation.

  • Read more on HSI criteria here.

In Fall 2024, UC Davis reached 25% Hispanic enrollment. We have been designated as an HSI by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). Due to a lag in data processing by IPEDS1, formal HSI designation from the Department of Education is anticipated by 2026.

UC Davis holds dual designations as an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) and as an Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), recognizing its commitment to serving diverse student populations. These statuses position UC Davis as a Minority-Serving Institution (MSI), enabling it to pursue a broader range of funding opportunities to strengthen academic programs, enhance student services, and support underrepresented groups. Together, these designations allow UC Davis to deepen its understanding of and support for Asian, Pacific Islander, and Latinx students, fostering a more inclusive campus community where the success of all students is interconnected.

Between 2011 and 2021, we have doubled the number of students who identify as Chicanx/Latinx marking a clear commitment by UC Davis to close the equity gaps in higher education and enabling all of our community members to thrive and reach their full potential. In 2021, Chancellor Gary S. May enrolled in Presidents for Latino Student Success, part of the national nonprofit organization Excelencia in Education and its Excelencia in Action Network. The work to reach HSI status represents a legacy of advances to achieve the longstanding vision of “servingness” to the Chicanx/Latinx community that extends beyond the aspirations of the federal designation.

What it means for UC Davis to be an Emerging HSI

A Campus Community of Belonging: What HSI means for everyone

Sharing and exchanging diverse backgrounds benefits the campus through diverse perspectives. Funding obtained as a result of achieving the HSI designation would be used for a variety of programs that benefit all students.
 

UC Davis is Uniquely Qualified to be a Leader in the Charge

As both a top tier research institution (“R1”) and a land grant university, you are affiliated with a university that puts quality and community at the progressive helm of positive change, regionally and globally.
 

Success for me is the success of my community. It’s not until my community overcomes oppression—that’s when I can say that I’m successful.
—UC Davis student

The HSI Movement at UC Davis

A History of Transformation: Pioneros

The foundational path was forged by what we call Pioneros. These individuals and groups laid the groundwork for the possibility to achieve HSI status, and many of their stories have been documented in their Testimonios.

Decorated graduation cap with a fist and the words "para mis padres que Negaron sin nada y me dieron todo. First Generation"

The Future: Rising Scholars

An asset-oriented view that overtly acknowledges the experiences, firsthand knowledge, talents and contributions of all students who bring a keen sensitivity and insight to issues of social justice, the challenges faced by the majority of people and who are motivated by a sense of interdependence. “Rising Scholars” is a framework defined by Byron P. White (in “Beyond a Deficit View”) that replaces the reliance by institutions of higher education on deficit labels—“low income,” “first generation,” “person of color”—deemed to be, first and foremost, indicators of potential failure. Acknowledging the gifts and talents Rising Scholars bring to a university creates the opportunity for them to be fully actualized.

Opportunities and Resources 

The Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU) National Internship Program 

HACU's National Internship Program provides opportunities for students to gain professional experience interning within a federal agency while getting paid. On October 4, 2023, HACU staff led a workshop about the program at UC Davis. View the recording of the presentation here. To learn more about the program and the application process, please visit the HACU website. Students from all majors and backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

2023 Department of Education Eligibility Letter for Title III and V.pdf
The HCC - UC Davis Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Community Council
  • Robert Aguallo '73, board of directors, Golden Pacific Bank
  • Neptaly "Taty" Aguilera '73, chair, UC Chicanx/Latinx Alumni Association; board of directors, UC Davis Cal Aggie Alumni Association
  • Caroline Cabias '72, trustee, UC Davis Foundation; past board member, UC Davis Cal Aggie Alumni Association, UC Davis; past co-chair of Chicanx/Latinx Alumni Association
  • Luis G. Carvajal-Carmona, associate vice chancellor, Academic Diversity, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI-OAD), UC Davis
  • Francisco Hernandez, Ph.D., chair, HSI Community Council
  • Sarah Martinez, education director, Yocha DeHe Wintun Nation
  • Gary S. May, chancellor, UC Davis
  • Lina Méndez, Ph.D. '10, director, Hispanic Serving Institution initiative, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI-HSI); board member, UC Davis Cal Aggie Alumni Association
  • José R. Michel, Ed.D. '86, retired higher education administrator; past board member, UC Davis Cal Aggie Alumni Association
  • Martin de Mucha Flores, associate dean of educational success, Berkeley City College
  • Pablo Reguerín, vice chancellor for Student Affairs, UC Davis
  • Cathy Rodriguez '99, president and CEO, Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  • Renetta Garrison Tull, vice chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, UC Davis
  • Roman Urbano '66, president, Yolo Interfaith Immigration Network
  • Mikael Villalobos, associate vice chancellor, Campus Community Relations, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI-OCCR),  UC Davis
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    IPEDS stands for the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, a system of surveys conducted by the U.S. Department of Education. IPEDS collects and analyzes data from colleges, universities, and technical and vocational institutions across the country, covering areas like enrollment, graduation rates, financial aid, and demographics. This data is crucial for institutions seeking official designations, like Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) status, as it provides the verified metrics used by the Department of Education to confirm eligibility.