Our Approach
What We Do
Excelencia in Education is a trusted source of information on contemporary issues in higher education and a national leader catalyzing colleges and universities to become more student-centered in their strategies and practices. We focus on four key elements of transforming higher education to produce measurable outcomes for our students, institutions, and the nation’s workforce:
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Leadership: Excelencia leads a national network of higher education leaders, practitioners, and supporters committed to ensuring students earn a quality education. Over 141 institutions affiliated with Excelencia in Action (E-Action) disproportionately enroll and graduate Latino, and all, students, growing talent for our workforce. Among them, 45 have earned the Seal of Excelencia for demonstrating continuous improvement in student outcomes.
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Data: Excelencia establishes a foundation of knowledge on issues influencing student success to catalyze institutions, advance effective policies, and compel action. This includes annual analysis of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and seminal research on college affordability and workforce pathways.
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Practice: Excelencia identifies and promotes evidence-based programs at the forefront of improving higher educational achievement. Premier in this work is Examples of Excelencia, the only national effort to recognize programs with evidence of effectiveness in increasing Latino, and all, students’ success. Our community of practice grows what works to facilitate access to excellence in higher education.
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Capacity Building: Excelencia partners with institutions to strengthen and reinforce their capacity to more intentionally serve Latino students, leading to excellence for all students. Our capacity building programming meets institutions where they are in their transformation and helps them communicate impact and position themselves for funding opportunities.
How We Do It
Accelerating Latino student success is Excelencia’s mission, and confianza is how we do it.
Excelencia was born from our commitment to change the narrative about Latino college students from a focus on deficit-oriented diagnoses and intractable achievement gaps to a focus on asset-based opportunities to accelerate Latino student success.
We believe that what describes us does not divide us — unless we let it happen. We frame serving Latinos as an opportunity — not to exclude others, but to transform institutions in a way that can benefit all.
Confianza embodies elements of trust, responsibility, and mutual respect. Through an ongoing process of communication, collaboration, and innovation, we act as a trusted partner, facilitator, and guide for colleges and universities considering how they strengthen their efforts to more intentionally SERVE Latino students.
Our Tactical Plan for Latino Student Success
Latinos represent one of the fastest growing populations nationally and within higher education. Excelencia has developed a tactical plan to intentionally serve Latino, and all, students with the understanding that doing so ultimately serves our country:
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Design a national acceleration plan for Latino students in higher education
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Advocate publicly societal benefits for raising Latinos’ degree completion [Policy Agenda]
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Track degree completion goals and measures of progress [Latino College Completion: U.S.]
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Replicate and expand institutional practices that are working for Latino students [Examples of Excelencia]
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Build a community of common cause [Excelencia in Action network]
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Align and deliver educational support efforts to institutions [Technical Assistance Institutes]
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Increase support and accountability for institutions intentionally serving Latino students [Seal of Excelencia]
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Evolve efforts to support institutional transformation as a trusted intermediary
