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El Sol Latino December 2022

3 Hubert Benítez, DDS, PhD, President of AIC on Diversity and Inclusion by MANUEL FRAU RAMOS

Hubert Benítez, DDS, PhD, was officially sworn in as the 20th President of American International College (AIC) in a stirring investiture ceremony on October 20, 2022. The native of Colombia delivered parts of his acceptance address in both English and Spanish. The ceremony was held at the Esther B. Griswold Theatre in the Karen Sprague Cultural Arts Center six months after Dr. Benítez took office as President on April 11, 2022. With the appointment of Dr. Bénitez as the new President, he becomes the first ever Latino president of AIC since its foundation in 1885.

Hubert Benítez, DDS, PhD Dr. Benítez also becomes the second Latinx to occupy the position of President of one of the higher education institutions in Western Massachusetts. Dr. Ramón Torrecilha, born in Brazil of a Puerto Rican father and a Brazilian mother, was appointed President of Westfield State University (WSU) in December 2015 and retired in August 2020. He was the first Latino to head WSU since it was founded in 1830 and the first Latinx president of a higher education institution, public or private, in the region. Benítez received his first doctoral degree in Dentistry from the Pontifical Xavierian University (in Spanish Pontificia Universidad Javeriana). This is one of the oldest and prestigious universities in Colombia, and is a recognized research-intensive institution of higher education in Latin America. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Connecticut Health Sciences Center focused on education and research, and later earned a PhD in higher education administration from Saint Louis University, College of Education and Public Service. He is a graduate of the Institute for Educational Management (IEM) at Harvard University Graduate School of Education, and also completed the Executive Leadership Program at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business. In addition to his years as a clinician, Benítez has worked for two decades in higher education, as an academic, administrator, and faculty member. Among others, he was Acting Chief Inclusion Officer at Rockhurst University, and President and CEO of Saint Luke’s College of Health Sciences in Kansas City for almost five years. During his tenure, the college saw an increase in its population while meeting the needs of a new and diverse demographic of student. El Sol Latino met with Dr. Benítez on November 22 in his office at AIC for a bilingual (English/Spanish) conversation about his new tenure. When asked about what prompted him to apply for the job at AIC he said that he wanted to find an institution that was focused on access, opportunity, diversity, and on creating structures where everybody at AIC would feel that this is their home. He shared with us that he feels a great responsibility to help the community and those who view education as a way of achieving prosperity. “Siento una gran responsabilidad y un gran honor de llegar a una comunidad donde la mayoría son hispanos.” American International College was recently recognized as a top performer for social mobility by the 2022-23 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings. AIC’s ranking tied for number sixtynine, placing the College second in Massachusetts in the report’s National College category, behind only the University of Massachusetts Boston. While the College continues to makes strides in social mobility, Dr. Benítez is well aware that the retention and graduation rates of minority students at AIC are below target rates. He explained that the College has already taken steps to address this issue by creating a 5-year strategic plan that speaks to AIC’s commitment to graduation and retention. The plan will help the institution reach its goal of having approximately 73 percent of retention for all students at the end of the next 5 years. AIC Reimagined—the College’s 2022-2027 Strategic Plan calls for revitalization and setting a course for the future of the College and its mission. This roadmap document for the College includes six fundamental pillars: • Revitalize: Academics – Enhancing and expanding the breadth and depth of the academic portfolio • Empower: Student Life, Engagement, and Support – Creating robust student experiences and strong support systems that empower learners to achieve their goals. • Flourish: Fiscal Growth – Ensuring AIC’s long-term fiscal sustainability. • Engage: Internal and External Community Engagement and

Development - Developing, growing, and sustaining mutually beneficial relationships with College stakeholders to enhance AIC. • Belong: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging – Creating a transformational community that embraces diversity and fosters a sense of belonging. • Champion: Athletics - Creating an environment that promotes academic success, development, and competitive excellence that inspires pride in the College. continued on page 5