HSI Frequently Asked Questions

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Information About the Hispanic Community

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“Roadmap to Servingness”

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The concept of “servingness” is connected to SSU’s commitment to serve the needs of students, particularly those from historically underserved or underrepresented populations. “Servingness” means a campus is not only interested in enrolling students, but also wants students to thrive, and are intentional about offering resources that will help students succeed.

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What Does “Servingness” Mean?

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Freque ntly s n o i t s e u Q Asked

• The Hispanic or Latinx community is a growing population in Massachusetts and colleges.

The Hispanic population is the fastest growing segment of the K-12 population, higher education, and the workforce. It is important that Hispanic or Latinx students access higher education as this will benefit them, their families, and communities, as well as our larger society.

• It is important to note that the Hispanic or Latinx community is truly diverse in terms of language, socioeconomic status, immigration or citizen status, cultural traditions, etc.

• By focusing on the needs and experiences of Hispanic students, other students who have shared experiences will benefit as well (such as marginalization, multilingual background, collectivistic culture, etc.).

Salem State University is Proud to be an Emerging

Hispanic and Minority Serving Institution salemstate.edu/HSI

HSI@salemstate.edu

What is MSI? Minority Serving Institution (MSI) is a college or university that enrolls a diverse student population and meets criteria established by the federal government. There are seven types of MSI’s based on the student population, and Hispanic Serving Institutions is one of the MSI designations. MSIs are critical in providing access and opportunities for traditionally underrepresented and low-income students.

What Does it Mean for Salem State to Become an HSI-MSI? • Becoming an HSI reflects the diversity of the student body and all of the cultural assets our students bring to campus. As of the 2024 academic year, more than 40% of SSU’s students identify as students of color, and over 24% identity as Hispanic or Latinx.

• Becoming an HSI/MSI offers an opportunity to renew and deepen SSU’s commitment to serving all students by examining how to best serve Hispanic or Latinx students and extending that to all students.

• SSU will be eligible to apply for federal grants and other funding opportunities reserved for HSIs and MSIs. Additional funding would allow SSU to invest in and expand high impact practices to help students succeed in college and thrive after graduation.

How do all Students Benefit?

What is an HSI? Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) is a designation from the U.S. Department of Education for colleges and universities whose undergraduate population is at least 25% Hispanic. This enrollment percentage is calculated based on the number of Hispanic students enrolled in credit-bearing undergraduate courses on a full-time basis.

• Becoming an HSI will increase funding opportunities, allowing the university to enhance support services, scholarships, and educational programs. SSU will remove barriers and increase access to high impact practices and resources that will benefit all students.

• SSU’s diverse student population helps prepare all students to become more culturally aware and to develop the intercultural competencies that are needed in all fields of study and sectors of the workforce, which is critical to meet SSU’s mission of preparing all students to contribute to a global society as ethical and engaged community members.

Why Now? • The demographics of Massachusetts are changing and the Hispanic or Latinx population is growing, especially in our school districts.

• SSU’s undergraduate population is already over 24% Hispanic • SSU can be leaders as the first public 4-year HSI/MSI in Massachusetts.

When Will SSU Become an MSI/HSI Institution?

• SSU anticipates the enrollment of Latinx or Hispanic students will rise above 25% during the 2025 academic year. The application to become an HSI/MSI will begin spring semester 2025, based on enrollments in the fall.

• SSU has prepared to become an HSI. A campus working group, under the leadership of Inclusive Excellence, has created the “SSU Roadmap to Servingness” that is integrated into SSU’s strategic plan. The Roadmap outlines the short- and long-term goals the campus wants to achieve to better serve our diverse student population.