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Living the Mission

Cal State Fullerton Serves Latino Students as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. But What Does That Mean?

story by Mimi Ko Cruz

Henry Mendoza’s parents couldn’t understand why he wanted to go to college when he could be working, earning money for his family.

“We were very poor,” Mendoza said. “It was a struggle, but I made it and I owe everything to Cal State Fullerton.”

Through scholarships and grants, Mendoza completed his bachelor’s degree in business administration-accounting in 1981 and today is the managing partner of Mendoza Berger & Company, an Irvine-based public accounting firm that has clients throughout the United States and in Singapore, Egypt, Africa, Mexico, Canada and Australia. He also is chairman of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce.

“Not going to college is not an option for my children,” Mendoza said, adding that he often tells his 8-year-old daughter Sofia and 5-year-old daughter Isabella about the opportunities a college career can afford them. “A college education can never hurt you. It’s what made me successful and it gives you a chance to achieve the American dream.”
Stories like Mendoza’s are what Cal State Fullerton aims for as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).

“As an HSI, we serve all students and are accessible to all students,” said Donald S. Castro, special assistant to CSUF President Milton A. Gordon. “That is the campus mission.”

Cal State Fullerton was named an HSI in 2004. The designation is given by the U.S. Department of Education to nonprofit institutions with at least a 25 percent Latino student population, and half of those students must be at or below the poverty level. Because it is an HSI, the university is eligible to apply for federal Title V Program grants.

In 2005, Cal State Fullerton was awarded a $2.3 million Title V grant by the U.S. Department of Education to augment programs for Latino students.
The grant is being received in five annual installments. The first, for $433,910, was received last year.

Though the funds are earmarked for enhancing programs for Latinos, who make up 26 percent of the student population, all CSUF pupils will benefit regardless of their ethnicity, Castro said.

As part of the Title V grant, a survey conducted by the Social Science Research Center was completed. The survey polled parents or guardians from 502 randomly selected Latino households to reveal their expectations of Cal State Fullerton. It found, that although Latino parents have high educational aspirations for their children, few understand the means required to achieve that end. Castro now is working on a plan to address the issues raised in the survey.

Meanwhile, Castro is overseeing a related project involving the Fullerton Collaborative, a coalition of partners — Cal State Fullerton, Fullerton College, the city of Fullerton, Fullerton School District, St. Jude Medical Center and Valencia Task Force. The project, funded through a $599,525 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant includes the expansion of a community center and the ability to offer free services such as civics classes, English lessons and medical care in a low-income area of central Fullerton.

The project fits in well with CSUF’s mission, Castro said. Such efforts could help combat the high school dropout rate among Latinos, he said.

A 28-year study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education found high school dropout rates are higher for Latinos than other groups. From 1972 to 1999, the dropout rate of white and black students nationwide declined nearly 40 percent, while increasing nearly 40 percent for Latinos. Over the 28-year period, about three of every 10 Latinos were lacking high school diplomas. The report noted: “Regardless of the reasons for the large proportion of Hispanic young adults without a high school credential, the impact is the same… These young adults probably do not have the basic level of education thought to be essential in today’s economy.”

“The high school drop-out rate of Latinos is too high,” said Silas H. Abrego, associate vice president for Student Affairs. “That’s why it’s so important to do something to ensure that they have the tools such as college preparation classes, tutoring and information to succeed in order to become eligible for college. The Latino community represents a segment of the population that is untapped as far as the resources that it can provide the state of California. The contributions Latinos can make are not only economic but, through civic involvement, valuable on the social level as well.”

Abrego’s claim can be backed up by a 2005 study conducted by UC Berkeley researchers that found that for every dollar spent increasing the number of students attending college and completing degrees, the state gets $3 on that investment.

In 2000, Caucasians made up 47 percent of the population in the state, while Latinos made up 32 percent. The study projects that California’s population will grow to 43 million, more than half Latinos, by 2020. Because of the changing demographics, the UC Berkeley researchers concluded that it is imperative to find ways to enhance higher education outcomes for its biggest and fastest-growing ethnic group.

The Berkeley study, coupled with U.S. Department of Education statistics showing the high Latino high school dropout rate, make urgent the need for such efforts, Abrego said.
Cal State Fullerton began addressing the need in the 1980s. Abrego said CSUF has formed partnerships with other Orange County colleges and universities, high school and elementary school districts, nonprofit agencies, community groups and businesses in an effort to promote and enhance programs that help minorities and low-income students succeed.

Some of the programs offered include the ENLACE Mentor Project, which helps Santa Ana high school students become familiar with the campus; Guardian Scholars, which financially supports students exiting the foster care system; and Kids to College, an early outreach program that creates awareness about higher education to sixth-graders.

Another example is the Milestones Along the Path program that was created through collaboration between CSUF, Santa Ana College and Fullerton College. As part of the program, Latino students at Fullerton and Santa Ana colleges who are preparing to transfer to Cal State Fullerton and become teachers are supported with mentoring, counseling, test preparation and other services.

“Our students are 51 percent Hispanic and most of them are struggling financially,” said Steven Bautista, a Santa Ana College counselor and coordinator of the Center for Teacher Education. “We make them aware of all the financial aid options they have and encourage them to apply to Cal State Fullerton, where diversity is welcomed.”
Bautista, a Filipino American who received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from CSUF, said his own university experience was positive and that the partnership with Cal State Fullerton “is not about creating a separate lane for minority students. It’s about creating a culture that is supportive of first-generation, low-income students who want access to higher education. And Cal State Fullerton is doing its job in creating that culture.”

In that vein, CSUF’s Office of Public Affairs and Government Relations is creating a campaign to increase awareness of the university’s HSI designation and its commitment to serving the Latino community.

“In California, fewer than one-third of Latinos go to college,” said Frances Teves, director of state relations and advocacy. “Because the Latino population is the fastest-growing in the state, this will undoubtedly impact the California workforce and economy. That’s why it’s important for us to serve this underrepresented Latino community.”

By doing so, everyone benefits, said Alexandro Gradilla, assistant professor of Chicana and Chicano studies.

“We really have to look long-term,” he said.

“We need professionals of all backgrounds because they are needed at all levels of society.”