A year in review: Serving the university’s Hispanic student population

students at chicano latino commencement

As this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month comes to an end, we take a look back at programming on campus over the past year that aimed to serve, support and celebrate our Hispanic students.

Our students

In the 2023-24 academic year, Hispanic students made up 58.5% of the student population. This increased to over 60% of the student population in Fall 2024.

Of the 21,450 first-generation students enrolled at Fresno State in Fall 2024, 13,295 (68%) identified as Hispanic. This group of first-generation Hispanic students makes up over 54% of the university’s student body.

Outreach efforts

Fresno State’s Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management hosts a variety of programs for K-12 students, a majority of which are Hispanic/Latino in the Central Valley. These programs aim to help students visualize themselves in a higher education setting and create pathways to college.

Some notable programs include:

  • Bulldog Bound: a new guaranteed admissions program.
  • Upward Bound: serving low-income and first-generation college bound high school students.
  • Chicanx Youth Conference: an annual conference for students in grades 6-12. Most recently, the conference brought in Dr. Yammilette Rodriguez, a member of the CSU Board of Trustees and senior director of the Central Valley’s Youth Leadership Institute, as a keynote speaker.
  • Feria de Educación: an annual event to empower Spanish-speaking families and connect them with higher education resources. Feria recently hosted over 5,000 students and families on campus.

On-campus resources and representation

Hispanic students can find year-round support from specialized programs, including those for undocumented/DREAMer students and students from farmworker families.

If students are first-generation college students, they may also find support resources from the Educational Opportunity Program and Alpha Alpha Alpha, an honors society that offers mentorship and leadership opportunities.

@drsaulsalinas

#raza #latinos #mexicantiktok #mexicanamerican #mexicanamerican #fresnostate @Fresno State Bulldogs

♬ original sound – Dr. Saul Salinas

Students may seek other means of guidance and mentorship from university staff and faculty who are largely Fresno State alumni. 25% of all university employees identify as Hispanic.

The university also offers annual events and ceremonies to celebrate Hispanic culture and history, including a Cesar Chavez Commemoration that is open to all of campus and builds bridges with the wider-community and a Chicano/Latino Commencement ceremony each year.

Over 1,000 graduates participated in the 2024 Chicano/Latino Commencement ceremony. The ceremony went viral on TikTok, gathering millions of views, as graduates and administrators danced while accompanied by the US Marine Band.

National recognitions

In the 2023-24 academic year, Fresno State maintained it status as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), far surpassing the criteria requiring that an institution have at least 25% of its full-time undergraduate students be Hispanic.

In Fall 2023, the university was designated as a Fulbright HSI Leader by the US Department of State along with 45 other colleges and universities.

The university was also re-certified with the Seal of Excelencia, for its commitment to intentionally serve Latino students.

New partnerships

Fresno State recently partnered with the México Consulado en Fresno and Diplomacia Cultural de México to bring the “Wings of the City” statue exhibit to campus. “Wings of the City” is a touring exhibit by world-renowned Mexican artist Jorge Marín. The exhibit will be on display in the Maple Mall through August 2025.

“The fact that California State University, Fresno, is exhibiting for the first time an exhibition by a Mexican sculptor and that, in addition, it chooses to place the pieces in an iconic place on campus, shows that the university understands and recognizes that the Mexican and Latino community constitute a significant part of the region’s culture,” Marín said. “It is my hope that students of all disciplines find in my work an open window towards self-knowledge and universal artistic culture, generating knowledge and ways to promote diversity.”

The university is also taking intentional steps to further ensure the success of its Hispanic students, with Dr. Kent Willis, vice president of student affairs and enrollment management, joining the advisory council for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF).

HSF is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering students and parents with the knowledge and resources to successfully complete a higher education, while providing support services and scholarships to exceptional students, scholars and alumni. HSF has awarded over $730 million in scholarships since its 1975 inception.

“I strongly encourage our students to tap into the incredible resources and support offered by HSF,” Willis said. “By partnering with HSF, we’re bolstering the tireless efforts of Fresno State’s student affairs professionals to cultivate our students’ potential and set them on a trajectory for success.”

by MARISA MATA

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Do you have news you would like to share with the community? Let us know! Contact our Communications Coordinator Marisa Mata at 559.278.6560 or marisamata@csufresno.edu to get started!

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