Report cites UIC among HSIs for post-degree support

The University of Illinois Chicago is one of seven institutions nationwide highlighted in a new Excelencia in Education report examining how Hispanic-Serving Institutions serve Latino graduates beyond college completion.

The research brief, “Beyond Completion: Post-completion Efforts at Hispanic-Serving Institutions,” cites UIC and other institutions for “progressing beyond completion to meet the needs of the nation’s economy by developing strategies and practices that more intentionally serve Latino degree completers.”

According to Excelencia in Education, an organization focused on Latino student success in higher education, the three strengths that demonstrate the cohort’s efforts to advance post-completion success among Latino degree completers are: 

• Offering culturally relevant institutional practices accelerating Latino post-completion success.
• Providing custom measures and metrics to track post-completion success outcomes.
• Demonstrating progress in closing the equity gaps of post-completion success outcomes for Latino completers.

“A quality education is part of a student’s journey to a job and career. The seven institutions we worked with for this brief accepted the challenge to examine their data, practices and leadership efforts to define the institutional role post-completion. They are committed to being intentional in their post-completion role to support Latino and other post-traditional students,” said Deborah Santiago, co-founder and CEO of Excelencia in Education.

For its analysis of post-completion success efforts, Excelencia in Education collaborated with UIC along with Austin Community College, California State University-Fullerton, Long Beach City College, Texas State University, University of Arizona and Wilbur Wright College.