MONMOUTH, Ore. – Western Oregon University will host the third annual Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Summit on April 26, 2024. This year’s summit will focus on what it means to truly serve students.

Following the previous two years, this summit will continue to invite state and national partners along with university and greater community members to share ideas and best-practices.

“I’m so excited to see Western host our third annual HSI Summit. Participation has grown every year, and that reflects the commitment leaders on campus, and throughout the state, in serving Latiné students,”  shared President Jesse Peters. “This is a time for us to bring collective voices to the table and have good conversations with our partners. Together we work better; in community we are stronger.”

Western is an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution. A goal of hosting these summits is to bring together the campus, the community, and both regional and national partners to discuss what it means to become an HSI and why it is so critically important to the success of students and the greater community.

Dominique Vargas, Western’s executive director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, is leading the summit planning team. “I’ve been working at Western for almost two years, and it is clear that we are committed to growth and development for our students and as a university. We are working to become a serving institution, and our best and strongest path toward servingness is to engage our entire community.” 

This year’s summit will feature two keynote presenters, Patrick L Valdez, Ph. D., and Marissa Vasquez, Ph. D. Valdez will focus on the history, policy, and current context of Hispanic Serving Institutions, while Vasquez will discuss operationalizing servingness. There will also be a student panel, an afternoon of concurrent sessions, and networking time for attendees. Registration is open to everyone through April 12, 2024.

Register for the HSI Summit

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About Western Oregon University

Western Oregon University, established in Monmouth in 1856, proudly stands as Oregon’s oldest public university. Hosting around 4,000 students, Western embodies a mid-sized, NCAA Division II institution, with approximately 80% of its students hailing from within the state. Notably, its diverse student body comprises individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, veterans, and non-traditional learners. Western stands as the preferred campus in Oregon for those pursuing an enriching education within a nurturing, student-focused environment, characterized by faculty-led instruction.  Together we succeed.