The Origin Story of HSIs & OLLU’s Role

Do you know the origin story of HSIs and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU)? In this episode we dive into the archives, by way of President Abel Chávez, to learn one perspective on how HSIs and HACU came to be. Dr. Chavez shares how Our Lady of the Lake University, or OLLU, played an integral role in the foundation, hosting an important convening of the first 11 colleges advocating for the designation. On January 22, 1986, the meeting titled, “Predominantly Hispanic Institutions of Higher Education Meeting” took place and a week later a proposal was submitted to the Ford Foundation to fund a “center” for HSIs. This episode reminds us that our HSI historical roots must be documented. Dr. Abel Chávez is the 10th president of OLLU, known as an integrative leader and learner. He is a first-generation, first-in-family college graduate, son of immigrants, and bilingual administrator and academic committed to enhancing quality, access, and affordability for all students while serving the needs of families, economies, and communities. Throughout the episode he conceptualizes what servingness is, advocating for an environment that honors Latine legends of the past and Latine cultures of today. Dr. Chávez is a proud HSI president who envisions HSIs to be a cornerstone of higher education.

 

Guest:

Abel A. Chávez (he/him/his)

President, Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU)

APA Citation: 

Garcia, G.A. (Host). (2024, September 8). The Origin Story of HSIs & OLLU’s Role (No.503) [Audio podcast episode]. In ¿Qué pasa, HSIs?. https://www.ginaanngarcia.com/podcast/ 

Attachments / Show notes: 

• https://www.facebook.com/OurLadyoftheLakeUniversity  https://www.instagram.com/ollu_saints/ 
• https://twitter.com/OLLUnivSATX 
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR-p8JyaDh51_v2ufrrpUfg 
• https://www.flickr.com/photos/127464201@N02/sets/ 
• www.ollusa.edu 
• https://sanantonioreport.org/hispanic-university-of-america-abel-chavez-commentary/
• https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.948399/full
• https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-106162