DePaul nears Hispanic-Serving Institution status

Guided by the Designing DePaul framework, the university is currently working toward Hispanic-Serving Institution status and Sanchez-Giancola is part of the process to make that happen. In addition to her role as director of first-year academic success, she serves as a member of the Hispanic-Serving Institution Task Force and is a staff professional for Discover Chicago: Latino Immigration. 

“Gaining HSI status will open the door to federal funds that will help all DePaul students by expanding and enhancing the university's academic offerings, program quality and student resources,” Sanchez-Giancola says. “I’m thrilled to be a part of such an impactful effort.”

Newsline sat down with Sanchez-Giancola to talk about HSI and opportunities for Latine community members at DePaul.

We’ve seen the Latine student population grow significantly in the last 25 years. 

I really saw that represented when I was walking across campus to my Discover Chicago class on Mexican Independence Day. The day before had been Independence Day for several other Latin American countries, and easily 50 or more students were wearing soccer jerseys or holding flags. 

It was a beautiful experience to see students confidently representing their countries and cultures. For them to be able to feel that sense of belonging on campus — that’s special.

Once Latine enrollment reaches 25%, or one in four students, DePaul can attain Hispanic-Serving Institution status. That status would provide us with funding t​o improve programming and provide new opportunities for students. 

We don’t just want to be a Hispanic-enrolling institution, but one that provides support for Latine students to be successful. The HSI Task Force aims to improve the experience for current students, as well as new students that will be coming in. 

​We’ll be conducting student focus groups this winter to hear current students discuss their experiences on campus, where some of the gaps in services lie and how we can improve those experiences for current and future students. 

I’m the staff professional for the course, which is taught by Juan Mora-Torres, a faculty member in the history department. The focus is on Latino immigration through the years – how immigrants came to Chicago and where they settled. 

We talk about neighborhoods like Pilsen, Little Village and Humboldt Park and the challenges they face with gentrification and trying to maintain their identities and communities.

On Oct. 26, our class had an altar at the National Museum of Mexican Art for Día de los Muertos. They closed the baseball field at Harrison Park to have a huge ofrenda. 

We had a lot of conversations in class this quarter about values and legacies, so we decided to make the altar a mashup of those two themes. We honored those who have departed and celebrated their lives while also saying that their values can still live on in our hearts.

W​hat resources are currently available for Latine students?

There’s the Latinx Cultural Center, which is a very active home base for students. They offer a range of programming and support.

There’s also the Center for Latino Research. They have a very active alumni group that comes together and fundraises to host a scholarship for students that major in Latin American and Latino Studies​. 

Other offices celebrated our Latine students in a variety of ways for Latine Heritage Month this fall. The Office of Student Involvement had some great programming, and the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity hosted their annual Dolores Huerta Luncheon. 

There are a lot of people at DePaul doing really great work to support Latine students in a variety of ways. It's an institution-wide effort to make sure our different populations are welcomed and feel supported in achieving their dreams, being successful and finding their place.