Latino students are on track to become the largest ethnic group at Bay Area universities but retention and degree completion remain a concern ---  

Latino students are the fastest growing college-going group in the Bay Area and could become the largest ethnic group at local universities by 2020. On December 12, San Francisco State University's Cesar E. Chavez Institute will host a forum to discuss the implications and possibilities connected with this rising student population.
According to Belinda Reyes, associate professor of Latina/Latino studies and director of the Chavez Institute, access to college is improving for Latinos but retention and degree completion remain a concern. The forum will address major challenges to graduation among Latinos, which include college affordability and culturally appropriate student services.

“We have to make a comprehensive effort,” Reyes said. “We have to understand that there are multiple factors affecting the Latino students; like preparation, support, information, mentors. So we have to develop a system that will bring the support, environment, and information that the student needs.”

As of March of this year, California Latinos represent 39 percent of the state population, making them the single largest ethnic group in the state. The student population at Cal State East Bay in Hayward is reflective of California’s current population.

Diana M. Balgas, Executive Director of Student Outreach and Retention Services at Cal State East Bay agrees that although Latino college enrollment is on the rise, two major areas of concern remain: (1)   Completion rates for first-time, full-time Latino freshman continue to lag behind other groups; and (2)   A majority of Latino post-secondary students in California are concentrated in the community college system. 

Balgas will be part of the group panelists at the forum event and she will be sharing successful programs and strategies implemented at Cal State East Bay.

GANAS (Gaining Access ‘N Academic Support) is an effort within the CSU system to develop an academic and student success program that targets and serves Latino transfer students in a culturally responsive way. GANAS was implemented in 2013 to focus on encouraging transfer students to participate in a one-year cohort-based learning community that is paired with a success seminar, intrusive academic counseling, and mentoring.

“In the Latino families, a student who is going to university does not do it by her/his self,” said Reyes. “It is a family decision. The system has to recognize and understand that the students have a very intimate relationship with the family.”

The forum will be attended by representatives from Bay Area universities (SF State, Sonoma State, San Jose State, CSU East Bay and UC Berkeley), as well as community colleges, K-12 institutions and nonprofits.

"The goal of the conference is to provide information and bring different perspectives to the conversation," Reyes said. "All of us have a stake in this, and we want to engage with everyone about what we can do as a community to improve Latino student outcomes."

Some local campuses have attained the designation of "Hispanic Serving Institutions" (HSI), meaning that 25 percent of the undergraduate student population identifies as Latino. This designation qualifies a campus to apply for federal funding to support Latino students' needs, another topic for the forum.

The public is encourage to attend the forum and can go to http://cci.sfsu.edu/taxonomy/term/137 to register. The forum is Friday, Dec. 12, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in San Francisco State University, Cesar Chavez Student Center. The event is free.