ALLENDALE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Grand Valley State University is one of 9 institutions receiving a “Seal of Excelencia” award for their ongoing work with Latino students.
The Seal of Excelencia is given to schools that produce positive outcomes for Latino students, helping them achieve success during their stay at a university.
GVSU has seen an increase of Latino students by over 16-percent since the 2015-2016 school year, with Latino graduation rates matching at 16-percent.
Latino staff has also steadily increased since 2015.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer released a statement saying,
“The work that Grand Valley is doing should serve as a model for colleges and universities across the state. I want to congratulate President Haas on his upcoming retirement and thank him for his transformative leadership at GVSU over the last 13 years. I look forward to partnering with incoming President Philomena Mantella to continue GVSU’s legacy of helping our students access higher education, complete degrees, and prosper here in Michigan. Michigan is a great state because of the diverse people who call it home, and we have a responsibility to expand opportunities for everyone here and make sure that every student, no matter their community, can get on a path to postsecondary success. I’m excited to partner with our state universities and community colleges to make sure we continue working to better serve students of color here in Michigan.”
The other eight institutions to receive the Seal of Excelencia are:
- Arizona State University
- Austin Community College (Texas)
- California State University Channel Islands
- El Paso Community College (Texas)
- Florida International University
- South Texas College
- University of Arizona
- University of Texas El Paso
Find more information on this story with our interview with Sarita Brown in our podcast section.
(copy written by Will Kriss)
