Mercy College Receives National Certification as a Top Institution for Latino Students
Mercy College, a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), today earned the prestigious "Seal of Excelencia" from Excelencia in Education, honoring it as a national exemplar in advancing prospects for success in college for its Hispanic students. Mercy is the first private college in the country, as well as the first HSI in New York State, to receive this certification.
DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. , Sept. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Mercy College, a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), today earned the prestigious "Seal of Excelencia" from Excelencia in Education, honoring it as a national exemplar in advancing prospects for success in college for its Hispanic students. Mercy is the first private college in the country, as well as the first HSI in New York State, to receive this certification.
Today's announcement was made during a hybrid virtual/in-person gathering broadcast nationally from The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. Allan Golston, president of U.S. programs for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, delivered remarks. Excelencia in Education, the nation's premier authority on efforts to accelerate Latino student success in higher education, has certified just 30 institutions across the country.
The honor comes as Mercy prepares to celebrate - 25 years as an HSI. The College is the largest, private non-profit HSI in New York. Forty-four percent of its undergraduate student population is Hispanic, a number that has grown 10% in the past seven years. Sixty percent of Mercy students are the first in their families to attend college. Mercy recently issued more than 500 bachelor's degrees to graduating Hispanic students, the fourth most in the continental U.S. among private HSIs and more than several of Mercy's neighboring institutions combined.
Mercy College President Tim Hall said, "Mercy College is proud to be recognized as the first private institution of higher learning in the U.S. to receive the Seal of Excelencia. We are proud our students are helping to show what's possible when we re-examine our mindsets and our pedagogies and our everyday ways of doing business. Nearly 175 institutions in the U.S. are private, four-year HSIs and together they serve nearly 135,000 Latino students. These students are an important part of our nation's hope and future and deserve that we ready ourselves intentionally to support them."
Excelencia in Education requires that a recipient of the Seal prove, through evidence and data, that its institutional practices serving Latino students are measurable, intentional, and effective; that it has created an environment where Latino students thrive; and that its leadership is demonstrably committed to creating a culture of Latino student success.
Excelencia Co-founder and President Sarita Brown said, the Seal of Excelencia "is evidence of leadership within higher education and its capacity to meet this moment in our country. Excelencia continues making common cause with leaders from all sectors who recognize that supporting the success of today's Latino college students grows our country's talent and ensures America's bright future."
In joining this select cohort of seal-certified institutions, Mercy Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Eva Fernández said, "This is a validation of the hard work Mercy College has been engaged in for years to ensure equitable opportunities for success for all our students. The future of higher education in New York increasingly requires us to serve, and serve well, the many Hispanic students seeking a degree to advance their way in the region and the world."
In 2015, Mercy was designated a Bright Spot in Hispanic Education by the White House. In 2020, more than 4,000 Latinos applied as freshmen to the College, making up about half of the applicant pool. The College has invested in several transformational strategies to serve Hispanic students and position them to succeed, including its PACT personal mentoring program, which was designated a 2020 Example of Excelencia finalist. Since the advent of the PACT program, retention and graduation rates of Latino students at Mercy have seen remarkable improvement.
About Mercy College
Founded in 1950 by the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy College is an independent, coeducational college that offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs within five schools: Business, Education, Health and Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The vibrancy of the College culture is sustained by a diverse student body from around the region. The College offers campuses in Dobbs Ferry, the Bronx and Manhattan as well as online offerings.
Media Contact
Jodi Epstein Hoellger, Mercy College, 914-255-4009, [email protected]
SOURCE Mercy College
Share this article