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Â鶹¾«Æ·, celebrating 25 years as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, is joining colleges and universities across the nation to recognize Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Week September 11-17. The week, which takes place during Hispanic Heritage Month observed September 15-October 15, is a time when HSIs celebrate and amplify the vital role they play in educating the fastest-growing demographic in the United States.  

HSIs are defined as having 25% or more undergraduate Hispanic student full-time equivalent enrollment. Â鶹¾«Æ· is the largest private, non-profit HSI and minority-serving institution in the region. This year, approximately 60% of Mercy’s incoming class identify as Hispanic or Latino. The University received national attention in September 2022 when it earned the prestigious Seal of Excelencia from Excelencia in Education, a national certification for intentionally serving Latino students. Mercy is the first private college in the country, as well as the first HSI in New York State, to receive this certification.  

Hispanic enrollment at postsecondary institutions in the United States has grown significantly in the past decade and will continue to rise. According to the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, Hispanic enrollment in higher education is expected to exceed 4.0 million students by 2026, far surpassing the growth rate of any other racial-ethnic group by over 10%. According to a recent by Excelencia in Education, Mercy is among the top institutions in the state of New York among enrolling and graduating Latinos.   

As evidenced by earning the Seal of Excelencia, Mercy fosters an environment where the fastest-growing demographic in the U.S. thrives. The certification affirms the work of Mercy’s dedicated faculty, front-line staff, students, Board of Trustees, alumni, and supporters, all of whom have propelled dramatic improvements in student outcomes and enriched the campus culture. The scalable, evidence-based strategies used at Mercy to increase rates of achievement for Hispanic and Latino students are outlined in the University's Student Success Toolkit 2.0.

To learn more about Mercy’s 25 years as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, please click here.

Â鶹¾«Æ· is hosting a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration on the evening of Thursday, October 12. To learn more and RSVP, please .

Hispanic and Latino faculty at Mercy take seriously the importance of being role models for Mercy students. Rosaura Uscanga, Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Mercy, shares her thoughts on the importance of representation .