SALINAS — Hartnell College has earned the prestigious Seal of Excelencia from Excelencia in Education, the nation’s premier authority on efforts to accelerate Latinx student success in higher education.
The Seal is a national certification for institutions that strive to go beyond enrollment and more intentionally serve Latinx students. In the academic year 2023-24, Hartnell College served 12,000 students, with 83% identifying as Latinx.
Hartnell College is one of only 17 colleges and universities to earn the Seal of Excelencia in 2024.
In 2018, Excelencia introduced the Seal to certify trendsetting colleges and universities for their efforts to become learning environments where Latinx, and all, students thrive. This year marks the organization’s 20th year of service to accelerate Latinx student success in higher education.
The Seal of Excelencia framework represents a rigorous assessment of certified institutions’ intentionality and impact in improving outcomes such as retention, financial support and degree completion for Latinx students by aligning efforts across data, practice and leadership. Ultimately, this process strengthens efforts to serve all students. Seal certification remains valid for three years, after which institutions have the opportunity to re-certify.
“An institution earns the Seal of Excelencia by using data, best practices and leadership to demonstrate alignment that intentionally serves our Latinx community,” said Michael Gutierrez, superintendent/president of Hartnell College. “We are honored to serve as exemplars and to represent one of a select few colleges that are transforming ways that engage, enroll and graduate today’s increasingly Latinx students.”
Leaders in higher education, business, philanthropy and government, who are in Excelencia’s community of common cause, convened in Washington, D.C., to recognize Hartnell College as one of eight institutions that earned the Seal of Excelencia for the first time, as well as nine other institutions that earned recertification.
The announcement was part of the organization’s National Policy Forum, focused on innovating policies to accelerate Latinxs’ degree attainment and strengthen the country’s civic leadership and workforce. The 17 Seal-certified institutions exemplify the kinds of programs and practices that inform good policy.
“The colleges and universities that earn the Seal of Excelencia lead the charge in meeting our nation’s degree attainment goals,” said Deborah Santiago, co-founder and CEO of Excelencia in Education. “They demonstrate commitment to Latinx student success through impact and ongoing self-assessment.”
This year’s cohort of newly certified and re-certified institutions belongs to a collective of 46 colleges and universities that have earned the Seal. Together, they represent less than 1% of all higher education institutions but enroll 17% and graduate 19% of all Latinx students nationwide.
Before Hartnell College earned the Seal of Excelencia, Gutierrez made the decision to join Excelencia’s national network of Presidents for Latinx Student Success (P4LSS). The network comprises over 200 higher education leaders committed to making their institutions learning environments where Latinx, and all, students thrive.
Institutions in the P4LSS network are eligible to apply for the Seal. To earn the Seal of Excelencia, they must demonstrate:
- An intentional, institutional focus on advancing Latinx student success by aligning data and practice;
- Deliberate and ongoing assessment to identify and implement strategies that improve Latinx student achievement;
- Leadership commitment to continue transforming into an environment where Latinx students thrive; and,
- A long-term and unwavering commitment to intentionally serve Latinx, and all students.
“Through a rigorous application and interview process, Hartnell College departments and student programs collaboratively evidenced how each serve our student population through practice that is high-impact, culturally responsive and scalable,” said Gayle Pitman, vice president of institutional equity, effectiveness and success at Hartnell College.
