For Faculty & Staff:
CU Denver Officially Named a Hispanic-Serving Institution

October 26, 2021

Dear CU Denver Community,

I’m thrilled to share with you that the U.S. Department of Education has formally announced that it has designated CU Denver and CU Anschutz jointly as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). This means we’ve met the criteria of over 25% of full-time undergraduate students who identify as Hispanic or Latinx and have a high number of students who demonstrate financial need. We’re the first research university in Colorado to attain this status. Throughout this time, our Board of Regents has been supportive of our vision and our aim to become the CU system’s first HSI.

This designation is so significant for CU Denver. It was just a year ago that we convened our Equity Task Force and four months ago that we released our 2030 Strategic Plan, both of which set the goal for CU Denver to be the first equity-serving institution in the nation.

Practically, this public recognition by the federal government will help us further support Latinx student services, as well as infrastructure improvements that benefit our entire campus.

As part of a federally designated minority-serving institution, our campus and faculty will be eligible to apply for additional federal grants, receive priority points in grant scoring, and be considered a preferred partner for other institutions. With student success at the forefront, these grants will be put toward graduation, student retention, hiring more staff to support new and growing programs, summer education, inclusive pedagogy, and more. Research faculty may find more grant eligibility details here.

The HSI designation also adds an external accelerant to our plans to put the pride we share about our diversity into action. To become a true equity serving institution, we must create a racially and culturally enhancing learning environment and a sense of belonging for all—unlocking the potential for everyone to succeed here.

We’ll be celebrating our landmark designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution throughout the year—more info to come! This is a big milestone in our journey to become a national model of inclusivity.

Learn More About HSI at CU Denver