Texas State earns prestigious Seal of Excelencia certification

Texas State is one of only six institutions certified in 2022 and joins a group of 30 colleges and universities nationally with the prestigious recognition.

Excelencia in Education, the nation’s premier authority on efforts accelerating Latino student success in higher education, announced Sept. 30 that Texas State University has been certified with the prestigious Seal of Excelencia in 2022 for demonstrating through data, evidence-based practices and leadership, how it is intentionally serving Latino students.

This marks the fourth year Excelencia, a Latina-led organization founded to accelerate Latino student success in higher education, has offered the Seal of Excelencia—a national certification process supporting institutional transformation to serve Latino, and all, students.

The Seal of Excelencia framework was developed with colleges and universities over many years as a tool for institutional self-assessment. The seal certification is valid for three years and institutions committed to a journey of transformation to intentionally serve their Latino students may choose to apply.

Texas State has been designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2011. Currently, 40.5% of the student body identifies as Hispanic/Latino. In 2021, Hispanic Outlook magazine recognized Texas State as one of the Top 100 Colleges and Universities for Hispanics. Texas State was nationally ranked in seven categories, including 13th for total bachelor’s degrees granted to Hispanics, 28th for total Hispanic enrollment among 4-year schools and 47th for total master´s degrees granted to Hispanics.

“We are proud to join this list of trendsetting institutions that are combining innovation, data and intentionality to enroll, engage and graduate today’s students, including Latinos,” Texas State President Kelly Damphousse said. “Our university reflects the diversity of Texas, and the seal is now one of our greatest points of pride that reaffirms our commitment to student success. I want to thank Excelencia in Education for this great honour – and for creating a framework that recognizes the importance of Latino students for our nation’s future."

At the announcement event, livestreamed nationally from Washington, D.C., Excelencia recognized Texas State and five other institutions that earned the Seal of Excelencia for the first time, and nine institutions that were recertified. These institutions join 15 other seal-certified institutions from around the country. Combined, the 30 seal-certified institutions enrolled 13% and graduated 14% of all Latinos in the U.S. for the most recent year, and they are projecting to continue increasing their efforts to lead the nation.

“Excelencia in Education created the Seal of Excelencia to differentiate institutions that became Hispanic-Serving Institutions because of demography and geography from those that are Hispanic-Serving because of intentionality and impact,” said Deborah Santiago, co-founder and CEO of Excelencia. “The seal provides a road map for all institutions, led by data, practice, and leadership, that does not end with the certification. It supports a path to intentionally making progress in serving Latino students.” 

Besides Texas State, the other newly certified Seal of Excelencia institutions are: Mercy College, San Antonio College, University of Albany – State University of New York, University of California, Santa Cruz and University of Texas at Arlington. The nine newly recertified Seal of Excelencia institutions are: Arizona State University, Austin Community College, California State University – Channel Islands, El Paso Community College, Florida International University, Grand Valley State University, South Texas College, University of Arizona and University of Texas at El Paso.

An institution earns the seal by demonstrating alignment across the three core areas of data, practice and leadership, which show:

• Evidence of effectiveness and intentionality in institutional practices serving Latino students
• Positive momentum for Latino student progress in their data
• Dedication to transforming the institution into an environment where Latino students thrive
• Strategies in leadership that clearly articulate institutional focus on advancing Latino student success

“We are animated by the positive and engaged responses to the Seal of Excelencia by many people and institutions,” said Sarita Brown, Excelencia co-founder and president. “We launched the seal in 2018 because, after years of offering information and evidence-based tactics and strategies to support colleges and universities we saw a slow response to the vibrant and growing Latino student population. Excelencia has 18 years of experience and know-how to support institutions and their leaders who are ready to transform to SERVE Latino students. We recognized Excelencia could do more to support these institutions and that together we would move faster.

“The response to the Seal of Excelencia by colleges and universities is evidence of leadership within higher education and its capacity to meet this moment in our country,” she said. “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.”

The seal is not a ranking, nor an award. It is a rigorous verification process that culminates with certification. Excelencia began seal certification as one of the organization’s transformational strategies to lead colleges and universities to go beyond simply enrolling Latino students. The seal provides the means to use data and practice to instill intentionality in serving Latino students.

Excelencia in Education accelerates Latino student success in higher education by promoting Latino student achievement, conducting analysis to inform educational policies, advancing institutional practices, and collaborating with those committed and ready to meet the mission. Launched in 2004 in the nation’s capital, Excelencia has established a network of results-oriented educators and policymakers to address the U.S. economy’s needs for a highly educated workforce and engaged civic leaders. For more information, visit: www.EdExcelencia.org