Northern Arizona University-Yuma recently was designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education.
This new designation will strengthen NAU-Yuma’s ability to serve Hispanic students.
More than 50 percent of NAU-Yuma’s total population is composed of Hispanic students.
“Many of our Hispanic students work full time and have limited funds. This new designation allows us to provide program and support services that meet their unique needs,” said Krista Rodin, associate vice president and campus executive officer at NAU-Yuma.
NAU-Yuma is now eligible for increased funding to be used for activities such as faculty development, student support services, administrative management, development of academic programs, endowment funds, scientific or laboratory equipment for teaching and renovation of instructional facilities.
Rodin added that the designation also opens the doors for the campus to obtain five-year individual development grants, five-year cooperative arrangement development grants and one-year planning grants.
“The new designation provides access to students for additional work-study programs, which allows them to continue working while remaining close to their academic studies,” Rodin explained.
She said the program is not a scholarship or fellowship program for individuals or for research and that it is designed to support institutions of higher education. The new designation includes NAU-Yuma in the Title V, Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions program, which also provides funds for low-income students.
Ernest Calderón, treasurer on the Arizona Board of Regents said, “We are proud of NAU-Yuma’s designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution. That designation is consistent with NAU’s tradition of providing a welcoming environment for all Arizonans, particularly first-generation university students.”
In May 2006, Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education magazine ranked NAU among the nation’s top 100 institutions for Latinos.
In October 2006, the Arizona Board of Regents designated NAU-Yuma as a branch campus, allowing it to build programming and resources at its Arizona Western College site.