Dear campus community,
As a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), San José State is committed to ensuring equity for our Latinx students. Recently released data, including the Joint Venture Silicon Valley (JVSV) Silicon Valley Index and the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley (HFSV) Latino Report Card, highlight continued disparities in educational and career attainment for the Latinx community. Therefore, in partnership with community leaders, I am pleased to announce the formation of SJSU’s Latino Advisory Council (LAC).
LAC’s primary purpose will be to provide strategic guidance and collaborative efforts between the university and the community, to remove obstacles that have historically presented unique challenges to Latinx families. Specifically, the collective will:
- Improve the pipeline to college degree. Advise on strategies to enhance college readiness, including the recruitment, retention and academic success of Latinx students, ensuring an inclusive and supportive campus environment.
- Promote family engagement strategies. Provide guidance on effective family engagement strategies to enhance college readiness in middle and high school.
- Build SJSU-external partnerships. Advise on developing and nurturing partnerships with external organizations, including corporations, community groups and professional societies. These partnerships will focus on advancing the quality of educational and co-curricular activities, supporting professional development for staff and faculty, and garnering philanthropic support.
- Support opportunities to thrive. Create and support opportunities for networking, mentorship and community building among Latinx students, faculty and staff, in order to foster an environment that encourages collaboration, mutual support and shared success.
In addition to myself, the LAC will be co-chaired by the Honorable Ron Gonzales (President and CEO, HFSV) and Teresa Alvarado (Vice President, Pacific Gas & Electric). Additional charter members, several of whom are SJSU alumni, include:
- Dolores Alvarado (CEO, Community Health Partnership)
- Tamara Alvarado (California Communities Program Officer, Packard Foundation)
- Brittany Alvarez (Executive Director, Latino Education Advancement Foundation)
- Cindy Chavez (Supervisor, County of Santa Clara)
- Gabriela Chavez-Lopez (Executive Director, Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley)
- Lennies M. Gutiérrez (South Bay and Southern Peninsula Director of Government Affairs, Comcast California)
- Lisa Hernandez (Health Officer, County of Santa Cruz)
- José Magaña (Bay Area Executive Director, Latinos for Education)
- Katia McClain (Partner, Steinberg Hart)
- Jorge Pacheco, Jr. (President, California Latino School Board Association)
- Jessica Paz-Cedillos (Co-Executive Director, School of Arts and Culture @ MHP)
- Saúl Ramos (Co-Executive Director, SOMOS Mayfair)
- Angel Rios, Jr. (Deputy City Manager, City of San José)
- Efren Rosas (Physician in Chief, Kaiser Permanente of San José)
- Omar Torres (Councilmember, City of San José)
The LAC will hold its first session on May 3, and will meet quarterly thereafter. I am excited about this collective effort to build an environment where SJSU systems and services work to foster a college-going culture in the Latinx community, collaborating with local partners to enhance the successful attainment of a college degree.
Sincerely,
Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson
President
(She/Her/Ella)
