Our Hispanic-Serving Commitment
At Stanislaus State, being a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) since 1992 isn’t a destination. It is an ongoing responsibility to understand who our students are, listen to their needs and continually strengthen how we serve them.
Beyond the Designation
With approximately 62% of our undergraduate students identifying as Hispanic or Latino, serving our students means much more than enrolling them. It means creating the conditions for them to persist, graduate, grow as leaders and build opportunities for themselves, their families and their communities.
HSI scholar Gina A. García and her colleagues describe this deeper commitment as “servingness.” Here at Stan State, we see it in the everyday experiences that help students know they belong. They see themselves reflected in what they learn, find support before they have to ask for it and build connections that help them imagine what comes next.
That commitment is woven into Stan State’s 2026–2031 Strategic Plan and our work to create educational experiences and pathways that turn a college degree into greater opportunity for our students, their families and the communities they call home.
Servingness in Action
Servingness shows up across the University through the work of people, programs and partnerships. Stan State invests in faculty and staff who are exploring new ways to strengthen how we serve students through our Seal of Excelencia Readiness (SOER) Grants. These grants support collaboration and promising practices that can deepen our work as a Hispanic-Serving Institution.
That work takes many forms, from academic preparation and culturally resonant learning to mentorship, belonging and community building. Through initiatives across campus, students can see their histories and communities reflected in what they learn, build relationships that support their success and find opportunities that help them move closer to graduation and what comes next.
For alumna and Assistant Professor of Teacher Education Ana York, servingness means helping students see possibility in themselves and creating pathways that help them get there. Drawing on her own journey from Stan State student to longtime Central Valley educator and University faculty member, York mentors future teachers and helps connect high school and college students with the relationships, experiences and opportunities they need to see themselves as educators and leaders in their own communities.
Servingness also happens in everyday interactions. It’s the professor who takes extra time to help. The advisor who understands that life outside the classroom can affect what happens inside it. It’s making space for families to be part of students’ journeys, welcoming them, communicating in ways that help them feel included and inviting them to share moments of celebration and accomplishment.
Assistant Professor of Teacher Education
For many of our students, earning a degree isn’t a journey they take alone. Families are an important source of encouragement, motivation and support along the way. Our HSI identity calls us to be intentional about how we serve Latino students. Practices that foster belonging, remove barriers and expand opportunities strengthen the Stan State experience and contribute to every student’s success.
Rooted Here. Rising Everywhere.
Warriors share what belonging, support and opportunity look like at Stan State.
Leslie Rocha Delarosa
Child Development Major
Wendy Marquez
Liberal Studies ’26
Mayra Valencia
Sociology ’26
Stan State has given me the knowledge I need to pursue a career that positively impacts my community and allows me to be the change I want to see in the world.
Meet the Warriors Rising
Feeling Welcome From the Start
Christopher found belonging in the small but meaningful ways Stan State welcomed him as a transfer student, including orientation experiences that helped students and families navigate campus in Spanish and English.
Who Inspires Our Warriors?
For these Warriors, inspiration begins with the people who came before them. Students share how parents and grandparents inspired them and shaped their values, work ethic and pursuit of education.
Seal of Excelencia
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Stanislaus State has earned the 2026 Seal of Excelencia, a national certification from Excelencia in Education for institutions that demonstrate, through data, evidence-based practices and leadership, an intentional commitment to serving Latino students while strengthening success for all students. Stanislaus State’s certification is valid from 2026 through 2029.
Earning the Seal reflects Stan State’s ongoing commitment to servingness. It is not the end of the work. The University continues to examine student success data, strengthen evidence-based practices and build on programs and approaches that help Latino students and all students thrive.
Explore the HSI Hub
The HSI Hub, coordinated by the Office of Community Engagement & Belonging, connects faculty, staff, HSI grant leaders and campus partners working to strengthen Stan State’s work as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. The Hub provides deeper information about HSI initiatives, grant-funded projects, campus resources, professional resources and opportunities to contribute to Stan State's ongoing work of servingness.
Updated: October 27, 2026