20 Universities Aim To Double Latino PhDs By 2030
José López Zamorano originally published the article on La Red Hispana.
Photo: Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels.
For us Hispanics, few things are more important for the future of our children than health and education. Unfortunately, statistics do not lie, and although we have made great strides in enrolling Hispanics in higher education, the current figures are concerning.
Despite being almost 20% of the U.S. population, Hispanics represent only 6% of students in doctoral courses. Even in a group of universities serving Latinos, the percentage of Hispanic graduates was just 13.2% during the 2019-2020 school year.
We fared slightly better in master's courses, with 38,000 students graduating during the same period, around 21.2% of the student population.
However, the situation is even more alarming among university faculty. Hispanic full-time professors made up only 9.3% of the faculty population during the fall 2020 term.
To transform this reality, 20 of the country’s top research universities have formed the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities (HSRU). The goal for 2030: Double the number of Hispanic doctoral students enrolled in Alliance universities and increase Hispanic faculty by 20%.
Hispanic full-time professors made up only 9.3% of the faculty population during the fall 2020 term. “The aim is to create a source from which Hispanic talent at the doctoral level can begin to be incorporated into other universities, not just those serving Hispanics, but throughout the entire U.S. higher education system,” says Dr. Javier Reyes, interim chancellor of the University of Illinois at Chicago and a member of the Alliance, who is of Mexican origin.
One of the structural causes complicating higher education for Latinos is the cost. To reach a doctorate or professorship, one must first complete a bachelor's and a master's degree, an investment beyond the reach of many families. Although student loans are an option, the reality is that costs dissuade many talents from pursuing an academic career.
However, Dr. Reyes is optimistic because another goal of the Alliance is to create awareness in Hispanic communities about the financial programs available to support higher education. “Many times, there are resources that we leave on the table,” he says.
It is also often unknown that in doctoral programs, universities usually offer scholarships since students not only complete their courses but also conduct research and act as professors at the academic institutions themselves.
The success of this commendable academic Alliance largely depends on whether new generations of Hispanics and Latinos recognize higher education as a beneficial professional perspective for their personal growth, their communities, and wallets. We are convinced this will be the case because we have no other option.