MN Latinos in Higher Education

We are excited to connect with you about ideas making the Network your Network. If you have any questions, suggestions, ideas, etc, please contact us!

Secretary: position vacant

Felix Versaguis, Communications Chair: communications@mnlatinosinhighered.org

Click  here for Board of Dirctors contact info

What is the MN Network of Latinos in Higher Education?

The Minnesota Network of Latinos in Higher Education is an organization in-formation to serve as a structure for individuals across colleges and universities to communicate, advocate, organize, share resources, and to support and work towards the success of Latinos in higher education in Minnesota. This is an important and much needed opportunity for us to strengthen our connections to one another.

Why This? Why now?

The primary goal of network is to support the success of Latinos in higher education—we are students and/or employees of colleges and universities in Minnesota who are creating this because of the need to have a strong voice and vehicle through which we can advocate for our community’s success in higher education. As our community continues to grow and change in Minnesota, we also need to grow and change the ways in which we have been involved in systems and forces that impact our lives. Supporting Latino success in education is central to ensure our rightful place at the table.

Our Developing Statewide Network

A brief timeline of our formal activities:  On December 1, 2006, we celebrated the launch of the network by bringing together staff, students and faculty who spoke about the importance of supporting and developing a structure for Latinos to have a collective voice. These affiliation groups developed ideas and next steps to ensure the network would support our unique interests in higher education. Faculty, staff and students elected representatives to the Implementation Steering Committee. This group is responsible for transforming an idea into a self-sustaining formal organization. In order to develop our vision, dedicated leaders from across the state have divided into five committees or working groups: Organizational Development, Communications, Recruitment & Support, Advocacy and Conference Planning. The work of these committees culminated at the first Annual Statewide Conference which was held October 12th and 13th, 2007 at the University of Minnesota where the organization formally began! At that time, we elected our first board of directors, met as regional chapters and in sector caucuses (students, staff and faculty), listened to union organizing, Latino rights championer and national LULAC president keynote Rosa Rosales. And of course, good times were had by all at the Friday evening dance!

We thank our network's sponsors, the Otto Bremer Foundation and The Department of Chicano Studies at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

The Network on a Local Level

Dividing the state into regions stemmed from comments from individuals who knew few other Latinos in higher education at the statewide level or in their own area locally! Individuals expressed the desire to increase the communication and collaboration with others in their individual regions and so the idea was formed to support a regional infrastructure as well. Regional representatives will work to increase the connections between and among folks in a particular region and proactively plan for issues and community mobilizing in each particular region. Your regional representative has contacts all over your region and is here to help us all strengthen our communities!

This map shows the six different network regions. Look on the Chapter and Caucus link page for your representative's contact information.

Mission

The mission of the Statewide Network of Latinos in Higher Education is to support, promote and advocate for Latino success and advancement in higher education.

Vision:

Through an organized association, the Statewide Network will:

• Build an organized community of Latino students, faculty, staff, and administration;
• Collaborate with allies interested in promoting and enhancing Latino participation in higher education;
• Communicate and network to create campus climates that are nurturing, accountable, inclusive and respectful of Latino educational needs;
• Advocate for programs, policies and curriculum that will facilitate Latino educational access and success;
• Impact policies and legislation to support Latino success in higher education;
• Increase recruitment and retention of Latino students, staff and faculty in higher education; and
• Build an organized community to respond to issues affecting Latinos in higher education.

Guiding Principles

• We are our greatest strength. Within the broad diversity of our community, we hold the talents, skills and vision to determine and achieve our goals in higher education.
• We are committed to be proactive advocates for Latino success in higher education.
• We are committed to be cooperative rather than competitive.
• The power of the network must serve the success of the larger Latino community rather than the needs of individual agendas.