June 23, 2023

HACU joins in Farm Bill Roundtable Discussion with Congressional Hispanic Caucus

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities joined the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in a roundtable discussion on June 22, 2023, to discuss issues related to the reauthorization of the Farm Bill and how it affects Hispanic-Serving Institution funding, food and nutrition, diversity in farming, rural broadband, supply chains and other issues and concerns affecting the nation’s Hispanic community.

Participating in the roundtable were Xiomara Santos, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities’ director of government relations, along with representatives from two HACU-member institutions, Rolando A. Flores Galarza, Ph.D., New Mexico State University’s dean and chief administrative officer, and Zoé Colón De Santana, the University of Central Florida’s director of community initiatives. Members of the current administration attending were Xochitl Torres Small, the Department of Agriculture’s under secretary for rural development, and Amanda Miller, the Department of Education’s deputy assistant secretary for higher education programs. Other stakeholders in attendance included for-profit and non-profit organizations as well as policy groups and union representatives.

HACU is requesting increased authorized funding levels for HSIs and HSACUs grant programs to reflect their rapid institutional growth and chronic underfunding.  To date, the HSACU programs authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill have not been funded.

For more information on the Farm Bill’s reauthorization and its impact on HSIs and the Hispanic community, contact HACU’s Government Relations at dcgr@hacu.net or (202) 833-8361.

Photo Caption

(L-R) Xochitl Torres Small, Under Secretary for Rural Development, USDA, Xiomara Santos, Director of Government Relations, HACU, Dr. Rolando A. Flores Galarza, Dean and Chief Administrative Officer, New Mexico State University, and Zoé Colón De Santana, Director of Community Initiatives, University of Central Florida



  

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, founded in 1986, represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Latin America, Spain, and school districts throughout the U.S. HACU is the only national association representing existing and emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The Association’s headquarters are in San Antonio, Texas, with regional offices in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento, California.

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