CSUN’s Global Hispanic Serving Institution Equity Innovation Hub has received $1 million in funding to support programming and personnel to advance equity-centered institutional transformation, identify STEM educational pathways and enhance strategies to address equity gaps in degree attainment. Photo by Lee Choo.

California State University, Northridge’s Global Hispanic Serving Institution Equity Innovation Hub has received $1 million from an appropriations request made by Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), included in the recently signed $1.5 trillion federal government spending bill. The funding will go toward programming and personnel to support equity-centered institutional transformation, identify innovative science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) educational pathways, and enhance strategies to address equity gaps in degree attainment.

“As co-chair of the first-ever Senate Hispanic-Serving Institutions Caucus, I’m proud to have secured federal funding to support California State University, Northridge’s project to develop their Equity Innovation Hub,” said Padilla. “The hub will support Latino and other underrepresented students in pursuing pathways to STEM fields and closing student equity gaps. I look forward to continuing to work in Congress to ensure HSIs have the resources they need to support our next generation of leaders.”

Last August, the California State University (CSU), in partnership with Apple and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, announced the establishment of a Global Hispanic Serving Institution Equity Innovation Hub to be housed on the CSUN campus. The hub will work with other CSU campuses and HSIs across the nation to increase student success and equip Latino/a and other historically underrepresented students in STEM with skills for high-demand careers in these fields.

“We are very grateful to Senator Padilla for championing this successful appropriations funding and for his continued and committed support of CSUN,” said CSUN President Erika D. Beck.  “The HSI Equity Innovation Hub at CSUN will serve as the center where the conversations about equity and racial justice can evolve, from directives about what students should do to be successful within the current structure to one that focuses on how our institutions can best serve our Latinx and other diverse students.”

CSUN is annually among the nation’s leaders in awarding degrees to Latino/a students, and more than 21,000 of the approximately 39,000 students enrolled in fall 2021 identified as Latino/a.

The congressional appropriation for CSUN’s Global HSI Equity Innovation Hub was part of 500 California projects totaling $760 million funded by the federal bill for local universities, roadways and parks.

Global Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Equity Innovation Hub, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Senator Alex Padilla, STEM