San Francisco State University has earned the prestigious Seal of Excelencia granted by Excelencia in Education, the nation’s premier authority on efforts to accelerate Latinx student success in higher education. The Seal is a national certification for institutions that strive to more intentionally serve Latinx students.
San Francisco State is one of 17 colleges and universities to earn the Seal in 2024. In 2018, Excelencia introduced the Seal to certify trendsetting colleges and universities for their efforts to become learning environments where Latinx, and all, students thrive. This year marks the organization’s 20th year of service to accelerate Latinx student success in higher education.
Who Are We?
We are a diverse group of SFSU staff, faculty and students dedicated to elevating SF State as not just a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) but one of intentional service to the success of our Latinx students.
We represent the Office of the President, Enrollment Management, Equity and Community Inclusion, University Development, Administration and Finance and Institutional Research, along with other areas. One of our many goals is to work toward Excelencia in Education’s Seal of Excelencia.
The Seal (as we call it) provides a framework and focus for improving support for our Latinx students. Since the Latinx population is one of the largest-growing on this campus, efforts that support it will improve support of all students. An important characteristic of our group is that besides working at SFSU, we are dedicated members of the SFSU Latinx comunidad, many of us also alumni.
What Are Our Goals?
We aim to elevate programs that foster and support Latinx student retention, wellness and success in collaboration with student input and key partnerships. Members are committed to doing so with research, data and advocacy work in all areas of our campus.
We honor, acknowledge and celebrate the work of those who have come before us at SFSU: those who volunteered their time, who organized, raised funds, mentored students and new professionals, and created space for the Latinx community in all its evolutions over the years, and much more. We continue in this work!
Projects and initiatives our members have been involved in:
- Division of Equity and Community Inclusion (including the development and founding of the Latinx Student Center, the Dream Resource Center, Interfaith Programs and LGBTQIA+ Student Life)
- The Raza Staff and Faculty Association
- Dia De La Familia
- Spanish Q&A Orientation Sessions for Families
- Collaboration on SF State’s Strategic Plan to make sure these efforts become part of the University’s goals
Seal of Excelencia Subgroups
The Seal of Excelencia Work Group is divided into three subgroups:
- The Inventory Group’s goal is to continue identifying programs and aim to help in how they collect and use data.
- The Writing Group is already working on this year’s Seal of Excelencia Application.
- The Outreach Group is finalizing a Latinx Sense of Belonging Survey, which was sent to close to 7,000 students and has had close to 900 responses.
Other subgroup activities:
- Launching an Annual Seal of Excelencia Work Group Report
HSI Designation
In 2016, SFSU was designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). HSIs are defined under the Higher Education Act as colleges or universities with at least 25% full-time equivalent undergraduate Hispanic student enrollment.
The Seal of Excelencia Work Group hopes to successfully demonstrate with data how practices within SFSU have measurable impact in key areas such as retention, degree completion and transfer support.
Despite falling under one umbrella, it is important to recognize that HSIs are not a monolithic group, but are diverse by type, size, regional location, institutional resources and expenditures, and purpose. We acknowledge that truly serving our Latinx student population isn’t as simple as applying for HSI designation. Studies prove that institutions need to reach out to Latinx communities, embrace family involvement, employ Latinx staff and faculty in leadership positions and work to ensure that Latinx students’ intersectionality is seen and heard on campus.
SFSU HSI Statistics
- There has been a rapid increase in enrollment of Latinx-identified students, rising from 19% in 2010 to 39% in 2021.
- Nearly half (48%) of fall 2023 incoming first-time freshmen identified as Latinx.
- SF State’s six-year graduation rate is 43.3% for first-year Latinx students who started in fall 2021. (The statewide rate is 52%, according to Excelencia in Education.)
- SFSU’s two-year graduation rate is 43.12% for transfer Latinx students who started in fall 2019. (The statewide rate is 33%, according to Excelencia in Education.)
Full-time |
2019–20 |
2020–21 |
2021–22 |
2022–23 |
2023–24 |
% change
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All students | 21,629 | 19,789 | 18,578 | 17,348 | 16,649 | -23.02% |
| Hispanic students |
8,198 (37.9%) |
7,800 (39.4%) |
7,410 (39.9%) |
6,945 (40%) |
6,685 (40.2%) |
-18.45% |
Part-time |
2019–20 |
2020–21 |
2021–22 |
2022–23 |
2023–24 |
% change
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All students | 4,210 | 4,137 | 4,733 | 4,520 | 4,024 | -4.42% |
| Hispanic students |
1,322 (31.4%) |
1,283 (31%) |
1,595 (33.7%) |
1,522 (33.7%) |
1,341 (33.3%) |
1.43% |
Who Is Excelencia in Education?
Excelencia in Education is a nationally recognized research organization that works with institutions and education leaders to take a holistic, intentional approach to serving Latinx students.
Excelencia in Education accelerates Latinx student success in higher education by promoting Latinx student achievement, conducting analysis to inform educational policies and advancing institutional practices while collaborating with those committed and ready to meet the mission.
In 2019, Excelencia in Education established the Seal of Excelencia as a national certification for institutions that “strive to go beyond enrollment to intentionally SERVE Latino students.”
Student Resource: Latinx Student Center
The Latinx Student Center provides a space for students to create community and be reminded of why they are here.
The Latinx Student Center is housed within the Equity and Community Inclusion Unit.
Faculty Resource: CEETL
The Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CEETL) fosters an inclusive and welcoming teaching and learning community for faculty and the campus community to engage across disciplines.