Arciniega Honored by Hispanic Association of College and Universities

Tickets are now available for the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) inaugural Roast and Fundraiser. The achievements of nationally renowned champion of Hispanic higher education,Dr. Tomás A. Arciniega, president of California State University,Bakersfield will be formally recognized at the inaugural event on Oct. 17 at the Hyatt Regency-Orange County in Anaheim, Calif.

From California to Capitol Hill, Dr. Arciniega has proven a compelling advocate for the higher education needs of the nation’s youngest and largest ethnic population. His remarkable achievements have opened countless new doors to college and career success for Hispanic students everywhere,” said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores.

As an active member of the HACU Governing Board and past Governing Board Chair, Arciniega has helped build HACU’s membership to more than 300 colleges and universities serving the largest concentrations of Hispanic higher education students in 26 states and Puerto Rico.

His public championship of the country’s fastest-growing school-age population has helped HACU win more than $250 million in the last 10 years in new support from the federal government and the private sector for Hispanic college students and the higher education institutions that serve them.

“Dr. Arciniega is an extraordinary leader for diversity, equity and excellence who continues to inspire all of us in the Hispanic higher education community,” Flores said.

As one of the longest-serving presidents in the California State University System, Arciniega, 65, has served as president of CSUB since 1983. The university’s multi-cultural student enrollment has more than doubled during his 20-year tenure, and the university’s budget has more than tripled.

Arciniega, who in June announced plans to retire on July 1, 2004, is the winner of numerous state and national awards. He is a widely published expert on higher education administration, bilingual education and multicultural education. He has served as a technical consultant to the Ministries of Education in Honduras, Bolivia, Panama, and Guatemala. Arciniega was named by Change magazine as one of the top 100 Academic Leaders in American Higher Education.

Arciniega formerly served as vice president for academic affairs at California State University, Fresno, dean of the College of Education at San Diego State University, and graduate dean and educational administration chair at the University of Texas, El Paso. Arciniega, who is also a tenured professor of educational administration at the Bakersfield campus, was a tenured faculty member at each of these higher education institutions before arriving at the Bakersfield campus in 1983.

Arciniega is Trustee Emeritus of the Carnegie Foundation and a past presidential appointee of the National Council on Education Research. He serves on the boards of the Aspen Institute, Educational Testing Service, Tomás Rivera Policy Institute, Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) and MESA (Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievements). He is a past president of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and a member of the Telecommunications Advisory Panel for Pacific Bell.

A portion of the proceeds from the first Roast and Fundraiser, which is open to the public, will be used to establish a scholarship in Arciniega’s name. The Roast and Fundraiser will serve as the lead event of HACU’s 17th annual conference scheduled for Oct. 18-21 at the Hyatt Regency-Orange County in Anaheim.

Higher education leaders and advocates attend HACU’s annual conferences, which have become national platforms for promoting new public policies, partnerships and programs in support of Hispanic higher education.

For ticket, table and sponsorship information about HACU’s first Roast and Fundraiser honoring Dr. Tomás A. Arciniega, contact Lorena Blanco, assistant director of development at (210) 692-3805. ext. 3224.or e-mail ]lblanco@hacu.net.

For more information about HACU and the 17th annual conference, please contact Daniel Casillas, director of communications and public relations at (210) 692-3805 ext. 3249 or e-mail dcasillas@hacu.net