LBCC and CSULB have received the Seal of Excelencia certification to highlight their service to Latino students.
Higher education research institute Excelencia in Education has announced Cal State Long Beach (CSULB) and Long Beach City College (LBCC) among the 14 colleges that have received their Seal of Excelencia certification for internationally serving and uplifting Latino students.
Five of the colleges that received the Seal of Excelencia in 2023 were recertified while nine of the universities were certified for the first time.
This three-year certification was established in 2018 in an attempt to highlight the universities that most impact Latino student success beyond just enrollment numbers.
To be awarded the Seal of Excelencia, a collegiate institution goes through an analytical three-year verification process and must show alignment across data, practice and leadership by meeting the four requirements below:
• Evidence of effectiveness and intentionality in institutional practices serving Latino students
• Positive momentum for Latino student progress
• Dedication to transforming the institution into an environment where Latino students thrive
• Strategies in leadership that clearly articulate institutional focus on advancing Latino student success
LBCC is one of five universities to receive a recertified Seal of Excelencia in 2023 along with Cal State Sacramento, The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of Illinois Chicago.
LBCC was also the first community college in California to receive the Seal of Excelencia when its initial certification was given in 2020.
“Recertification with the Seal of Excelencia means the world to all of us at LBCC,” said LBCC Superintendent-President Dr. Mike Muñoz in a statement. “It signifies to our Latina/o/x students that they are not just present on our campuses, but are seen and valued here. The Seal of Excelencia also reminds the LBCC family that we are part of a community that celebrates the unique stories, perspectives, and contributions of our Latina/o/x students as they strive for excellence in every facet of their academic journey.”
Among the nine collegiate institutions that received their first Seal of Excelencia in 2023 was Cal State Long Beach. Cal State Los Angeles and Cal State Northridge were the only other California universities selected for this honor for the first time this year.
San Diego State, UC Merced, UC Santa Cruz, UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton are the only other universities to have earned the Seal certification since it began in 2018.
Policies and programs at CSULB that successfully integrate Latino students include the Long Beach College Promise (57% of students who enrolled through the program at CSULB are Latino), the Beach Pathways Program (72% are Latino students), and the Summer Bridge program (63% of participants are Latino students).
CSULB’s fall 2022 undergraduate student enrollment was 32,711 with 48% of the student population consisting of Latino students. CSULB is also a federally designated Minority-Serving institution and Hispanic-Serving institution by the U.S. State Department’s Fulbright Program.
The 2023 Seal of Excelencia selections were made during Excelencia in Education’s National Policy Forum livestream that took place in Washington D.C. on Sept. 29. There are now 39 Seal-certified universities that combine to enroll more than 15% of all Latino students and graduate 17% of all Latinos.
“There is a real difference between colleges and universities that enroll Latino students and those that intentionally serve them,” said Deborah Santiago, Co-founder and CEO of Excelencia in Education in a statement. “Those that earn the Seal are trendsetters on a journey of transformation, showing what it takes to progressively increase positive outcomes for Latino, and all, students for others ready to meet the mission.”
CSULB is celebrating its Seal of Excelencia distinction with an on-campus event on Thursday, Oct. 5 at noon at the Southwest Terrace.
