A Message from President Aceves

Dear Colleagues,

This week signifies a milestone for our campus as we commemorate National Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) Week. Additionally, this week coincides with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins at the end of the week and continues through mid-October. I reached out to Vice-Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, Dr. Nicki Gonzales, to reflect on the impact and significance of these upcoming days and weeks for our community.

“This week, we recognize the contributions of our nation’s Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) and the important roles they play in improving access to education and advancing equity for traditionally underserved students.  We also celebrate our first year as a federally-designated HSI and invite you to learn more about what this designation means for our Regis University community.

Amid the whirlwind of the last few months, since the U.S. Department of Education designated Regis University a HSI, I have spent some time reflecting on what this identity means for us and our local and regional communities.  In fact, it really doesn’t change much in terms of the commitment we’ve always had to serve our students.  After all, I’ve seen the long hours so many of you put in, at times with limited resources, to support our students.  And, over here in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Excellence (ODEIE), I hear the stories from students about the cura personalis you extend to them daily.  Indeed, serving students is our superpower at Regis.  Our HSI status will just enhance the resources we have to do this work, as well as, allow us to dream bigger and more creatively about how we do this sacred work.

I’ve also thought about what our status means to the broader community.  In recent months, I’ve talked with many community members who see Regis University, especially now as an HSI, as an important partner in the work of justice and equity. This summer, President Aceves held a reception for Latine community leaders, and we’ve attended numerous meetings, lunches, cafecitos, and public events where Regis was honored. It’s become clear that Regis is a revered institution.  Many of our leaders see Regis University as an incubator for future leaders who will have the empathy, ethics, critical thinking, and communication skills needed to solve the world’s most urgent problems.  The love from the broader community—expressed through a City Council Proclamation honoring both Regis’ HSI designation and the historic appointment of President Aceves, along with the numerous offers to support, collaborate, and celebrate our mission and our role in the community—has been heartening, especially as we make our way through challenging times. 

We in the ODEIE hope that you’ll stop by some of the events we have planned, especially the first Good Trouble Conversation this Friday, which will kick off Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 through October 15.  Please click on the links in the Regist for the HSI week and Hispanic Heritage Month schedules.  We invite you to learn more about the diversity of Latine experiences, histories, and cultures.”

Thank you, Nicki. As a Jesuit Catholic institution, and as Nicki highlighted earlier, we are dedicated to thoughtful discussion, careful planning, and action. I also extend my encouragement and an invitation to attend and actively engage in the upcoming campus events. Your participation is a meaningful opportunity to explore further how we can better serve our students and each other. Together, we can craft the next chapter with a strong sense of unity and compassion.

Kindly,

Salvador D. Aceves, Ed.D

President