This past January 15 and 16, 2009, HETS had a very successful Board Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with an exceptional attendance and active participation of 21 out of 27 institutional members. This meeting closed the first semester of the academic year 2008-2009, a very exciting year for the organization and its members, as it commemorated HETS’s 15th Anniversary.
Main topics discussed during the meeting included: a report on activities performed by the HETS Regional Office in New York, as well as on Professional Development Events and other Special Events held this past semester; the status of the organizations and the various strategies performed to sustain the organization and serve its members; a detailed reports on the results of the work of HETS’s three strategic task forces; steps for the development of a HETS editorial publication; a review of the accomplishments and implementation status of the HETS Strategic Plan, as well as its organizational performance; and several other potential projects to be developed in order to foster the growth of the organization and provide members with access to more valuable resources and key services.
During this meeting, members were introduced to one of the newest member of the Consortium, CUNY’s College of Staten Island, a prestigious institution with a great vision for the future of minorities, especially Hispanics. This semester, Board members also had the chance to network and exchange thoughts with representatives from five key corporations, who joined the Executive Committee in a special meeting to discuss potential projects of benefit to HETS members and the Hispanic educational community.
- There is an increased interest in taking the activities currently taking place in Puerto Rico and New York to other states where HETS members are located, as well as other regions with high representation of Hispanics in higher education, given HETS’s aim to increase the chances for Hispanic students to be successful in college.
- Board members manifested interest in having HETS move forward with special events and conferences on virtual education celebrated in regions such as New York and Texas, given their relevance for other faculty dealing with Hispanic students.
- The HETS Board agreed to have HETS’s first editorial publication released on Spring of 2010.
- The results from the research work done by the HETS Task Forces on the technology, faculty development, and students support status of HETS member institutions are expected to be shared with all members and other HSIs and emerging HSIs as a means to share best practices and promote interest in the further development of initiatives within and among institutions serving the Hispanic learner.
- HETS will be building stronger and more effective relationships with corporations and other nonprofit organizations to keep increasing the impact of its work and brining new opportunities for its member institutions and their constituencies.
- Several Board committees were appointed to work with issues related to HETS educational events, strategic planning, and the HETS editorial publication.
The next Board Meeting is scheduled to take place on June 29 and 30, 2009 in Texas. We will keep you informed of further details on this meeting.