The University of Nevada, Reno is celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month with a number of events on campus and in the community. These events include Hispanic culture education workshops, salsa lessons, and a panel discussion about what it truly means to be a part of the Hispanic community. The University's Center for Student Cultural Diversity is behind the month's programming striving to promote academic and social success for all students at the University.
"The number of underrepresented students of color is rising," Ricardo Salazar, program coordinator at the Center for Student Cultural Diversity, said "It's in our best interests to create these programs to make students feel like a part of their cultural identities are represented on campus. We take sharing cultural heritage at Nevada very seriously."
With a 16.5 percent Hispanic student population, the University has been named an Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. The University is is seeking to become a Hispanic Serving Institution defined as colleges, universities, or systems/districts where total Hispanic enrollment constitutes a minimum of 25 percent of the total enrollment.