By Cynthia Hubert

September 30, 2021

A Sacramento State academic support program for students has received national recognition for its efforts to help Latinx students excel in college.

The University’s Supplemental Instruction program, which assists students enrolled in historically challenging general education courses, is one of just 21 nationwide named finalists for Excelencia in Education’s 2021 Examples of Excelencia highlighting practices that improve Latinx success in higher education.

Last year, the University received the organization’s prestigious Seal of Excelencia for its commitment to Latino students. The certification highlights data, policies, and practices that support the success of students who identify as Latinx.

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Sac State was designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution in 2015 after meeting the threshold of 25% of its full-time undergraduate students identifying as members of that group. The designation makes the University eligible for federal grants designed to help advance Latinx education.

In recent years Sac State has made steady progress in enrolling and graduating Latinx students through variety of programs aimed at addressing those students’ academic, social, emotional, and physical needs.

The Supplemental Instruction Program is part of Sac State’s Peer and Academic Resource Center, where students, guided by faculty coordinators, help other scholars learn during a one-unit course. The program offers academic support for students enrolled in historically challenging general education courses including Biology, Chemistry, Economics, and History.

Students who enroll have performed measurably better than those who have not taken part in the program, said PARC Director and Assistant Vice President of Strategic Success Tina Abena Jordan.

Four of the 21 finalists for the Examples of Excelencia recognition will be honored as winners at the annual Celebracion de Excelencia on Thursday, Oct. 28.