Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) is ranked as one of the top 100 community colleges in the country as an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution.
Maria Ammar, Associate Dean at SLCC joined us to tell us more about this new designation.
She says about 20 percent of SLCC's student population is Latinx and they anticipate that number to reach 25 percent in the next several years.
The Hispanic Outlook on Education magazine ranked SLCC as one of the few emerging Hispanic Serving Institutions, an honor that no school in Utah has had before.
Ammar says reaching and serving Utah's Latinx population is a core part of the school's values and part of its strategic mission, which prioritizes advancing inclusivity by increasing access to education and providing a safe, supportive environment.
SLCC has one of the most diverse student bodies among Utah's higher education institutions, and the only higher education institution located int he diverse West Side of Salt Lake County.
More than 50 percent of SLCC students are first-generation college students, and the majority of them work at least one job.
Understanding the unique challenges and life scenarios of these students guides SLCC in providing them with what they need to meet their academic goals, says Ammar.
SLCC's 11 educational locations are in areas where there are prevalent Latinx communities. Especially notable is SLCC's West Valley Center, home to the Dream Center — the second undocumented resource center in the state.
For more information please visit: slcc.edu.
