West LA Times

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is set to open the Latinx Success Center on Cesar Chavez Day. This initiative is part of UCLA's ongoing efforts to achieve the status of a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). The center aims to enhance student achievement and provide support for both students and the broader community.

Claudia Salcedo, assistant vice provost for academic partnerships, describes the center as "a place where our students feel like home." Salcedo was among the many staff, faculty, students, and alumni who contributed to establishing this new hub focused on student excellence.

In 2022, an HSI task force published "The Seeds of Change," a report outlining how UCLA could attain federal designation as an HSI. This goal was initially set in 2020 by then-Chancellor Gene Block. Both Block and University of California President Michael Drake have emphasized addressing gaps in student opportunity amid changing demographics in California, where about 40% of residents are Latino.

Chancellor Julio Frenk, the first Latino to lead UCLA, highlighted the importance of creating an inclusive environment: “It is critical that UCLA be a place of belonging — a place where everyone is valued, and everyone adds value.”

Adriana Galván, dean and vice provost of undergraduate education, announced the center's creation during last fall’s Latinx Welcome event. The center will be managed by her division alongside student affairs through Salcedo’s office. Elizabeth Gonzalez, director of UCLA’s HSI initiative, hopes it will serve as a model for other institutions: “This work will show the community they belong at UCLA.”

The Latinx Success Center will offer advising services to improve retention and graduation rates and leadership programs to prepare students for their future careers. The office of Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Darnell Hunt provided initial funding for the center.

Student involvement has been key in shaping the center's vision. Diego Emilio Bollo noted that students face complex barriers in higher education: “Students believe this center can represent a commitment to acknowledging and celebrating our diversity.” Jonathan Valenzuela Mejia added that it would provide space for Latino students to express their culture.

The opening celebration on March 31 at De Neve Plaza will feature speeches from university leaders including Frenk, Galván, Gonzalez, and Salcedo. Performances by Danza Azteca Tonatiuh de la Puente and Mariachi de Uclatlán are also planned.

Mejia expressed hope that his younger sister might one day attend UCLA with this supportive space available: “[The center] is built on the work of generations,” he said.

Bollo echoed these sentiments: “We hope it becomes a space for all Latinx students — including Indigenous, Central and South American and Afro-Latinx — to build community and continue to advocate for visibility.”