Best of CASE District I Award
 

Institution: Albertus Magnus College

Title of entry: Albertus Magnus College Supports First Gen Family Decisions

About this entry: Albertus Magnus College is a minority-majority institution of higher education with 58% Students of Color -- in particular, 23.5% Latinx and 57% First Generation. We continue our quest of becoming a Hispanic Serving Instituion (HSI) where 25% of the student population is Latinx. To achieve this goal, the College's Communications/Marketing and Admissions departments strategically reached out to the Latinx communtiy and First-Gen college students in the tri-state area (CT, NY, NJ) and internationally to inform families about Albertus, a values-based liberal arts Catholic College located in New Haven, CT. We researched and identified venues in which to connect with the community in English and Spanish -- at local churches, libraries, and through the media. Workshops entitled Destino: Mi Futuro were held in Spanish churches; monthly forums about hot topics like scholarships and financial aid were held monthly in partnership with the Hartford Public Library; we rode on a float in the Fairfield County Puerto Rican Parade; and we were showcased in Lateenz (the teen version of Hispanic Outlook for Higher Education) and on WTNH-TV's What Matters Most segment. This achieved exposure, moved the needle in increasing our Latinx population to 24%, and Albertus was awarded a Silver Medal with PRSA-CT. This ongoing venture continues to attract interest -- measured by increased web traffic, phone inquiries, and requests for campus tours. It also helps the College make progress with our Strategic Plan of 2025 -- to go from about 1500 students to 2025 students in our Centennial year (2025).