IU Northwest’s Ken Iwama affiliates with Excelencia in Education’s Presidents for Latino Student Success network

Campus’s commitment to accelerating Latino/Hispanic student success

Excelencia in Education, the nation’s premier authority in efforts accelerating Latino/Hispanic student success in higher education, announced today that Ken Iwama, Indiana University Northwest Chancellor, has chosen to be a part of the Presidents for Latino Student Success network.

This important national network is comprised of college and university presidents and chancellors who commit to making their institution’s learning environments where Latino/Hispanic students thrive.

Excelencia professionals, the leadership network and their campus teams actively collaborate to put evidence-based practices and strategic analysis of student data to use, supporting and advancing the talents, skills and contributions of Latino/Hispanic students and the institutions.

Through the network, Iwama will collaborate with Excelencia to leverage collective expertise and resources, foster partnerships and amplify current efforts at the national level.

“IU Northwest is proud to work with Excelencia in Education and I am truly honored to serve the Presidents for Latino Student Success network,” Iwama said. “Excelencia’s mission aligns directly with IU Northwest’s designation as a nationally recognized Hispanic Serving Institution. As our campus’s Hispanic student population continues to grow, we remain committed to providing transformative opportunities that will enhance and enrich the lives of all our students.”

In 2020, IU Northwest was designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution and continues to be the only public comprehensive higher education institution in Indiana to hold the designation. The most diverse of all IU campuses, IU Northwest’s student body is 27 percent Hispanic and 18 percent African American.

Sarita Brown, co-founder and President of Excelencia, said, “Higher education leaders with skills and vision are fundamental to our country’s strong recovery. Those prepared to engage and intentionally serve Latino students, while serving all their students, will lead the way.”

Excelencia is honored to work with the trendsetting presidents and chancellors who have accepted this challenge. The leaders in the network have made common cause with Excelencia to accelerate Latino student success in higher education.

Excelencia’s network is transforming higher ed

Of the thousands of colleges and universities across the country, the more than 150 leaders of the 175 institutions in the network enroll one in four of all Latino students in higher education.

More importantly, these institutions account for one in three of all Latino graduates.

In fact, a subset of the Excelencia network — 30 institutions that have been certified with the Seal of Excelencia — represents 13 percent of all Latino enrollment and graduates 14 percent of all Latinos in the United States.

To learn more about Presidents for Latino Student Success network and the other institutional leaders across the country affiliated with Excelencia click here.

About Excelencia in Education

Excelencia in Education accelerates Latino student success in higher education by promoting Latino student achievement, conducting analysis to inform educational policies, and advancing institutional practices while collaborating with those committed and ready to meet the mission. Launched in 2004 in the nation’s capital, Excelencia has established a network of results oriented educators and policymakers to address the U.S. economy’s needs for a highly educated workforce and engaged civic leaders.