Program designed to increase diverse representation in executive, senior-level positions in higher education
GARY, Ind. — Amy Diaz, chief of staff in the Office of the Chancellor at Indiana University Northwest, was selected by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) as a fellow for the fifth cohort of its Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo.
The program is designed to increase diverse representation in executive and senior-level positions in higher education. This year’s cohort is comprised of 50 individuals — the largest group to date — all with diverse and substantive experience in higher education.
Through this program, the cohort will participate in leadership development activities to prepare for leadership roles in higher education institutions, with an emphasis on Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and Emerging HSIs. The Leadership Academy faculty consists of current and former presidents, chancellors and senior administrators with over 100 years of combined experience in various sectors of higher education.
“I am excited to have been selected for this opportunity with HACU and I look forward to further developing my leadership capacity and delivering a capstone project with positive outcomes for IU Northwest,” Diaz said. “This program intersects well with our campus mission and values as it is grounded in HSI focus while remaining committed to a holistic approach.”
Diaz, a first-generation and nontraditional student, received funding as a fellow through the American Federation of Teachers, which she said “is particularly meaningful as I reflect on the impact my teachers have had on my journey.”
IU Northwest, the most diverse of all Indiana University campuses, has been federally designated as an HSI through the U.S. Department of Education since 2020. With its HSI designation — which is awarded to institutions with an undergraduate full-time Hispanic student population of at least 25% — IU Northwest has received millions in grants to benefit all of its student's learning goals.
Diaz has been at IU Northwest since 2020 as a member of the Chancellor’s Cabinet and executive leadership team. She has served as a co-chair on the HSI Committee and Campus Strategic Planning Committee since 2021 and as the co-chair of Indiana University’s Regional Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) Staff Task Force for nearly two years.
“We are thrilled Amy has received this opportunity,” IU Northwest Chancellor Iwama said. “She has played a vital role in our campus leadership team through our diversity and strategic planning efforts, and I know this program will only help further the mission of IU Northwest and all of Indiana University.”
HACU’s Leadership Academy one-year fellowship program consists of webinars and three seminars. The first seminar will be held in October 2023 in conjunction with HACU’s 37th Annual Conference in Chicago; the second seminar will be held in April in conjunction with HACU’s Annual Capitol Forum in Washington, D.C.; and the third will take place at HACU’s International Conference in Salamanca, Spain.
About HACU
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, founded in 1986, represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Latin America, Spain and school districts throughout the U.S. HACU is the only national association representing existing and emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The Association’s headquarters is in San Antonio, Texas, with regional offices in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento, California.
