April 26, 2004

Wells Fargo has awarded $100,000 to the University of Houston Center for Mexican American Studies Program (CMAS) to assist UH in its efforts to help Hispanic students complete their education. Within the next 10 years, Hispanics are expected to be the majority of Houston’s population, but the percentage of Mexican-Americans earning college degrees still remains below the national average. One of CMAS’ principal objectives is the recruitment and retention of Hispanic students at the university to lessen this gap. The center is working on fulfilling a $5 million endowment goal, which will be dedicated to its students.

Pictured left to right: Glenn V. Godkin, president of Greater Houston Region, Wells Fargo; Rosanna Moreno, vice president of private banking, Wells Fargo, and CMAS campaign chair; Tatcho Mindiola, director of the UH Center for Mexican American Studies and associate professor of sociology; and Jay Gogue, chancellor of the UH System and president of the University of Houston.

The fund will be a secure source of money for CMAS scholarships and services. The center has already raised $1.5 million of the goal and will continue to approach businesses and individuals in its campaign and is accepting help from anyone who might support its work.

“CMAS has endowed professors and endowed chairs but there is no center in the country that has its own endowment to help fund all of its projects,” said Tatcho Mindiola, director of the center and associate professor of sociology. “We don’t see the endowment as replacing the state budget – but we are hopeful that over time, the endowment will continue to grow.”

With the recent Wells Fargo donation CMAS is one step closer to stabilizing its programs.

“Wells Fargo understands the educational needs of the Hispanic community in Houston and across the nation,” Glenn V. Godkin, president of the Greater Houston Region for Wells Fargo. “We are proud of the work Tatcho has accomplished and hope this contribution inspires others to join the cause and help shine light on this issue.” Backing Mindiola in raising funds is Rosanna Moreno, the CMAS endowment campaign chair and vice president of private banking for Wells Fargo.

“The larger the Hispanic population grows the more educated it needs to become,” said Moreno. “There is a major education imbalance within our communities. Tatcho realizes the educational needs of the people. And for years he and his team have been addressing the problem and making things happen.”

It is just that sort of imbalance CMAS has been working to alleviate. Through its Urban Experience Program (UEP), created in 1994, CMAS offers support to program participants in the form of mentoring, mandatory tutorial and study hall, internships and skills workshops. Launched with a dozen students, UEP now serves 75 undergraduates, many of who are at-risk students from inner city schools.

Out of its nearly 150 student participants, UEP and its predecessor, the Hispanic Family College Project founded in 1986, have helped 75 percent graduate.

Most of the students in the program are from local high schools including Austin, Milby, Reagan and Eisenhower, though there are a few from around the state.

In addition to UEP, the center sponsors a high school retention program for students at Stephen F. Austin High School: Students Aspiring to a Better Education (SABE). Established in 1986, the program offers career guidance, academic tutoring, mentoring services, skill workshops, self-development seminars and personal intervention.

“Our programs give students the confidence and the tools to become successful professionals; and they prepare students for leadership roles in our community,” said Rebeca Treviño, CMAS program coordinator. “I’ve seen the students’ growth, both personally and professionally, and we couldn’t be more proud of those who have committed themselves to their education.”

Overall, UH is among the premiere institutions for Hispanics. Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education magazine placed it in the Top 20 schools in the United States in its latest rankings. Last year, nearly 18 percent of the university’s enrollment was Hispanic. UH awarded nearly 1,000 degrees to Hispanic graduates in May 2003.

About the Center for Mexican American Studies (CMAS)
The Center for Mexican American Studies was established in 1972 as an interdisciplinary program encompassing the humanities, fine arts, communications, education and social sciences. Its mission is to advance knowledge, promote critical thinking and foster the value of service to the community. This involves designing and teaching courses, undertaking research projects, and engaging in a broad spectrum of public and scholarly programs. Located within the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, CMAS has evolved into an academic unit with four components: teaching, research and publications, recruitment and retention, and community service. For more information please call 713/743-3136.

About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.

Leticia Konigsberg
lkonigsberg@uh.edu