About the HSI mini grant series
Each year, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion awards a variety of high-impact mini grants to campus projects that support Latino students through targeted initiatives. Last year, the office distributed $35,000 across 17 projects. This story is one of 11 Mustang News features highlighting where and how those grants made an impact.
The Mustang Success Center, in collaboration with University Advising, launched the “La Familia y Communidad” Advising Pilot in August.
Utilizing funding from the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) grants awarded by Cal Poly in Fall 2024, the project inverts the traditional approach to advising by bringing families into the process, rather than keeping them out of the picture.
The program keeps parents and supports looped through not through advising meetings, but through shared information, resources and cultural connections.
The pilot is co-funded by Parent & Family Programs with Cynthia Avila Alfaro as the project coordinator and Angelica Martinez-Gonzalez as the advisor.
“Becoming an HSI at Cal Poly requires intentionality in the way that we serve our students,” the website wrote. “This project is deliberately investing and cultivating the familial capital of Cal Poly students in understanding advising resources and navigating higher education.”
The program is designed as a yearlong advising experience centered on the idea of familial capital, the cultural strengths, relationships and community ties that students bring with them to college.
The pilot begins at orientation, where families learn about academic expectations, advising structures, and the transition to college life. Throughout the year, they receive quarterly newsletters and recorded videos about registration, campus resources, financial aid and academic milestones.
The goal of the program is to empower families and supporters with the same information and tools that students receive.
“The goal is also to create a connection with parents, guardians and/or supporters so that they can feel connected to the institution their student has chosen to attend,” Keegan Koberl, a university spokesperson, said.
A Spanish-language website also provides year-round resources for families.
In Fall 2024, Cal Poly reached the 25% enrollment requirement to become an HSI.
READ HERE: Road to HSI: Hispanic/Latino enrollment hits 25% for the first time
While each mini-grant project focuses on a different area, from academic support to community outreach, they collectively reflect a larger goal: ensuring Cal Poly’s future of becoming an HSI.