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PCC crosses Hispanic-Serving Institution threshold as Latine student success grows

Story by James Hill

Oregon’s community colleges are bringing students back for a new academic year. 91���� is working on the harder question: What will help them stay?

This fall term, PCC will transition from Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution to Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) status after reaching the enrollment threshold associated with becoming a HSI school — 25% Hispanic undergraduate enrollment. Federal HSI grant eligibility is measured in full-time equivalents, alongside other requirements, including offering strategic initiatives focused on Hispanic student enrollment, retention, and success.

PCC’s Latine student enrollment grew by over 33% from 2021 to 2025 and the college’s new credit students this fall are 32.1% Latine. Achieving full HSI status unlocks federal funding to strengthen bilingual support, culturally responsive teaching, and equity initiatives designed to help Latine students thrive.

“Becoming a Hispanic-Serving Institution is about much more than reaching an enrollment threshold,” said Efraín Rivas-Flores, dean of College Access Programs. “It means looking closely at how we teach, advise and support students so Latine students and ultimately all students have equitable opportunities to belong, succeed and complete their goals.”

The HSI work is making news. Rivas-Flores and Liz Mota, DREAMers and Latine Student Success coordinator, appeared on KGW’s “Hello, Rose City!” program to discuss the growing interest in HSI and serving a historically underserved community.

For PCC, the broader goal is changing how students experience college, from their first enrollment question through graduation or employment. PCC’s HSI Task Force is using framework to connect student data, effective practices and leadership accountability.

“We are examining the entire student experience, from the first application through graduation or transfer, to better understand where barriers exist and how we can remove them,” added Rivas-Flores.

Its College Access Latinx Initiative, known as CALI, demonstrates what that support can look like. Launched in 2022, CALI has served 122 students, all identifying as Latine, including 30 during the 2024–25 academic year. The cohort-based program combines bilingual family engagement, advising, emergency resources, academic planning and peer mentoring for Latine, first-generation, DACA and mixed-status students.

According to the program, participants completed 78% of attempted credits over three years, compared with 69% among Latine students outside CALI. First-year retention reached 100% for the first two cohorts, compared with 52.6% for Latine nonparticipants. The program also reports an average graduation rate of 92%.

“CALI shows what is possible when we intentionally design support around students’ experiences,” said Liz Mota, DREAMers and Latine Student Success coordinator. “We have seen students go from being the first in their families to navigate college to becoming paid peer mentors who now help the next generation find their own path forward.”

CALI was named a finalist in. Former participants now return as paid peer mentors, helping students navigate financial aid, registration and college resources.

“Some of our strongest work is happening through programs that combine culturally responsive support with personal relationships,” Rivas-Flores said. “When students have trusted peers, advisers and community partners helping them navigate college, financial aid and other challenges, they are much more likely to feel that they belong here.”

Other efforts address barriers beyond the classroom. PCC formalized a partnership with SOAR Immigration Legal Services and the City of Portland for campus legal assistance and educational workshops. It secured a combined $267,000 in funding, $150,000 directly from the City Council and $117,000 from the Office of Civic Engagement, to support PCC students through immigration legal services and culturally responsive programming.  

Through La Bienvenida, 15 student leaders helped 45 students complete enrollment steps and connect with resources.

PCC is also examining financial aid access, achievement gaps and belonging while developing a framework that follows students from discovery and enrollment through completion and employment. Faculty and staff development will support more culturally responsive teaching and services.

“Our goal is to build a culture of ‘servingness’ across the entire college,” he said. “This cannot be the responsibility of one program or one division; it has to become part of how PCC designs its policies, curriculum, services, hiring practices and community partnerships.”

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