(Name-mce) ListServ AAHHE March 9-11 Costa Mesa CA

[Villanueva Anselmo]

2nd Annual National Conference

"Shaping the Future-Formando el Futuro: Focus on the Solutions, Develop the Talent"


The second annual conference of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education will offer plenary sessions, concurrent sessions and workshops based on the 2006 Conference Town Hall meeting held March 4, 2006. In addition, the suggestions submitted by the 2006 conference participants will also be incorporated into the 2007 conference design. 
 
Date: March 9-11, 2007
Location: Hilton Costa Mesa, Costa Mesa, California
 
Information and call for proposals: http://aahhe.org/conference.aspx <http://aahhe.org/conference.aspx> 
 
Please mark your calendar and join us for the 2nd Annual National Conference, "Shaping the Future-Formando el Futuro:  Focus on Solutions, Develop the Talent." March 9-11, 2007, Hilton Costa Mesa Hotel, Costa Mesa, California.  The conference sleeping room rate is $109 per night.  The hotel is a few minutes from the John Wayne Airport, Orange County, California. 

The second annual conference of the American Association of Hispanic in Higher Education will offer plenary sessions, concurrent sessions and workshops based on the 2006 Conference Town Hall meeting held March 4, 2006. In addition, the suggestions submitted by the 2006 conference participants will also be incorporated into the 2007 conference design. 

Keynote Speakers:

*	Fabian Nunez, Speaker of the California State Assembly (invited) 
*	Richard Tapia, University Professor, Maxfield-Oshman Professorship in Engineering, Department of Computational and Applied Mathematics, Rice University in Houston 
*	Sonia Nazario, featured writer for LA Times, 2003 Pulitzer prize winner for featured writing, and author of "Enrique's Journey" 
*	Arturo Madrid, The Norine R. and T. Frank Murchison Distinguished Professor of the Humanities, Trinity University 
*	Raymond V. Padilla, Professor, College of Education and Human Development, University of Texas at San Antonio 
*	Francisco Rodriguez, President of Consumnes Community College (Los Rios Community College District), Sacramento, California 

The American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) is an agent of change for improving education, thus enabling Hispanic students to fully participate in a diverse society. AAHHE works collaboratively with all sectors of education, business, industry, as well as community and professional organizations to enhance the educational aspirations and to meet the needs of a significantly increasing Hispanic population. 
 
Rationale:

Major demographic changes are affecting the American landscape. In particular, the Hispanic population constitutes the largest "minority" population. At the same time, Hispanics are still underrepresented in all segments of higher education, with only 2.8% of all full-time faculty and administrators being Hispanic. 
 
AAHHE is a cross-disciplinary, higher education organization primarily focused on the need to develop Latino/a faculty and senior administrators as well as serving as a leading research and advocacy group for Hispanic higher education issues. 
 
Scope:

The American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) is a national, educational, IRS-approved 501(c)3, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of higher education. 
 
AAHHE upholds two critical beliefs: 1) That higher education should address the needs of Hispanics, and 2) That institutions of higher education can be more effective in meeting the needs of a changing U.S. demography. 
 
Objectives:

The focus of this organization will be to:
 
1. Increase the number of Hispanics attending and completing graduate programs in higher education.
2. Share with the greater higher education community our perspective and value of diversity.
3. Assist in shaping the impact of science and technology in the teaching/learning process.
4. Prepare a more diverse student population in higher education to work in a global environment.
5. Prepare more Hispanics to pursue a career in higher education in faculty and senior-level positions.
6. Be an advocate and a convener for public policy and issues in higher education that affect Hispanics by providing testimony to appropriate audiences.
7. Pursue research projects that are pertinent to Latinos in higher education
 
The American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) is not a new organization, but rather an evolving organization. It is an outgrowth of the Hispanic Caucus, which was a component of the now defunct American Association of Higher Education (AAHE). As such, AAHHE has a twenty year history. 

Throughout its history, AAHHE has been involved in numerous activities with three goals in mind: (1) Increasing the pipeline of Hispanic faculty in higher education; (2) Bringing issues pertinent to Hispanics to the attention of the larger academic community; and (3) Recognizing the achievements and accomplishments of Hispanics as they pertain to our academy. 

AAHHE has worked toward these goals in a variety of ways. It created a Latino/a Graduate Fellows program providing Hispanic doctoral studies students interested in entering the professorial ranks the opportunity to attend former AAHHE's national conference. At that conference, they are introduced to Hispanic professors and administrators from across the nation. Fellows are provided guidance, instruction and mentors to help them navigate the complexities of higher education. Special presentations and programs are developed exclusively for this group. Throughout its history over 115 doctoral students have participated in this program. AAHHE has also developed the Junior Faculty Fellows Program to provide sponsorship for junior faculty to attend the national conference. 

The Tomas Rivera Lecture program has been a highlight of the national conference, drawing on some of the best known experts to speak to issues and concerns facing our nation and our institutions of higher education. These have included such people as Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison, U.S. Secretary Henry Cisneros, Ron Takiki, Ann Reynolds, Tomás Arciniega and Piedad Robertson, Raul Yzaquirre and Jim Cummings. 

To celebrate and recognize the work of Hispanics in higher education and other national leaders, the AAHHE awards program was created to honor these individuals at a special luncheon at the national conference. Awards are provided in the areas of Leadership in Higher Education, Research/Teaching in Higher Education, Service/Teaching in Higher Education, Outstanding Support of Hispanic Issues in Higher Education, Fine or Performing Arts, and Literary Arts or Publications. 

AAHHE will continue these traditions and create others. Although AAHHE evolved from its parent organization, the issues and concerns have not changed significantly. AAHHE is an institutional and individual member-based organization with sponsorship from colleges and universities throughout the country. It is also sponsored by businesses that recognize the value and importance Hispanics bring to our communities, states and country.