THE BUSINESS OF DIVERSITY: THE FISCAL CRISIS OF THE STATE AND ITS IMPACT ON HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTIONS IN CALIFORNIA HIGHER EDUCATION

Is the purpose of Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSIs) to enroll diverse students or fill a financial deficit? I use critical analysis of quantifiable data and mixed methods in conjunction with excerpts of the California State University (CSU) system’s mission to investigate CSU HSIs. I argue that CSU HSI designations are primarily sought for monetary purposes due to the impact of California’s fiscal crisis, rather than a sincere effort to actively enroll and employ the state’s diverse communities of color, including Latinx, which violates various aspects of the CSU mission. 

This research contributes to the scant literature on CSU HSIs, provides students with tools to address the adverse frameworks of Proposition 209, and attempts to rearticulate the state's fiscal crisis.