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Seal of Excelencia Framework
 

Excelencia in Education drives excellence at colleges and universities for Latino students knowing that an intentional, mission-driven investment in serving them ensures all students, their communities, and our country are served. To that end, Excelencia established the Seal of Excelencia, a rigorous, studentcentered, data-informed certification framework that requires colleges and universities to show momentum leading to continuous improvement in student and institutional outcomes. Institutions earn this national standard of excellence through an intentional alignment of data, evidence-based practices, and leadership, all resulting in students’ educational and economic success.

The Seal of Excelencia framework reinforces four essential components of higher education value: 1) Ensuring all students succeed; 2) Supporting continuous improvement institution-wide; 3) Enhancing economic/social mobility; and 4) Demonstrating effective use of public funds. It represents over 20 years of experience listening to, learning from, and working with institutions.

The Seal of Excelencia framework has three core components: 

Data

Institutions collect, disaggragate, and analyze three to five years of data for impact in six key data areas:

  1. Enrollment of Latino, and all, students;

  2. Retention of Latino, and all, students;

  3. Transfer in and out of Latino, and all, students;

  4. Financial support of Latino, and all, students;

  5. Representation of Latino, and all, in administration, faculty, and staff to further model success; and, 

  6. Degree completion of Latino, and all, students.

Practice

Institutions intentionally implement and advance at least three evidence-based programs and policies with data on impact in six key practice areas: 

  1. Enrollment of Latino, and all, students;

  2. Retention of Latino, and all, students;

  3. Transfer in and out of Latino, and all, students; 

  4. Financial support of Latino, and all, students;

  5. Representation of Latinos in administration, faculty, and staff to further model success; and,

  6. Degree completion of Latino, and all, students;

Leadership

Institutions demonstrate intentional commitment to improve student success in five leadership areas to their strategic plan: 

  1. Mission and strategy – Where aspects of the institution’s mission and strategy are articulated and implemented to intentionally include Latino students’ success.

  2. Data and practice – How disaggregated data (by race and ethnicity) and institutional practices are aligned to inform initiatives that improve Latino, and all, student success.

  3. Human resources – How recruitment, onboarding, and professional development (especially for faculty) articulate serving Latino students and the institutional community while serving all.

  4. Communications – Where internal and external communications are leveraged to share information making the intentionality to serve Latino students, amongst all, clear. This can keep momentum building toward goals set by the college and across the institution and community.

  5. Institutional culture – How the institution articulates authentically its intentionality in SERVING Latino students, including how students are cultivated and supported overall.