Vice Chancellor Depew selected for HACU leadership fellowship program

Elizabeth Babcock Depew, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, is one of 50 fellows selected for the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities’ (HACU) fifth Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo.

This HACU fellowship is a one-year program meant to increase diverse representation in executive and senior-level positions in higher education institutions, and to develop leadership for roles with an emphasis on emerging and current Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI).

PNW anticipates receiving designation as an HSI from the U.S. Dept of Education after two consecutive years where its undergraduate population included more than 25% of students who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino. Of that population segment, approximately 70% of those students are first-generation. Based on its enrollment figures, PNW serves the most Latino students among all Northwest Indiana higher education institutions. Depew and her cohort members will participate in webinars and three in-person seminars. The in-person engagements include upcoming HACU conferences in Chicago, Illinois; Washington, D.C.; and Salamanca, Spain.

The HACU Leadership Academy faculty includes current and former higher education presidents, chancellors and senior administrators who collectively bring over 100 years of experience. Mentorship with a university president or senior-level administrator is a key component, as well as the development of a special project to have an impact at the fellow’s current institution.

“The leadership academic offers a valuable opportunity to gain insights from an experienced community of leaders who understand the higher education journey of Latino students and have been able to implement supportive environments for success. I’m looking forward to collaborating with other leaders on a project that will have a positive impact on the student experience on campus,” said Depew.

Depew is currently working on her Doctor of Education (EdD) in Higher Education from Northern Illinois University. Her dissertation focuses on the lived experiences of Latino students at an emerging Midwest HSI and how they feel best served by their universities.

PNW’s office of Hispanic-Serving Institution Initiatives facilitates resources and opportunities for the university’s Latino student population, including community and family engagement at external events; attendance at professional conferences and support for the Somos PNW academic scholarship; bilingual admissions materials; and biannual affinity ceremonies for Latino graduates.