National Hispanic University
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 National Hispanic University logo | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Active | 1981–2015 |
Parent institution | Laureate International Universities |
| President | David P. López |
| Provost | Gladys Ato |
Academic staff | 12 full-time, 60 part-time [1] |
| Students | 700[1] |
| Location | , California , United States 37°21′33″N 121°48′58″W / 37.3591°N 121.8161°W |
| Campus | Urban |
| Mascot | Golden Eagles |
| Website | www.nhu.edu |
 | |
The National Hispanic University (NHU) was a small, private university located in San Jose, California, United States. Founded by Wichita State University and UC Berkeley graduate Dr. B. Roberto Cruz,[2] it was the first four-year Latino university in the United States. NHU's vision was to foster "a caring learning environment where students have felt valued and supported at every step in their academic journey. Embracing diversity and multiple perspectives as guiding principles."[3] National Hispanic University ceased operations on August 23, 2015.[4]
Campus
The National Hispanic University was founded in 1981 in Oakland, California, to address the needs of Hispanic men and women, particularly those who are first in their families to attend college.[5] Founder Dr. Roberto Cruz, a Texas native and first-generation college graduate, had studied the disproportionately large impact historically black colleges and universities had in generating both undergraduate and professional degree graduates within the Black community.[6] Predicting that the Latinos would be the largest population in California, Dr. Cruz's vision was to have a similarly positive impact on the Hispanic community in the United States and to create an institution that served their particular needs.[7]
In 1990, the university opened a San Jose campus and moved to a larger facility in Oakland. In 1994, NHU closed both campuses and moved to a new campus in East San Jose.
For several years, National Hispanic University published an annual report card on Hispanic quality of life.[8] From 1981 to 1986, NHU also published reports on women of La Raza, Cesar Chavez, bilingual special education, Las Posadas, and "Steps to Humanity."[9]
To better serve local youth, NHU established an Upward Bound program in Oakland.[3]
NHU was located in a predominantly Latino and working-class neighborhood in the San Jose foothills. In its inception, all of the classrooms and offices were located into one building.[6]
Accreditation
The university was accredited by WASC[10] and was rated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a "Baccalaureate College", with an academic breadth rated as "Diverse Fields"[11]
