AANHPI Higher Education Leadership Summit will be held at UC Berkeley on April 2

With students of Asian descent making up about 42% of its undergraduate studnt body, it is fitting that the University of California, Berkeley host an April 2 summit of higher education leaders from colleges serving AANHPI students.

The University of California, Berkeley is hosting a summit for institutions serving large
numbers of AANHPI students.

AANHPI leaders, education experts and officials from the current administration will convene to discuss the challenges facing the AANHPI communities in the field of education, and spotlight institutions that have been successful in catering to their needs.

The summit will also spotlight innovative institutions of higher education – including Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions(AANAPISIs) and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (NHSIs) – that have made strides to build inclusive campus communities, create culturally responsive academic support services, and promote student success.

 

“Minority-Serving Institutions often serve as empowering and helpful resources for students and recent graduates interested in public service, including those from Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities,” said US Office of Personnel Management Director Kiran Ahuja. 

“As the federal government’s chief human resources agency, OPM is deeply committed to developing policies and services that advance equity across federal agencies and remove barriers to serve for underserved communities.”

The event, which will be co-hosted by OPM, will bring together Biden-Harris Administration officials with higher education leaders, faculty, administrators, and staff to share best practices and address urgent challenges facing Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AA and NHPI) in higher education.

Over the past two years, the White House Initiative of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) has hosted numerous virtual and in-person events to engage with AA and NHPI communities across the nation. This includes efforts to highlight federal internship and fellowship opportunities, demystify the federal jobs application process, and raise awareness about critical federal resources available for Minority-Serving Institutions. 

Following the April 2 summit, the White House Initiative plans to continue to deepen its engagement with higher education leaders, students, and faculty to empower AA and NHPI communities and bolster pathways to public service.

The UC Berkeley summit is the first to be held on the West Coast where a majority of AANHPI reside. It marks a major step in WHIAANHPI’s efforts to put the promise of higher education in reach for more Americans – and builds on several key actions taken by the Biden-Harris Administration, including:

• Celebrating AANAPISI Week: In September 2023, President Joe Biden issued the first-ever White House proclamation to recognize National Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) Week.

• Launching a higher education listening tour: In late 2023, WHIAANHPI kicked off a national listening tour to deepen community collaborations and strengthen the infrastructure of both AANAPISIs and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions as they prepare students to thrive in the workforce. To date, WHIAANHPI has made initial stops at Queens College, City University of New York (CUNY) and the University of Massachusetts Lowell, with additional visits to AANAPISI and AANHSI campuses being planned later this year.

• Tackling barriers to educational attainment: With the release of the Administration’s first-ever national strategy to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPI communities in January 2023, WHIAANHPI and the U.S. Department of Education are working to create a higher education system that is more inclusive, equitable, and affordable for all Americans.

“Our White House Initiative is laser focused on building on President Biden’s commitment to strengthen the capacity of Minority-Serving Institutions that have long served as engines of opportunity and empowerment for millions of Americans,” said WHIAANHPI Executive Director Krystal Ka‘ai. 

“With our higher education leadership development summit, we look forward to continuing to strengthen our engagement with students and higher education leaders to advance educational equity for our diverse AA and NHPI communities.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.