By Fiona Hernandez | October 17, 2022
President Rodríguez was appointed to President Biden’s Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics on Sept. 30. This announcement followed the University at Albany’s acceptance of the Seal of Excelencia.
President Rodríguez at Excelencia in Education
Photo Credit: @HavidanUAlbany on Twitter
The Commission aims to support the Hispanic and Latino community and provide students of these backgrounds with educational opportunities. There are 20 other members who have been appointed by President Biden on this advisory commission. Each of them will be working together to provide assistance to Hispanic and Latino students in education by providing them with the tools necessary for a successful career path.
UAlbany is recognized as an institution with a high rate of diversity among its students. The university received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award in September for its fifth consecutive year. The HEED is awarded to universities that make diversity, equity, and inclusion a mission to serve for college students. The university has also reported the freshman class of 2026 to be the most diverse in the university's history, with 44% of students identifying as Black or Latino.
President Rodríguez said in a press release that he is honored to serve in the White House Commission and wants to make it a priority for students in underrepresented communities to receive the support that they need.
"For so many families, higher education is a gateway to life-changing opportunities that would otherwise have remained out of reach,” President Rodríguez said. “Not only was that my experience, but we see it every day in the classrooms and laboratories at the University at Albany. We are enormously proud of the work we’ve done at UAlbany to support the success of underrepresented students on our campus, and I look forward to bringing those best practices and experiences to the Commission’s work for the benefit of students across the country.”