Alverno College Names New Chair of Hispanic Student Initiatives Committee

Elena Burke has been named chair of the newly convened Hispanic Serving Initiatives Committee, Heidi Anderson-Isaacson, Ed.D., interim vice president for student success at Alverno College, announced.

The goal of the committee is to maintain the college’s commitment to Latinx student success, from enrollment to graduation, through curricular and co-curricular planning, culturally aware processes and communication, and family involvement. Burke is currently the college’s coordinator for Global Exchange.

“I’m honored to be selected to chair the HSI work at Alverno College,” said Burke. “I’m excited to bring my life and work experiences to the table to coordinate efforts to support and engage with Latinx students as they strive to attain their educational goals.”

Burke holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with minors in Latin American & Latino Studies and Spanish from DePaul University. She is currently an MBA student at Alverno College. Prior to coming to Alverno, Burke served as a community organizer on the northwest side of Chicago, working with Latinx students and families to build equitable schools and communities. She then served as the Drug Free Communities Manager at Safe & Sound, an organization dedicated to building safe neighborhoods in Milwaukee.

Several areas of focus for the committee have been identified. The first key focus is student support, which will be bolstered through several initiatives, including:

• Providing mentors and role models to students
• Establishing a Student Advisory Council designed to make improvements in campus systems, communication and academic support
• Identifying and promoting resources available to Hispanic students
• Identifying and eliminating obstacles to student success and retention
• Improving four-, five- and six-year graduation rates of Hispanic students
• Identifying and establishing initiatives to support Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students
• Creating faculty development opportunities to help them incorporate diverse scholars and multicultural history into the curriculum

Communication to Latinx students and families is another key component of the plan, as are efforts to engage with organizations serving the Hispanic community; identify outside funding to support scholarships and grants for Latinx students; develop bilingual and dedicated HSI staff; and cultivate alumni networks to mentor and support Latinx students.