HACU interim president and CEO joins panel at UCLA Organizational Change Forum

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities' Interim President and CEO David A. Ortiz participated in the panel "California's Emerging State MSI Designation Landscape," during the 2026 Organizational Change Forum at UCLA. The forum brought together UCLA students, faculty, staff, alumni, and senior leaders, along with higher education scholars and policymakers, to discuss the enactment of state designations for California Hispanic-Serving Institutions (CHSIs), Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANHPIs), and Black-Serving Institutions (BSIs). Discussions focused on moving from California landmark legislation to implementation, defining meaningful servingness, and how state policy can support sustained institutional transformation.

The panel, moderated by California Community Colleges Deputy Chancellor Rowena Tomaneng, also featured Compton Community College President and CEO Keith Curry. Ortiz discussed HACU's role in advancing CHSIs designation as the organizational sponsor of SB 1255, as well as its support for the AANHPI-Serving Institution designation and California's BSI legislation.

The panel was followed by a keynote address from Gina Garcia, professor, UC Berkeley. HACU's leadership role included building the coalition and generating statewide support for the legislation, as well as helping shape the framework for California's approach to HSI designation. The Association's ongoing advocacy and coalition-building efforts, involvement in implementation and support for future state investment were also discussed.