For Immediate Release: February 4, 2008
Media Contact: Dr. Magdalena de la Teja at (512) 223.9154 or conference @tache.org

The Texas Association of Chicanos in
Higher Education (TACHE)
33rd Annual Conference in Austin

February 13-16 ▪ Doubletree Hotel-Austin ▪ 6505 IH-35 North

Austin, Texas –– The Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education (TACHE), an organization committed to the improvement of educational and employment opportunities for Hispanics in higher education, is holding its 33rd annual conference in Austin.

“Colaborando Para Un Cambio, Latino College Student Success,” will be held February 13-16 at the Doubletree Hotel-Austin, 6505 IH-35 North.

The TACHE mission is critical to the state’s Closing the Gaps initiative. TACHE works to build a college-going culture among the state’s fast-growing demographics, identified as Hispanics, Latinos, Chicanos, and Mexican Americans. Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin make up about 35 percent of the Texas population and 14 percent of the U.S. population. By mid-century, the U.S. Census Bureau projects the Hispanic population in Texas will reach 60 percent.

“It is alarming that today only one out of every two Latinos in Texas graduate from high school and fewer than that enroll in college,” says Magdalena de la Teja, a dean of student services at Austin Community College and TACHE president.

TACHE goals include improving graduation rates, teacher quality, and development education for Hispanic students; training teachers to better meet the needs of bilingual students; measuring learning outcomes; increasing Hispanic educational attainment; and strengthening recruitment and retention strategies.

Gus Cedillo, TACHE president, will kick off the pre-conference program on Wednesday evening, February 13, with a distinguished panel of Latino authors moderated by Arnold Garcia, Editorial Page Editor, Austin American-Statesman.

The opening conference speaker on February 14 is Adam Chavarria, executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, who will discuss “Hispanic Education Reform.”

Vice Chancellor for Learning and Support Services of Tarrant County College District, Robert Aguero, and Chancellor Leonardo de la Garza (the only Chicano chancellor in Texas), will be luncheon speakers discussing “TACHE: The Enabling Link Between Current and Future Student Leaders.”

The evening of February 14 at a special reception, Dr. Ramon Dovalina, Laredo Community College president emeritus, will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

On February 15, Austin Community College District President Stephen Kinslow and Ricardo Romo, president of The University of Texas at San Antonio, will join moderator John Hernandez, chair of the ACC Board of Trustees, and Superintendent Alda Benavides from La Joya I.S.D., to discuss P-16 and other collaborations that make a difference in educating Latinos.

Featured speakers on February 15 include Texas State Historian, Jesus F. de la Teja, who will moderate panelists State Representative Roberto Alonzo (District 104) and State Representative Ana Hernandez (District 143), in a discussion about “Texas Chicano Lawmakers: Past, Present, and Future.” Texas State Sen. Kirk Watson, District 14, will reflect on “Who’s Next: Meeting the Challenges of the New Texas.”

The evening of February 15 at the Awards Banquet with Mistress of Ceremonies Regina Rodriguez, Univision News reporter, cash awards will be awarded to Latino graduate fellowship winners.

Texas Commissioner of Higher Education Raymund Paredes is the closing speaker and is a significant leader in the state’s “Closing the Gaps” campaign started in 2000 that targets adding 630,000 more college students in Texas by 2015. Paredes will discuss the varied initiatives of The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board focusing on Latino student college access and success.

TACHE acknowledges its many conference sponsors including: Diamond: Austin Community College. Platinum: Lumina Foundation for Education; Dallas County Community College District, and Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation. Gold: Tarrant County College District; The University of Texas at Austin; Southwest Airlines; Latinos in Higher Education; University of North Texas—Denton; and University of Texas at San Antonio.