Jersey City, NJ – September 6, 2024 – President Hubert Benitez, D.D.S., Ph.D., announced today that Saint Peter’s University has formally affiliated with Excelencia in Education, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to accelerating Latino student success in higher education. As part of this affiliation, President Benitez has joined the Presidents for Latino Student Success (P4LSS) national network, which consists of university leaders committed to fostering campus environments where Latino students, and all students, can thrive.
Excelencia formed the network in 2011 and Presidents for Latino Student Success in 2014 to support institutional leaders who are transforming higher education to make the country stronger with the contributions, skills and talents of Latino college graduates. Programs and initiatives that work for Latinos can serve other students as well, and thus the nation at large.
Through the P4LSS network, Dr. Benitez will collaborate with Excelencia and other postsecondary leaders to leverage collective expertise and resources, foster partnerships and amplify current efforts to accelerate Latino student success in higher education at the national level.
“I came to Saint Peter’s University to be a part of an institution that offers transformative experiences, promotes access to education, and where students, faculty and staff from all backgrounds have an opportunity to grow and flourish,” said Dr. Benitez. “I am honored to collaborate with an esteemed organization like Excelencia in Education that is pioneering efforts to support student success particularly for the student populations that Saint Peter’s proudly serves.”
Dr. Benitez joins more than 150 leaders that belong to the P4LSS network and lead the nation in enrolling and graduating Latino students. Although the network represents only 5 percent of the thousands of colleges and universities across the country, the network enrolls 32 percent and graduates 34 percent, of all Latino students in higher education.
“Institutional leadership focused on intentionally serving Latino, and all students is the hallmark of the presidents and chancellors in this network,” said Sarita Brown, co-founder and president of Excelencia in Education. “We are proud to catalyze and support them as they advance student success and grow talent for our country’s bright future.”
To learn more about the Presidents for Latino Student Success network and other institutional leaders across the country affiliated with Excelencia, visit: EdExcelencia.org/leadership/presidents-latino-student-success.
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About Saint Peter’s University
For more than 150 years, Saint Peter’s University, inspired by its Jesuit, Catholic identity, commitment to individual attention and grounding in the liberal arts, educates a diverse community of learners in undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional programs to excel intellectually, lead ethically, serve compassionately and promote justice in our ever-changing urban and global environment. To learn more, please visit www.saintpeters.edu.
About Excelencia in Education
In 2024, Excelencia in Education marks 20 years of service to accelerate Latino student success in higher education by promoting Latino student achievement, conducting analysis to inform educational policies and advancing institutional practices while collaborating with those committed and ready to meet the mission. Excelencia has established a network of results oriented educators and policymakers to address the U.S. economy’s needs for a highly educated workforce and engaged civic leaders. For more information, visit: EdExcelencia.org.
Media Contact
Angeline Boyer
(201) 761-6238
aboyer1@saintpeters.edu