Centro Hispano
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina
April 2, 2007
Estimado Estudiante:
On behalf of the Hispanic/Latino/a Faculty, Staff and Students of UNCW, I welcome you to the Seahawk family. UNCW is one of the brightest stars of the UNC system and a leader in Hispanic concerns for our state and the Southeast.
We are the first public university in North Carolina to have established a center for Hispanic/Latino/a concerns. Our focus is on students, scholarship and community engagement. Last year we increased our Hispanic enrollment by four fold and we are tracking similarly this year. UNCW is committed to the recruitment and success of well-qualified students like yourself. Towards that end, let me alert you to our active Hispanic student group, Mi Gente. They meet weekly and sponsor films, dinners and social functions. We also have a very active Hispanic sorority on campus also. We meet regularly with students and have scheduled special dinners (e.g., end of the semester) at faculty homes.
As to scholarship, we are increasing the number of Hispanic/Latino/a faculty as well as those interested in the teaching and research of related issues. We have several new faculty members focusing exclusively in Latin American studies. Further, we now offer a Latin American Studies minor and are studying the development of a major. There is a special Advisory Group made up of Faculty and Staff that helps address concerns central to you and I. For example, we are working on the development of a Faculty/Student mentoring program.
Finally, we believe that UNCW should be a central focus for our region. Towards that end we have developed a group of advisors that represent leaders from the Hispanic community in Southeastern North Carolina. That group meets once a semester to help track concerns that are emerging in our community and to develop a proactive approach to solving emerging social problems. Another example is our visiting high campuses around the region to emphasize to students and parents the importance of high school and college education.
We want you to understand that UNCW is committed to Hispanic/Latino/a concerns and that your enrollment at our university is critical to the mission of the institution. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the Director of Centro Hispano, Mr. Fermin Recarte at recartef@uncw.edu, 910-962-2551.
Un cordial saludo,
Antonio E. Puente, Ph.D.
