Dear ILACHE members:
 |
| Andrew Sund |
It
is my pleasure to write these words as the new President of the ILACHE
Board. It is an honor for me to serve as
your president and I look forward to engaging with you as we advance the cause
of Latinos in higher education in Illinois.
We
still live in very difficult times. The economy is weak and many federal and
state programs that have allowed Latinos to access higher education continue to
be threatened. The Department of Education has kept the Pell grant flat for
several years and the Illinois General Assembly has reduced the MAP program.
Several political forces have attacked Affirmative Action in various states.
There
are hopeful signs too. The Deferred Action program is the first positive step
we have seen in a long time to help Dreamers achieve their rightful place in
society. We
are also in an election season. Understandably, the presidential race takes
most of our attention, but I encourage you to take a close look at state and
local races in your districts and the impact these races could have on Latinos
in higher education.
Soon we will announce the date and location of our 21st Annual Professional and Student
Development Conference. You can view highlights of our recent conference at this link, ILACHE-roughcut02.mov. We are planning several other professional development and advocacy activities
through the year. These activities will advance our cause in Illinois,
but we also need your active participation to ensure their success. I look
forward to meeting you and to learning about your goals and aspirations in
higher education.Sincerely,
Andrew Sund
