On March 17, 2026, the Office of Inclusive Excellence (IE) continued its special topic series: Tea with IE.
Fueled by a spirit of dialogue and engagement (as well as an assorted tea potluck), Tea with IE presents the UCLA community an opportunity to learn firsthand with UCLA’s top experts on a host of topics.
This Tea session was hosted by Dr. Elizabeth Gonzalez (Inaugural Director, Hispanic-Serving Institution Initiative) and Dr. Sylvia Hurtado (Distinguished Professor & Special Advisor to the Chancellor), and explored UCLA’s emergence as a Hispanic-Serving Research Institution (HSRI): the progress that’s been made, the important steps still to come, and the hope for the future.
Overview
Dr. Gonzalez and Dr. Hurtado led a spirited presentation, walking participants through the educational and demographic reality of California, and the findings of the 2022 UCLA HSI Task Force — all contributing to the University of California (UC) system’s overarching commitment to attaining HSI goals for all UC campuses.
“There were many takeaways from the Tea with IE session featuring Elizabeth Gonzalez and Sylvia Hurtado, but signature to all of them for me is the UCLA HSI Task Force’s list of recommendations. It’s critical that we all tap into our campus movement into and ultimately recognition as an HSI, so we can intentionally build upon the communities‘ leadership, expertise, and aligned call to innovation and collaboration.
As “bending towards justice” is expressed through our HSI status and strategic focus, individual students, staff, and faculty most impacted by the naming will continue to flourish which, by every indication, coincides with evermore opportunities for CA, comparable success for the UC system, and vast possibilities and progress for the campus.
I look forward to continuing in partnership as we actualize the recommendations and ideas born out of a long held vision.”
— Anya Booker
Associate Dean and Director for Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (AEDI)
UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture
Participants
As the Office of Inclusive Excellence’s second official session of Tea with IE, this event drew a robust 40+ registrants (split between in-person attendees and Zoom). Featuring a mix of faculty, staff, and students, the audience was drawn to the engaging presentation, compelling data, and the inspiring mission of broad institutional transformation.
Takeaways
In the very spirit of the “Tea with IE” series, participants were able to learn, discuss, and engage with fascinating and challenging new perspectives in a friendly, inclusive space. Throughout this session — and guided by Dr. Gonzalez’s and Dr. Hurtado’s expertise — the group grappled with the nuances and necessities of institutional transformation. The inherent difficulties, the structural barriers, and, with genuine hope for the future, the collective will of the campus community in this call to action.
Digging deeper, the session made a powerful case for 3 necessary steps in the journey to achieving HSI status and beyond: 1) reinforcing servingness structures, 2) building new structures, and finally, 3) transforming the overall structure — to the benefit not just of impacted populations, but the UCLA community in whole.
