Meeting with Denver Based National Education Associations
    On March 2, thanks to the idea and assistance of Richard Jonsen, Executive Director of WICHE, a member of the HBLI National Advisory Panel, I met with representatives of the following educational associations based in or near Denver: The Education Commission of the States, National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, National Conference of State Legislatures, Council of State Governments- West, and State Higher Education Executive Officers.  The morning session was hosted by the Education Commission of the States in their Denver offices. In the afternoon, I met with various members of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education in their Boulder offices.
 The entire day was informative for all parties in that information was shared about HBLI as well as the respective associations. Conversation led to how we might intersect on common agenda items. One particular connection was the exploration of possible internship sites for the current fellows. These internships would be for the summer of 1999. Two to three associations were confident that internships could be arranged.

First Board Leadership Training Session In San Antonio, Texas,  April 30 – May 3, 1998
    Since the purpose of the HBLI is to improve the educational condition of Hispanics, one major approach to accomplish this purpose is to provide knowledge to Hispanics serving in policy roles of k-12 school boards, community college trustees and university regents. HBLI has produced a curriculum, composed of eight modules, covering information that ranges from basics, i.e., Fundamentals of Board Members to advance, i.e.,  School Finance and Passage of Bonds, that will help them to be more effective.
    Three training sessions are scheduled for this year, the other two are San Diego in June and Phoenix in September. Fifteen persons have been selected for each of the three sessions for a total of forty-five. The participants will come from Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas.
    After the leadership training sessions, the HBLI staff will continue to stay in contact with the participants through newsletters, potential attendance at the national policy conference to be organized by HBLI, and networking.

         Leonard A. Valverde
 
 
 

New Fellows Selected
    The second co-hort of HBLI Fellows were selected by the Coordinating Council in January of this year. ASU needed seven more fellows to bring its complement to a total of ten. The selected seven fellows were then reviewed by the faculty of the Division of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Six fellows were selected and one person withdrew from consideration. Thus, six fellows will be starting their doctoral studies this coming Fall Semester. The six fellows are: 1) Eduardo Arellano from El Paso, Texas, 2) Gloria J. Armendariz from San Antonio, Texas, 3) Ernestine M. Garcia from Commerce City, Colorado, 4) Vicki A. Leal from Greeley, Colorado, 5) Miranda L. Lopez from Laredo, Texas and 6) Sylvia Peregrino from Washington, D. C. These six persons will join the three current ASU fellows: Eugenio Arene, originally from El Salvador, Carlos Nevarez, orignially from Madesto, California and Esiquio Uballe originally from Austin, Texas.

Spring Platica Speakers
    Four distinguished persons were invited to present on a wide range of important issues facing the doctoral fellows. The Platica series is a way for fellows at both campuses to gain insight into topics from persons who are experts. Speakers on campus broadcast via satellite to the other campus for two hours. Later, these individuals might be helpful in dissertation work and in networking. The following experts were:
    In January, Mercedes L. de Uriarte, a professor of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin and a former Los Angeles Times reporter. She spoke on the media treatment of Hispanic issues.
    In February, Leonel Castillo, former U.S. Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization Service under President Jimmy Carter. He spoke on the new immigration law.
    In March, Fernando Leon Garcia, Vice Presieent and Provost of CETYS University System in Baja, Mexico. He spoke about the U.S. Mexico border and the role of higher education.
    In April, Sal Castro, teacher and counselor with the Los Angeles City Schools, spoke about how to reform public schools.
 

New Fellows Selected
    As with ASU, the new fellows for NMSU were selected at the same time. Since NMSU has six fellows, they only needed four more to have a total of ten. While the four fellows were selected by the Coordinating Council, they as of this writing have not completed the faculty review for admission into the doctoral program. The four new fellows being considered are: 1) Dolores Gutierrez Gross from El Paso, Texas, 2) Rachel Ortiz from El Paso, Texas, 3) Mariela Aime Rodriguez from San Antonio, Texas and 4) Arturo  Vasquez from Tucson, Arizona.  These four will join the current six HBLI fellows: Janelle T. Garcia from New Mexico, Luis Quinones, Bonavita Quinto from New Mexico, Fernando and Miriam Quiz from Del Rio, Texas, and Michelle Valverde from Deming, New Mexico.

Spring Platica Speakers
    The three distinguished persons visiting the NMSU were focused on literary production, politics, research and leadership. They were:
    Dra. Tey Diana Rebolledo, a professor of Spanish at the University of New Mexico, who spoke on how Chicana literary production is represented.
    Dra. Flora Ida Ortiz, a professor of Educational Administration at the University of California at Riverside, who spoke on the relationship between succession patterns and leadership opportunities for Latinos and Latinas.
    Roseanne Olguin de Rodriguez Rocky, an activist with National Xicano Human Rights Council and International Indian Treaty Council, who spoke on global politics that influence on national education.

    We encourage you to look at our  HBLI web site. It  is expanded and updated.  We will update it each month including a monthly calendar of events.  Our web site address is shown below.