The U has focused on increasing its diversity with the West Side Initiative and scholarships, and one diversity agency has taken notice.

Last week, the U received a 2001 Educators of Distinction award from Saludos Hispanos, a career and education magazine for bilingual Hispanics.

Addressing the U collectively, Saludos Hispanos publisher Rosemarie Garcia-Solomon said, “For an educational institution, reaching and effectively serving this community is a challenge that you answered in a most positive way. It is for these efforts and your continued commitment to the education of Hispanics, the nation’s fastest-growing minority, that we honor the U.”

U President Bernie Machen says meeting the needs of the diverse cultures found in Utah?including Hispanics?is one of the administration’s top goals.

“The U is committed to providing opportunities for success in higher education for the Hispanic community,” Machen said. “We are in the process of researching ways we might better reach out to the economically disadvantaged portion of that community.”