On February 26, 1996, Antonio R. Flores became the third president and chief executive officer of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). Established in December 1986 with 18 founding members, HACU is a national organization that represents more than 400 colleges and universities that collectively serve two-thirds of the more than 2.3 million Hispanic students in U.S. higher education across 32 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. HACU’s international membership of leading higher education institutions is also an important HACU constituency.

The association represents Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), where Hispanics constitute 25 percent or more of the total enrollment at either the graduate or undergraduate level, or both, and Associate Member Institutions, where Hispanics comprise a minimum of 10 percent of the total enrollment or 1,000 students. HACU’s international membership began in the 1996-97 school year with three pioneering members and, as of December 2010, includes 48 institutions in Mexico, Central and South America, Portugal and Spain. A Partner Institution category was added in 2001 for institutions that have less than 10% Hispanic enrollment but are committed to improving higher education opportunities for Hispanics. An affiliation category for Hispanic-Serving School Districts (HSSDs) was created in fall 2006 to reach out to K-12 education with 25% Hispanic enrollment and by December 2010 numbered 27 HSSDs in 9 states.

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