The National Hispanic University was and continues to be a dream come true not only to the Founder and President, Roberto Cruz, but also to all the Hispanic educators and national leaders that supported the University financially. Through the years the National Hispanic University has developed into a unique multicultural institution of higher learning which opened its doors to its first students in 1981. Furthermore, the National Hispanic University is one of the two accredited Hispanic, four- year universities in the United States. It is therefore necessary to acknowledge the dedication and determination of all the leaders who collaborated and supported the idea of establishing a Hispanic university. The process of developing a successful plan for establishing a Hispanic University was not easy nor was it a project that had not been attempted before. With this in mind, the group of Hispanic educators and national leaders were determined to succeed where others had failed.The National Hispanic University looked to other highly regarded, successful ethnic colleges and Universities as role models. These universities provided the founders of the National Hispanic University with insight on successful guidelines as well as factors that allowed a fine reputation to develop. For instance, they learned that the success of these institutions and their graduates could be attributed to three factors: "High Expectations- the belief by the faculty and students that they can and will succeed; Role Models- from the faculty and the alumni, who played an active role even after graduation, and lastly, Support Systems- both within the school and among the students themselves." These short, yet valuable guidelines provided Roberto Cruz and the other founders with a solid foundation for the successful establishment of this four-year, independent, non-profit, educational institution, and allowed it to offer Associate of Arts Degree, certificate Programs, Bachelors of Arts degrees, and Bachelors of Science degrees. In addition, they offer vocational courses and degrees to prepare the students for careers in such areas as business, health, education, and technology.
The National Hispanic University has stated in many of their brochures that its vision and mission is to enable Hispanics, women, minorities, and others to acquire a degree or certificate using multicultural education and experience. This vision helps prepare the young yet growing population of Hispanic students for future careers and eventually decrease the drop-out rate. In the area of academics, for example, the National Hispanic University offers programs to prepare bilingual business professionals. The Department of Business is committed to providing students with a foundation of learning "for entry into professional careers in business, government and not-for-profit organizations." According to their curriculum, the business program is structured around a core of required courses that expose students to quantitative methods and economic theory. In efforts of obtaining their goals, the University relies on its Business Advisory Board, comprised of "prestigious business community leaders who are committed to the mission and purpose of the University for recommendations on the curriculum." The Department of Liberal Studies offers Bacherlors of Arts Degree in Liberal Studies with options in Early Childhood Education, Cross-Cultural/Bilingual Education, or Translation Studies. It also offers the Associate of Arts Degree in Health Science and in Early Childhood Education.The National Hispanic University provides its students with the option of majoring in Translation Studies (English and Spanish). The program combines thoeretical and applied coursework in translation as practiced in business, science, education, law, international relations and medicine. Furthermore, the University has added a multiple subject credential with a Cross-cultural, Language and Academic Development(CLAD) emphasis, or Bilingual Cross-cultural, Language and Academic Development (BCLAD) emphasis.
The Bachelor of Computer Science Degree Program offers options in General Computer Science and General Computer Information Systems. The program is designed to prepare graduates for careers such as applications programmer, programmer/ analyst and information designer.
The National Hispanic University offers an Associate of Arts and Bachelors Degrees in Health Science. The major serves as a preparation for medical public policy and other professional programs. With these skills the students pursue such careers in public health, health education, physical therapy, among others.
The University has a highly qualified faculty who offer the students an enriched cross-section of role models and career fields to meet students's different learning styles. They also have a Library that is equiped with a collection of reference, periodicals, and books with a multicultural emphasis. The National Hispanic Univesity has a Learning Resourse Center which provides the students with support from tutors and they access to computers.
To conclude, the National Hispanic University had been a dream come to for Roberto Cruz, the Founders, and the student body.