Cabrillo College received the designation of an Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in 2007 and beginning in 2010 has received five Title V HSI grants and three Title III HSI grants, totaling $29 million. These US Department of Education grants are focused on increasing institutional capacity to serve Latinx and low-income students, and Cabrillo has benefited from a multitude of Title V and Title III grant funded projects. While HSI designation is based upon enrollment of 25% Latinx and low-income students and provides institutions with the eligibility to apply and receive these grants, there has been a growing call across the nation to transform HSIs from simply “Hispanic Enrolling” to “Hispanic Serving” institutions by centering Latinx students and their experiences, to intentionally design programs and services for their intersectional identities, and to direct resources to minoritized students.

This national movement coincided with Cabrillo’s own growing Latinx student population (50% in 23/24) and momentum through the Guided Pathways initiative to redesign the college for more equitable outcomes and through the work of the Office of Student Equity to critically examine our practices and engage in action oriented research. The college launched an HSI Task Force in Spring 2021 that engaged in research, reviewed best practices, discussed Cabrillo’s historical and current practices, and in May 2022 provided recommendations for the college to enact "servingness" in practice. In Fall 2022 an HSI Leadership Team was created to ensure that HSI Task Force recommendations move to action.

As a subcommittee of the College Planning Committee (CPC), the HSI Leadership Team utilizes a collaborative leadership model and is composed of faculty, staff, administrators, and students. The HSI Leadership Team provides strategic direction for initiatives that advance HSI servingness, grant applications, and institutional efforts to center students of color for equity and justice, including operational coordination for HSI Week activities, HSI related professional development for the college, and guidance for implementing HSI Task Force Report recommendations.