Borikén Syllabus 2.0 Part 4: Memory | Memoria

This section aims to bring attention to the longstanding presence of higher education institutions in Puerto Rico that have long served as critical access points for students of color, first-generation students and Latinx/a/os students. Despite being among the top three U.S. states or territories with the highest concentration of HSIs, existing research that engages and advocates for HSIs in Puerto Rico is dearth (Excelencia in Education, 2026). This scarcity is a critical point of reflection and call for action amongst higher education scholars, particularly as HSIs in Puerto Rico face continuous challenges such as funding cuts and austerity measures imposed by FOMBPR, compounding vulnerability caused by natural disasters, and spillover effects of public school closures, healthcare, housing, migration, and infrastructure.

As you read, we hope you are challenged to think about the unique perspective the intentional  study of HSIs in Puerto Rico can provide to existing literature and the implications of this work on who gets to stay, teach, and build futures in Puerto Rico.

Private, Public, and Technical Colleges

• Brusi, R. (2021). Erasure and resistance: The state of public education in Puerto Rico. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 35(8), 824–829. https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2021.1956633

• Brusi, R., & Godreau, I. (2021). Public higher education in Puerto Rico: Disaster, austerity, and resistance. AAUP Journal of Academic Freedom, 12, 1–19. https://www.aaup.org/JAF12/public-higher-education-puerto-rico-disaster-austerity-and-resistance

• Labandera, E., Santiago, D., & Laurel, J. (2021). Higher education in Puerto Rico: Conditions and context influencing institutional resilience. Excelencia in Education. https://www.edexcelencia.org/research/publications/higher-education-puerto-rico-conditions-and-context-influencing-institutional-resilience

• Calderón Galdeano, E., Flores, A. R., & Moder, J. (2012). The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and Hispanic-serving institutions: Partners in the advancement of Hispanic higher education. Journal of Latinos and Education, 11(3), 157–162. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348431.2012.686352

• Doran, E. (2023). Toward a new understanding of Hispanic-serving community colleges. Community College Review, 51(2), 285–305. https://doi.org/10.1177/00915521221145296

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) 

• De Los Santos, A. G., & De Los Santos, G. E. (2003). Hispanic-Serving Institutions in the 21st Century: Overview, Challenges, and Opportunities. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 2(4), 377-391. https://doi.org/10.1177/1538192703256734

• Cuellarsola, L., Lucas, M., Carrillo Villalobos, A., Yan, R. (I.), Labandera, E., & Santiago, D. A. (2026). Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs): 2026 factbook. Excelencia in Education. https://www.edexcelencia.org/_files/ugd/cef214_274df0b75a024ffa9efc9048fdceb3d3.pdf

• Laden, B. V. (2004). Hispanic-serving institutions: What are they? Where are they? Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 28(3), 181–198. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668920490256381

• Valdez, P. L. (2015). An overview of Hispanic-serving institutions’ legislation: Legislation policy formation between 1979 and 1992. In J. P. Méndez, F. A. Bonner II, J. Méndez-Negrete, & R. T. Palmer (Eds.), Hispanic-serving institutions in American higher education: Their origin, present and future challenges (pp. 5–29). Routledge.

Funding: Then & Now 

• Rodríguez Velázquez, V. (2025, September 10). Trump administration cuts $350 million in funds, Puerto Rico universities hit especially hard. Open Campus. https://www.opencampus.org/2025/09/10/trump-administration-cuts-350-million-in-university-funds-puerto-rico-hit-especially-hard/

• Rodríguez Velázquez, V. (2026, March 31). Oversight board orders new fiscal plan from University of Puerto Rico amid governance crisis. Centro de Periodismo Investigativo. https://periodismoinvestigativo.com/2026/04/fomb-fiscal-plan-upr-governance-crisis/

• Bonilla, Y., Brusi, R., & Ora Bannan, N.L. (2018). 6 months after Maria, Puerto Ricans face a new threat—education reform. The Nation. https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/colonialism-and-disaster-capitalism-are-dismantling-puerto-ricos-public-school-system/

• Garcia, N. M., & Danek, V. (2023). Shelter from the storm: Disaster capitalism and Puerto Rican undergraduates in post–Hurricane María stateside higher education. Teachers College Record, 125(4), 182–211. https://doi.org/10.1177/01614681231182185

• Brusi, R. (2021). “The University of Puerto Rico is not for sale!” Thousands of student protesters in Puerto Rico are fighting against further austerity measures from a new bill, PC1003, that will drastically cut funding for public education. The Nation. https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/university-puerto-rico-protests/

• Soto, C. (2025). How United States policy is hurting Puerto Rico’s students. Centro for Puerto Rican Studies. https://centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/reports/how-united-states-policy-is-hurting-puerto-ricos-students/

• Burbage, A. K., & Glass, C. R. (2023). The evolving identities of HSI and differentiated funding. Educational Policy, 37(6), 1735–1762. https://doi.org/10.1177/08959048221120274

• Aguilar-Smith, S., & Yun, J. (2023). Toward ensuring the equitable allocation of federal funding: An analysis of Hispanic-serving institutions’ pursuit and receipt of Title V grants. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 31(58). https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.31.7281

• Gasman, M., Samayoa, A. C., Benyehudah, K., & Fowlkes, A. (2023). Hispanic serving institutions and philanthropic support: A retrospective overview, 2006–2018. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 22(4), 395–431. https://doi.org/10.1177/15381927221126616

Books 

• Murillo, Jr, E.G., Delgado Bernal, D., Morales, S., Urrieta, Jr, L., Ruiz Bybee, E., Muñoz, J.S., Saenz, V.B., Villanueva, D., Machado-Casas, M., & Espinoza, K. (Eds.). (2021). Handbook of Latinos and Education: Theory, Research, and Practice (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429292026

Reflection Questions

• How does Puerto Rico’s political and territorial relationship to the United States continue to shape higher education funding structures and institutional autonomy?

• In what ways have colleges and universities in Puerto Rico sustained educational opportunity, community support, and student belonging despite recurring political, economic, and environmental challenges?

• In what ways does acknowledging the historical role of Puerto Rican HSIs reframe and expand prevailing narratives about HSIs and higher education access in the United States?

• How can higher education scholars and policymakers foster a meaningful inclusion of Puerto Rican institutions in educational equity discourse and policy development?