The dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida will be the keynote speaker at a first-ever reunion of Latino and Latina alumni from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
Jose Fernandez, dean, College of Arts and Humanities, University of Central Florida, and a former UCCS faculty member, will reconnect with alumni at the annual campus “Back to the Bluffs” celebration, a four-day homecoming-style event for university alumni as well as current students and their families. A series of events will begin Oct. 11 and continue through Oct. 14. A full schedule is available at www.uccsoca.com.
Fernandez is scheduled to speak at a 5 p.m. Oct. 13 dinner in the University Center where he will reflect on current and past challenges facing Hispanic students. Reservations are requested for the event. For more information, contact Carmen Abeyta, director, Student Engagement, (719) 262-3447, [email protected]
“Dr. Fernandez was a mentor and role model for many of us in the 1970s,” Abeyta, a 1980 UCCS graduate, said. “He took an interest in us inside – and outside – the classroom. I am anxious for him to see how we the university, as well as his former students, have grown up.”
Word of the first-ever reunion of Latino and Latina UCCS alumni event is spreading. Abeyta received inquiries from La Junta, Rocky Ford and other southern Colorado communities as former members of “La Gente Chicana” (the family Chicana), the first student group of Hispanic students at UCCS, spread the word about the reunion and the “Back to the Bluffs” event.
“Back to the Bluffs is an event that allows all alumni, current students and friends of the university to see the changes that are taking place on campus and to celebrate friendships past, present and future,” Jennifer Hane, director, University Events and Alumni Relations, said. “We invite alumni, students, and all who are interested in learning more about UCCS, to attend.”
A native of Cuba, Fernandez was a member of the UCCS faculty from 1973 to 1981, serving as an assistant and associate professor of Spanish and chair of the Department of Languages and Cultures. While a Colorado Springs resident, he was chair of the Human Relations Commission. He joined the University of Central Florida in 1981 as a professor of history and foreign languages. He has held several positions at the university and in 2006 was named dean of the College of Arts and Humanities. He has written or co-written 22 books on Hispanic heritage including “Herencia: The Anthology of Hispanic Literature of the United States.”
“Working with UCCS La Gente Chicana remains my greatest honor,” Fernandez said in an e-mail. “I am honored to be asked to return to the campus and to have the opportunity to reconnect with old friends.”
UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in Colorado Springs, is the fastest growing university in Colorado, and one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The University offers 29 bachelor’s degrees, 18 master’s, and four doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 7,700 students.