Institutional representatives presented initiatives in experiential learning, internationalization, and academic leadership.
By Lorena Franco Meléndez
Director of the Center for Professional and International Experiences
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) held its fifteenth international conference, titled Bridging Nations to Advance Higher Education, in San Antonio, Texas. The biennial conference brought together faculty, administrative staff, and students from institutions around the world to share innovative practices and global perspectives on pedagogy and teaching.
Through panels and workshops focused on study abroad, international education programs, and emerging trends in postsecondary education, participants had the opportunity to learn about new initiatives, connect with colleagues from other institutions, and engage in discussions relevant to the global academic community.
In the panel that opened the conference, “Cross-Institutional Alliance to Scale International Experiential Learning,” the president of Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, Gilberto J. Marxuach Torrós, and the president of University of the Incarnate Word, Dr. Thomas Evans, discussed the institutions’ most recent partnership through CHARISM. Sagrado’s inclusion in this alliance among four Catholic institutions offers students greater opportunities for academic experiences through student mobility, professional opportunities, and access to shared resources. In this way, and in keeping with the conference theme of building academic bridges to advance higher education, both institutions highlighted how strategic partnerships can be used for the common good.
Meanwhile, Lorena Franco Meléndez, director of the Center for Professional and International Experiences (CEPI, per its Spanish acronym), and Professor Juan C. Gudiño, academic leader of Creative Industries at the School of Arts, Design, and Creative Industries, presented the workshop “Assessing High-Impact Experiential Learning in Creative Practicums.” The presentation examined a professional practicum model integrated into the academic curriculum for creative disciplines at Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, conceived as a high-impact practice aligned with the Sagrado 2030 Strategic Plan. The course “Professional Practicums in Creative Industries” (CRE 490) seeks to guarantee equitable access to structured professional experiences through a model that combines experiential learning, academic reflection, and systematic assessment.
During the session, Franco Meléndez and Gudiño shared the design, conceptualization, and implementation of the course, as well as its triangulated assessment model, which integrates student self-assessments, employer evaluations, and evaluations of the academic experience. The workshop also included collaborative exercises in which participants reflected on experiential learning models at their own institutions and identified concrete strategies to strengthen high-impact practices and assessment methods.
Sagrado’s representation at the conference also included the completion of the seventh cohort of the Leadership Academy, an annual program that prepares university leaders from institutions serving Hispanic populations. Sagrado Provost Dr. Anuchka Ramos-Ruiz was selected to participate in the program and successfully completed it during the conference.
Through this participation, Sagrado continues to position itself as an institution with an innovative academic project, where high-impact experiences, internationalization, and applied learning are fundamental pillars of student development. At Sagrado, the classroom extends beyond campus to connect with the world, promoting a transformative and collaborative education.