[Skip to Content]

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 

General Questions
Nomination Questions
Program Profile Submission Questions

 

General Questions

What types of programs can you submit for Examples of Excelencia?
Programs at the associate, baccalaureate, and graduate levels, as well as at community-based organizations that demonstrate intentionality and impact in improving degree outcomes for Latino students can submit for Examples of Excelencia.

What is the difference between a nomination and a program profile submission? 
Nominations are an opportunity for Excelencia to cast the widest net possible to find what is working across the country for Latino students. Nominated programs are alerted of their status via email and are invited to participate in the submission process. A completed profile submission enters a program for consideration for Examples of Excelencia. A nomination is not required to share a submission.

What is the deadline to nominate a program?
Program nominations must be received by Friday, March 15, 2024 at 11:59 pm PDT.

What is the deadline to submit a program profile?
Program profiles must be received by Monday, April 1, 2024 at 11:59 pm PDT.

How are programs recognized and what do they receive?
Please visit Why Participate? to learn more about how Excelencia in Education brings national attention to recognized programs through public releases, publications, events, and more.

When will I be notified if my program was selected as an Examples of Excelencia Finalist, and when is the scheduled public announcement? 
Programs selected as Examples of Excelencia Finalists will be personally notified by Excelencia in Education's program team before the national release of recognized programs. Click here to view the key dates. 

How will I know if my program was selected as an Example of Excelencia?
Programs selected as the annual Examples of Excelencia will be personally notified by Excelencia in Education's program team in late summer 2024. The national announcement is made at Celebración de Excelencia, our capstone event held each year in Washington, D.C.

Why does Excelencia have an external selection committee reviewing finalist programs? 
Excelencia receives a high volume of submissions each year resulting in a competitive field of submissions. Staff at Excelencia conduct a preliminary review of all submitted profiles, and the strongest narratives advance to an external selection committee where the final decisions are made. A two-step process ensures the selections are fair and impartial. 

Who is on the Examples of Excelencia external selection committee?
Our external selection committee changes every year, but is generally assembled from a group of leaders across the nation with diverse backgrounds in education, public policy, workforce development, and philanthropy.

What tools does Excelencia offer to help me assess my program? 
The following tools and resources are available to program leaders looking to assess their program and submission readiness level. Click the links to access each of them.


Where can I receive more information on evidence-based practices working for Latino students in higher education?
Below are three ways that will help you on your journey to intentionally serve Latino students on your campus or in your community.

 


Nomination Questions

What type of program should I nominate?
If you are aware of a program at a higher education institution or at a community-based organization that is intentionally serving Latino students, we encourage you to nominate it. Nominating a program, whether you are directly involved in that program or it is one that you know of, may help amplify the impact of the work being done in that campus or community to a national audience. 

Do I need to submit a nomination for my own program?
We invite you to nominate your own program before submitting a program profile submission form. However, a nomination is not a required step to submitting a program profile.

If I am just nominating a program, do I need to create an account on this online system?
No, you can submit a program nomination without creating an account. However, please consider creating an account as it will be easier for you to nominate several programs at once, save your progress on a nomination, and return year after year to nominate programs.

Do I need to notify the program I am nominating that they have been nominated?
No, Excelencia will notify programs of their nomination via email. We do not share who nominates a program, so please notify them if you want them to know about your nomination.

I am nominating a program on the last day before program nominations close. Will the program I nominate have time to submit a program profile submission form for Examples of Excelencia?
Yes, programs nominations close on March 15, 2024 and the program profile submission form period closes on April 1, 2024. To ensure that programs have enough time to work on their submission form, we encourage individuals to submit program nominations as early as possible.

 

Program Profile Submission Questions

May I fax, scan, or mail the completed program profile submission form directly to the Excelencia in Education program team?
No, only program profile submission forms completed through our online system will be considered.

Can previously recognized programs participate in Examples of Excelencia again?
Programs that were recognized as Programs to Watch or Finalists in previous years are eligible to submit every year until they are recognized as the Example of Excelencia in their respective level.

Can programs that work with high school students participate in Examples of Excelencia?
Examples of Excelencia specifically seeks to identify and promote evidence-based practices that accelerate Latino student success in higher education. Programs that work with higher school students, are based at an associate, baccalaureate, or graduate institution or a community-based organization, and whose outcomes are intentionally aligned with serving Latino students in higher education are welcome to participate in Examples of Excelencia. 

Can a doctoral program participate in Examples of Excelencia?
Yes, a doctoral program that intentionally serves Latino students can participate at the graduate level of Examples of Excelencia.

What information is required to complete the Examples of Excelencia program profile submission form and is there guidance on completing the submission form?
To have a complete submission, programs assess and summarize their work around mission and goals, need analysis and practices, staff and estimated budget, and evidence of effectiveness. The 2024 Examples of Excelencia Program Profile Submission Guide includes a checklist of information you will need to complete in the submission form and provides guidance on how to create a compelling profile aligned with Excelencia's review criteria. Only completed submission forms will be reviewed.

Does the program profile submission form contain character or word limits? Does it include spaces? 
The program profile submission form has a specific limit on words allowed per section, not a limit on characters. Limits guide programs to be more succinct in telling their story to a larger audience.

If I exit the browser where I am completing my online program profile submission form, will my work be saved? 
No, you must save your submission form before exiting your browser by clicking the "save" button, otherwise all your progress will be lost. Click “save” continuously to ensure all work on your submission form is saved. Once you complete your submission form, make sure you receive a confirmation email indicating your submission form was received.

Is there a way I can work on a draft of the form outside of the online system?
Yes, there is a Microsoft Word version of the submission form available for download here. Please make sure to return to the online system to copy/paste your answers in the appropriate sections of the submission form. We recommend starting this process at least 2-3 business days before the deadline.

How will I know if I successfully submitted my program profile submission form?
After submitting the program profile submission form, a confirmation message should appear on your screen. A confirmation email will also be sent to the email you provided in the submission form. If you do not receive either message, please contact our program team at: Examples@EdExcelencia.org.

I received an email confirmation that Excelencia in Education received my program profile submission form. Are there additional steps that I need to take in this process? 
No, Excelencia staff will follow up about your submission form should they have any additional questions. To learn more about what happens after a program profile has been submitted, please read about Our Process.

Can I make changes myself to a program profile submission form I submitted?
No, you cannot make changes to a completed submission form on your end. Please contact Excelencia's program team at Examples@EdExcelencia.org  as soon as possible to request a change. 
 

Share