Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General Questions
Nomination Questions
Program Profile Submission Questions
General Questions
What types of programs can you submit for 2025 Examples of Excelencia?
Programs at the associate, baccalaureate, graduate, and community-based organization levels that demonstrate intentionality and impact in improving degree outcomes for Latino students can submit for Examples of Excelencia.
In addition, programs must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Be a program from a community-based organization
- Be a program from an institution in the Presidents for Latino Student Success (P4LSS) network
- Be a program that was previously recognized for Examples of Excelencia in 2022, 2023, or 2024
If you have questions about the participation criteria, please contact our Institutional Programs team at Examples@EdExcelencia.org.
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. Starting in 2025, only nominations for programs at community-based organizations are accepted. Nominated programs are alerted of their status via email and are invited to participate in the submission process. A nomination is not required to share a submission.
What is the deadline to nominate a program at a community-based organization? Community-based organization program nominations must be received by April 1, 2025 at 11:59pm PT.
What is the deadline to submit a profile? Program profiles must be received by April 21, 2025 at 11:59pm PT. This deadline applies to programs from all levels, i.e. associate, baccalaureate, graduate, and community-based organizations.
How are programs recognized and what do they receive?
Please visit What is Examples? to learn 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 2025. 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. 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.
- The Role of Metrics
- Metrics by Issue Area
- Program Profile Submission Guide
- Technical Assistance Events
Where can I find 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.
- Browse Excelencia's research publications
- Explore the Growing What Works Database
- Read Advancing What Works to Intentionally Serve Latino Students: Opportunities for Action - 2024
What type of program should I nominate? Starting this year, nominations are only accepted for community-based organization programs. If you are aware of a program 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 it or you know about it, may help amplify the impact of the work being done in the community that the program serves to a national audience. Please note that a nomination is not a required step to submit a program profile. If your program is at the associate, baccalaureate, or graduate level you do not need to nominate it. You can submit the program profile within the submission period.
Do I need to submit a nomination for my own program?
If your program is at a community-based organization, we invite you to nominate it before submitting a program profile submission form. However, a nomination is not a required step to submit a program profile. Nominations for programs at the associate, baccalaureate, and graduate levels are no longer available; program profile submissions from all levels will be accepted from February 18 to April 21, 2025.
If I am just nominating a program at a community-based organization, 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, nominations for programs at community-based organizations close on February 17, 2025 and the program profile submission form period for all levels closes on April 21, 2025. 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 2022, 2023, or 2024 are eligible to submit for 2025 Examples of Excelencia.
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. Additionally, programs must meet at least one of the criteria listed above.
Can a doctoral program participate in Examples of Excelencia?
Yes, a doctoral program that intentionally serves Latino students and meets the participation criteria can submit for 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 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, we are currently updating the program profile submission form for 2025. In the meantime, there is a Microsoft Word version of the 2024 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.
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