A series of videos featuring the University of Oregon began airing recently on Univision Portland, informing Latino and Spanish-speaking students about programs and opportunities at the UO.

In October, the Office of Enrollment Management partnered with KUNP Univision Portland and MundoFox on the Destino Exito (Destination Success) initiative, a national effort by Univision to increase college attendance and graduation by the Latino community.

"The state of Oregon, like the rest of the country, is experiencing significant growth in our Latino population, and our goal is to increase our outreach to all Oregonians. The partnership with Univision plays a big role in that effort,” said Roger Thompson, vice president for Enrollment Management.

The videos about the Spanish Heritage Language Program, the Opportunities Program, and financial aid and scholarships began airing in October 2013, with four more videos still in production. The pieces will be broadcast through the end of September.

One of the future videos that will be shot by a film crew from the School of Journalism and Communication will feature Teresa Gonzalez, a graduate of the SOJC who is a news reporter and anchor for Univision in Seattle.

The Spanish Heritage Language Program is an initiative in the Department of Romance Languages, designed for students who have grown up in Spanish-speaking households or communities but have received most of their formal education in English. It gives them the opportunity to build on their exiting knowledge and create connections with local Spanish-speaking communities.

The Opportunities Program empowers under-represented students and parents to become active in the education process and helps them pursue their educational dreams.

KUNP Univision is the only locally provided Spanish language news in the Portland area. The station reaches audiences as far north as Olympia, Wash., and as far south as Albany.

"The University of Oregon has outstanding academic programs in science, technology, business, journalism, music, allied arts, education, arts and sciences and so much more,” said Thompson.  “We wish to share our academic excellence on the top-rated Spanish language news station in the Portland metro area and throughout a large part of the Willamette valley."

- by Melissa Foley, Office of Strategic Communications