California Bill Would Establish ‘Black-Serving Institution’ Designation
Credit: Image Credit: Yiming Chen / Moment / Getty Images- The bill would establish a state-level
Black-serving institution
designation for institutions that are committed to supporting the success of Black and African American students. - Eligible colleges and universities would have to meet several requirements to be awarded the designation.
- The designation would be granted for five years and could be renewed.
A proposed bill in California would recognize colleges and universities in the state that have a proven track record of educating and supporting Black students.
Senate Bill 1348 would establish a Black-serving institution
designation for institutions that have a Black student population of at least 10% or 1,500 students.
Additional qualifications institutions must have include:
- A Black Student Success program
- A
robust
African American Studies Program - Outreach programs and services to the Black community that
demonstrate a commitment to Black and African American student success
- Written certification from the institution’s chief administrative officer confirming their commitment to addressing Black and African American student success aligned with the college or university’s mission
The legislation, which passed the state Senate on May 23, was introduced by Sen. Steven Bradford, D-Los Angeles.
In an interview with BestColleges, Bradford said that one of the main motivations of the bill is to identify institutions that are not only welcoming to and inclusive of Black and African American students but also invested in their academic success.
[The designation] will let them know that these are campuses that are inviting, that are culturally competent and aware of the diversity, and having an environment for these students to know that they’ll thrive, that they will have a support system,
he said.
The Black-serving institution
designation would last for five years and could be renewed for another five years if the institution continues to meet all the requirements.
It’s just not just giving them the designation. It’s also asking them to set up a curriculum and a plan in order to achieve those goals, look at graduation rates, look at transfer rates,
Bradford said. … So, hopefully, we’ll serve those goals and help increase graduation rates for African American students.
All state institutions, public and private, are eligible to apply, including community colleges. Four-year colleges and universities will have to report graduation rates for all students and Black and African American students for the past three academic years in their applications.
Community colleges will also have to include the number of degree and certificate programs completed and transfer rates of Black students to four-year institutions.
The legislation has the support of the University of California Office of the President, the California State University Office of the Chancellor, and the California Federation of Teachers AFL-CIO.
Bradford said he has been primarily working with the presidents of Sacramento State University; California State University (CSU), Dominguez Hills; and Compton Community College, who have expressed support for creating the designation.
Compton College and the Compton Community College District support Senate Bill 1348,
Dr. Keith Curry, president of Compton College, said in a press release.
It is important that we, as institutions of higher education, make bold statements and commit ongoing resources to improving student outcomes for all postsecondary education students, but most notably Black and African American students.
Efforts to Improve Black Students’ Experience in California
California has over 100 minority-serving institutions, including Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions and Hispanic-serving institutions.
However, the state does not have any historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), although California is home to one historically Black graduate institution: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.
The state also does not have any predominantly Black institutions (PBIs), a federal designation recognizing schools that have at least 40% of enrolled students identifying as Black Americans.
However, a Black Honors College will open at Sacramento State this fall, the first college or university to ever pursue an honors program specifically dedicated to supporting Black students’ success.
Sacramento State has the largest population of Black and African American students in the 23-campus CSU system and more Black and African American students than all but one of the University of California campuses.
We are building something new, something that has never been done before. And we should think about that. How come no college has ever done this before? Does that say something about what people think about Black intelligence?
Sacramento State President Dr. Luke Wood said in a prior statement to BestColleges.
Both the University of California (UC) and California Community Colleges (CCC) systems also have relationships with HBCUs, although neither has a dedicated academic program geared to Black students.
UC collaborates with HBCUs through the UC-HBCU Initiative, a faculty-grant program that invests in relationships and efforts between UC faculty and historically Black colleges and universities.
CCC students can utilize the system’s Transfer Guarantee Pathway to HBCUs. Students attending any of the 116 California Community Colleges who complete specific academic requirements are guaranteed transfer to one of the over 30 participating HBCUs.
Additionally, San Francisco Mayor London Breed is advocating for HBCUs to establish satellite campuses downtown, to get institutions to expand their physical presence in the Bay Area.