The California State University system is spending $10 million on Black student advancement across its 23 campuses, and its first-ever central office will be housed at Sacramento State University.
As the CSU with the largest Black student population, Sacramento State President Luke Wood will head these efforts systemwide.
“To have a vote of confidence from our Chancellor's office, that … they're going to commit a $1.3 million permanent investment in terms of housing the central office here at Sacramento State to be able to help support our peers across the system, is humbling.”
This follows a study conducted by the CSU Chancellor’s office last year examining Black student success at their universities found less than 50% were graduating with a degree.
Dilcie Perez, deputy vice chancellor of academic and student affairs with the Chancellor’s office, said they had listening sessions with Black students, faculty and staff to inform their report.
“Over 250 people from across the system participated and what we heard were stories of hope…and ideas about what we needed to do to the system,” she said. “What we did not want was this report to be performative, and that really what needed to happen is that we needed to provide a clear path.”
They identified 13 avenues, like early outreach and representative faculty, to improve educational outcomes. Universities chose up to three priority areas to focus on in the first year.
“The opportunity that we have before us is to help Black students be academically prepared and help our faculty have the skills, the knowledge, the expertise to meet the diverse needs of our students,” described Perez.
The $10 million from the CSU Chancellor’s office are being awarded to the 23 CSUs over the next three years, with $4.5 million allocated for the first year.
“I'm very excited about the action plan,” said Perez. “One of the universities is doing visual representation and will be purchasing artwork, so that students see themselves in the space. And another university will be taking students on an international trip to create a sense of belonging to our global world.”
Wood, a Sacramento State alumnus, said he reimagined the campus to build the support services for Black students that he would’ve benefitted from.
“For Sacramento State, our response to this was the establishment of the Black Honors College, which pulled from a bunch of the different recommendations from the report,” he explained. “We've set aside 13,000 square feet of space on campus … and we have 17 faculty members who have a demonstrated record of success teaching and serving Black and African-American students [who will] be teaching in this program.”
Outside of historically Black universities and colleges, Wood said the Black Honors College at Sacramento State will make national strides by being the first such college at a public university. According to him, the honors college has contributed to the 20% increase in Black student applications and a 40% increase in Black transfer student applications at the university.
“That tells you the level of interest because … what we're doing is providing a safe haven within this state,” said Wood. He added that his identities center the work he is taking on for the CSU system.
“As a Black male who happens to be a former foster kid who struggled with food and housing insecurities, I think the big word that comes to my mind right now is responsibility,” he said. “That we will be unapologetic in centering the experience of our Black students not just here at Sacramento State but across the entire California State University system.”
Perez said tracking student progress will be pivotal to the success of the systemwide program.
“We'll be watching our retention and persistence rates because the best way that we can transform and achieve Black excellence is helping our students get their degree and graduate,” she said.
The Chancellor’s office will withhold half the money for university programming until they review student outcomes halfway through the year.
Srishti Prabha is a Report For America corps member and Education Reporter in collaboration with The Sacramento Observer and CapRadio. Their focus is on K-12 education in Black communities.
Editor’s note: CapRadio is licensed to Sacramento State, which is also an underwriter.
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