It’s all part of a comprehensive effort to uplift and empower Black college students in reaching their highest education potential.
“The designation of Black-Serving Institutions establishes an imperative for colleges to dismantle systemic barriers that have restricted access and success,” said San Diego Mesa College President Ashanti T. Hands. “This legislation recognizes both the barriers and the brilliance, contributions and unique perspectives of Black students and compels the creation of intentional, transformative policies and practices that unapologetically uplift, support, and champion the success of Black students in ways that are equitable, excellent, inclusive, innovative, accountable and just.”
Under Senate Bill 1348, authored by state Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on September 26, colleges or universities that excel in supporting to Black students and that have at least 10% or 1,500 students who are Black are eligible for California BSI designation that can help secure various state and federal grants. To qualify, colleges must have a Black student success program, providing academic and basic needs support to assist Black students, track their impact on Black student outcomes, and commit to serving Black students in their mission.
Nearly two-thirds of Black students who attend a higher education institution in California begin their postsecondary journey at a community college, but 63% of Black community college students don’t earn a degree, certificate, or transfer to a four-year institution within six years. Almost half leave college without earning a degree.
More than 5,500 SDCCD students identify as Black. Three SDCCD colleges already meet benchmarks set forth in SB 1348: San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, and San Diego College of Continuing Education (SDCCE). Presidents at all three say they will seek BSI designation. For its part, San Diego Miramar College proudly serves hundreds of Black students each year and college leaders are hopeful it can also secure BSI designation in the future as enrollment grows.
“Many of our Black students are veterans, the first in their families to go to college, parents, foster youth, justice impacted, or recent immigrants who are working adults striving to advance their careers so that they can access the middle class and beyond. The state creating BSIs is a critical step in ensuring that Black students have the necessary resources and support needed to be successful in their higher education journey,” said City College President Ricky Shabazz, who was among the SDCCD leaders advocating for the legislation.
More than 13% percent of San Diego City College students in the spring of 2024 identified as Black, and nearly 6% identified as multiracial, according to data compiled by the California Community Colleges system. Among services supporting Black student success are the Umoja community, which assists students who desire to transfer to four-year colleges and universities; Hermanos Unidos Brothers United (HUBU); and a chapter of A2MEND, an acronym for the African American Male Education Network and Development, which is dedicated to increasing the educational success of Black male students.
Mesa College, with an enrollment of 1,999 Black students in the 2023-24 academic year, has adopted The Harambee Protocol, which comprises a collaborative think tank with projects and programs working for the success of Black students. It includes an A2MEND chapter, a Black Student Union, Umoja, the Black Faculty Counselor Collaborative, the Black Employee Community, Black Student Success Working Group, a Black Studies Department and a School of Student Success and Equity.
At SDCCE, more than 14%, or 2,313, of students in the spring of 2024 identified as Black, with an additional 2.5% identifying as multiracial. SDCCE has a thriving Black Student Success Program and an A2MEND student charter, and it recently made history by partnering with Sacramento State University’s groundbreaking Black Honors College, providing a pathway for SDCCE graduates to transfer to one of the nation’s leading universities for Black students. SDCCE is the only noncredit institution of the state’s 25 community colleges signing a long-term partnership with the Black Honors College.
“SDCCE has a long-standing history of supporting underrepresented populations to reach their professional, academic and career goals, regardless of the often seemingly insurmountable barriers our students face,” said SDCCE President Tina M. King. “We are proud that our college has the highest number of Black students in the district. The number speaks volumes of the welcome space that our students feel at SDCCE. With this, our hope is that we are recognized as a BSI from the state chancellor to ensure that our students are supported in every way.”
San Diego City, Mesa, and Miramar colleges have already secured designations as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), and those federal designations allow the colleges to apply for grants that support students from all backgrounds.
“Miramar College has a deep commitment to providing a welcoming environment where students know they belong and are part of our community. Black students have traditionally been underserved in higher education, and we’re striving to ensure places of community for this by providing this population with targeted and dedicated services that specifically address their needs,” said President P. Wesley Lundburg. San Diego Miramar College, which as part of this commitment, has recently established a Black Student Union to support its 5% of the student population that identifies as Black.