California Bill Would Create ‘Black-Serving Institution’ Designation
Sara Weissman
May 26, 2024
Some lawmakers and higher ed leaders in California want a state-level designation highlighting colleges and universities serving Black students well.
A California bill, which passed the state Senate last week and is making its way to the Assembly, would recognize colleges and universities in the state that enroll high numbers of Black students and take intentional steps to better serve them. The bill would establish a formal “Black-Serving Institution” designation for these institutions.
Colleges and universities are eligible for the designation if they enroll a student body that’s at least 10 percent Black, or has at least 1,500 Black students, and take various measures to support them, including drafting a Black student success plan (and allocating resources to that plan), fostering a “robust” African American studies program and cocurricular educational activities or affinity centers for Black students.
