Equity Alert: Black Minds Matter - Establishing Black-Serving Institutions (BSIs) in California’s Higher Education Landscape

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Callum

Equity Alert examines a legislative proposal to create a California Black-Serving Institutions (BSI) Program aimed at improving access to, and outcomes within, higher education for Black Californians. It highlights disparities in completion rates and degree attainment across public higher education segments and explains how Senate Bill (SB) 1348 would designate eligible campuses for five academic years. The alert details enrollment-based eligibility thresholds and application requirements, including institutional commitments, student success plans, leadership certification, resource allocation, and baseline data reporting.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

What Is Senate Bill (SB) 1348 (Bradford) & What Will it Do?

Eligibility Criteria for the BSI Program

Estimated Eligible Institutions (Fall 2023 Enrollment)

Additional Application Criteria

Institutional Commitment

Data Collection

Equity Alert Black Minds Matter: Establishing Black-Serving Institutions (BSIs) in California’s Higher Education Landscape California is home to the fifth-largest population of Black people in the United States, approximately 2.8 million individuals. However, when Black Californians seek access to our state’s colleges and universities, they face undue bureaucratic and financial barriers. Furthermore, once they enroll, they experience institutions that are ineffective at serving them. This institutional underperformance is evident across all three public segments of higher education, as each falls below average in supporting Black students’ attainment (see Figure 1) . Figure 1: Six-Year Completion Rates for Black Students in California Higher Education (2020) 83% 76% 76% of Black students complete a degree from the University of California in six years. The average six year completion rate is 83% As a result, only 26% of Black adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher in California. 49% 38% 38% of Black students complete an Associate’s degree from a California Community College in six years. The average six-year completion rate is 49% .* 60% 48% 48% of Black students complete a degree from California State University in six years. The average six-year completion rate is 60% . This Equity Alert explores a legislative proposal to create a California Black-Serving Institutions (BSI) Program intended to improve how Black Californians experience and succeed in higher education. We explain the proposal, discuss the potential benefits, and highlight critical considerations to strengthen the effectiveness of the designation and improve the ways colleges and universities in our state support Black student success. Source: EdTrust-West. (2022, April 19). Black Minds Matter: 2022 Factsheet (p. 5). Retrieved from [https://west.edtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ed-trust-black-minds-matter-fact-sheet-update-final-june29.pdf](https://west.edtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ed-trust-black-minds-matter-fact-sheet-update-final-june29.pdf) 1 EQUITY ALERT: BSIs in California Higher Ed | EdTrust-West • [www.edtrustwest.org @edtrustwest](www.edtrustwest.org @edtrustwest) WHAT IS SENATE BILL (SB) 1348 (BRADFORD) & WHAT WILL IT DO? Senate Bill (SB) 1348 seeks to establish the California Black-Serving Institutions Program to designate campuses that excel at providing academic resources to Black and African American students. The bill notably establishes eligibility criteria for colleges and universities in California to qualify for inclusion in the Black-Serving Institutions Program. To be eligible, an institution must have a headcount of at least 1,500 Black and African American students or meet a 10% Black student body enrollment threshold. If selected, the BSI designation would be valid for five academic years with the option for renewal with evidence of satisfactory progress in supporting Black student success. See Table 1 below for an initial estimate of the number of institutions that would be eligible for the program. Table 1: Eligible Public Institutions Based on Enrollment Criteria (Fall 2023 Enrollment) | University of California (UC) | 5 out of 10 UCs | | --- | --- | | California State University (CSU) | 3 out of 23 CSUs | | California Community Colleges (CCC) | 25 out of 117 Community Colleges | Note: Eligibility counts include California’s public 2-year and 4-year institutions. Private colleges and universities would also be eligible for the program but are not included in this analysis, as the most recent publicly available enrollment data for these institutions is from the Fall of 2022. Sources: University of California. (January 19, 2024). UC Fall Enrollment at a Glance Dashboard. Retrieved from [https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/about-us/](https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/about-us/)[ ](https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/about-us/)[information-center/fall-enr

FAQs

What problem does the Equity Alert describe for Black Californians in higher education?

Black Californians face bureaucratic and financial barriers to access, and institutions often underperform in supporting Black students’ attainment, reflected in lower completion and degree attainment rates.

What is the purpose of the California Black-Serving Institutions (BSI) Program?

The program is intended to designate campuses that excel at providing academic resources to Black and African American students, improving how students experience and succeed in higher education.

How would a college qualify and remain eligible under SB 1348?

Eligibility would require either a headcount of at least 1,500 Black and African American students or a threshold where Black students make up 10% of enrollment. If selected, the designation would be valid for five academic years, with renewal based on evidence of satisfactory progress.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Callum