Stanislaus State has been allocated $80,000 in one-time funding by the California State University (CSU) to fund programs and projects it identified to advance Black student success.
The allocation, announced by the CSU on April 23, is part of the university system’s $10 million, three-year commitment to fund numerous programs and projects on its 23 campuses to meet recommendations in its Black Student Success report, released in June 2023.
“We are thrilled to receive this funding, which will have a positive impact on our campus and for our students,” said Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Sacha Joseph-Mathews. “The CSU's initiative is designed to tackle a wide range of challenges related to the success of Black students.
“At Stan State, we are strategically allocating our funding to strengthen a number of programs that are already up and running. These programs are designed to recruit and retain more Black students and foster a sense of belonging while directly addressing equity gaps in graduation rates. They are a pivotal part of our mission to nurture the success of our students with intention and compassion.”
The Office of the Chancellor and all 23 CSUs have collaborated on a first-of-its-kind inventory to establish a shared understanding of the state of Black student success systemwide. Each campus assessed its existing efforts compared to the report’s 13 recommendations. That inventory and an action-item list of three awarded projects for each campus to implement by May 2025 can be found in the Systemwide Campus Inventory and Campus Action Items Highlights report.
Two projects Stan State already implemented to address the Black Student Success Report’s recommendations are:
- The creation of the Black Men’s Alliance, a support group of staff, faculty and allies that offers mentoring in education, career development and issues affecting all who identify as Black male.
- Stanislaus State’s Faculty Center for Excellence for Teaching and Learning is offering training related to inclusive pedagogy and reducing equity gaps.
Additionally, Stan State partnered with UC Merced on the 1300 Campaign, which aims to send 1,300 young men of color from each of the three counties in the region — Stanislaus, Merced and San Joaquin — to the UC or CSU campus serving their community.
Stan State’s three new action items are:
- Develop an enrollment plan that specifies recruitment goals for Black students based on proportional representation.
- Implement a re-engagement and re-enrollment campaign for students who have left the CSU before earning a degree, including Black students.
- Create a Black Resource Center.
In addition, the CSU will hold its second biennial Juneteenth Symposium virtually on June 13 and 14 to celebrate African American history and achievement and promote the ongoing anti-racism work underway across the university system. The event will feature world-class speakers, evocative performances and thought-provoking panel discussions. Registration for the livestream event is available on the CSU’s Juneteenth website.
