Two years ago, the California Legislature passed a law creating a new designation, Black-serving institutions, to recognize colleges and universities working toward Black students’ success. To qualify, institutions have to enroll at least 10 percent Black students—or a minimum of 1,500 students—and take specific steps to support them, including submitting data on their enrollment, retention and graduation rates and drafting plans to improve their academic outcomes and close equity gaps. The designation doesn’t currently come with any funding, but institutions regard it as a badge of honor. They can renew their status every five years by submitting progress updates; the first batch of 31 BSIs will be up for renewal in 2030.
