Defining “Servingness” At Black-Serving Institutions
Preview:
The enactment of California Senate Bill (SB) 1348 formally established the California Black-Serving Institutions (BSI) designation to recognize the State’s public community colleges and universities that enroll a student body that is 10 percent Black or enroll at least 1,500 Black students, among other criteria. While SB 1348 does an effective job of clearly identifying measurable and verifiable indicators of Black-Servingness, there is a need to articulate further and contextualize what it actually means and looks like to be a BSI beyond what can be captured in the indicators presented in the bill.
Originally published: June 11, 2025
Author: J. Luke Wood, Keith Curry
Position: President, President
Institution: Compton College, Sacramento State University
Published by: Diverse Issues in Higher Education