Over the past five years, officials from the California State University have been working on increasing the enrollment rates of African American students via the CSU Super Sunday program. This initiative was created so that they could inform black communities in California about how to best plan, prepare, and apply for college. The program started out small, but it has grown very quickly with CSU officials now visiting 100 churches in black communities across 40 cities in the state. Enrollments are up over 75% over the 2004-2008 period, which is a positive sign for the program and for diversity at CSU college campuses. This current generation is often the first to enroll in college, so therefore the parents of these students do not always have a strong understanding of how to plan and prepare for a higher education. One of the best parts of the program is that they teach young students about how they can apply for various scholarships and grants, which will help alleviate some or all of the costs that students face while obtaining a California degree.
Recently CSU Chancellor Charles Reed was at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, along with Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, speaking to the parishioners about the importance of a solid California college education to compete in the current job market. The CSU Super Sunday program has an emphasis on students starting out on the right path beginning in sixth grade so they can get the proper education to be prepared to earn a college degree. Students need to take the right classes in math, English, and science throughout 6th to 12th grade to make sure they have the well rounded education needed to tackle classes at a CSU or UC school. In addition to this program, CSU officials also do other outreach to increase enrollment of Hispanic and Native American students.
Tags: California State Universities, California State University, CSU
