Black-Serving Institution

Our Mission#

San Diego Mesa College is committed to becoming a Black-Serving Institution by advancing coordinated, culturally affirming, and data-informed strategies that support Black and African American student success. We strive to remove barriers, foster belonging, and ensure students thrive, graduate, and transfer.

View BSI Strategic Plan

Our Goals#

Academic Goals

1. Increase first term to subsequent term retention rate for Black and African American students over the next five years.
2. Reduce time-to-associate degree completion for Black and African American students measured by average number of semester units accumulated.
3. Increase the percentage of Black and African American students who earned a certificate or degree within 3 years.
4. Increase the number of Black and African American students who transfer to a four-year institution within 4 years.

Academic Equity Goals

1. Eliminate the 3.1 percentage point academic equity gap for successful completion of year-1 transfer-level English between Black and African American students and the overall population.
2. Reduce by 5 percentage points the 9.9 percentage point academic equity gap for successful completion of year-1 transfer-level Math between Black and African American students and the overall population.
3. Close by 5 percentage points the 5.6 percentage point academic equity gap for first-year course success rate between Black and African American students and the overall population.
4. Close the 1.4 percentage point academic equity gap for course drops due to financial hardship between Black and African American students and the overall population.

Addressing Structural Inequities#

These goals, and our strategies to achieve them, reflect our understanding of the complex structural inequalities and barriers facing our Black and African American students. We recognize that:

• Black and African American students at San Diego Mesa College are more likely to experience economic hardship due to structural racism and historical legacies of discrimination in San Diego.
  This results in barriers to education access and decreased persistence once enrolled;
  
  
• Black and African American students at San Diego Mesa College are less likely to express a sense of belonging and college-going identity due to persistent patterns of microaggressions and educational inequities within the K-12 system.
  This results in decreased persistence, success, and attainment;
  
  
• Black and African American students at San Diego Mesa College have traditionally experienced historical marginalization within higher education, and that while intentional efforts to produce equity have begun to address these legacies, achieving substantive equity will require:
  
  • Deepening institutional commitments and ensuring deliberate prioritization
  • Establishing clear impact benchmarks and mechanisms for data-driven planning
  • Integrating accountability into campus coordination efforts.

In order to address these inequalities and barriers, we have developed a strategic plan that leverages Mesa College’s existing strengths, while building new targeted initiatives to ensure the success of Black and African American students.

This plan will substantially improve outcomes for Black and African American students at Mesa College, reducing or eliminating key academic equity gaps and producing measurable change.

Core Strategic Pillars#

1. Build Campus Infrastructure for Coordination

   We will establish a BSI steering committee working through the existing Harambee Protocol group to ensure that activities are aligned with objectives and priorities, and that resources are allocated appropriately. Improved coordination will prevent fragmented or siloed initiatives that dilute the effectiveness of efforts, and limit duplication between instruction, student services, and administration. Additionally, we will strategically deepen our data collection through collaborations between Black-serving programs and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness to generate stronger disaggregated metrics allowing for transparent evaluation and accountability.
   
   

2. Target Structural Barriers

   Because we know our Black and African American students face structural barriers rooted in larger social inequities, we will continue to develop, evaluate, and refine programs that provide students financial assistance, access to educational supplies and technology, and support for families and childcare.
   
   

3. Academic Achievement Initiatives

   We will maintain targeted support for ongoing efforts such as the Mesa Tutoring and Computing Centers (MT2C), CRUISE summer bridge program and Umoja Learning Community Cohort that have demonstrated effectiveness, while continuing to pursue innovation in equitable pedagogy.
   
   

4. Foster Belonging

   Recognizing that a sense of belonging and the presence of culturally relevant practices are essential drivers of retention and persistence for Black and African American students, we will continue to support events and activities through the Black Student Union, Black Employee Success Team, A2Mend, Black Studies Department, and other campus programs that create opportunities for mentorship, connection, and community.
   
   

   View Strategic Pillars Crosswalk