Defining “Servingness” At Black-Serving Institutions

Dr. Keith CurryThe 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.

Learning from HSIs: The Concept of Servingness

The concept of “servingness” is not new. It has long been associated with the Hispanic-Serving institution (HSI) designation that the Federal government established in the 1992 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act to recognize and provide funding and resources to colleges and universities that had a fulltime undergraduate enrollment of at least 25% Latinx. Today, there are more than 600 HSIs in which approximately two-thirds of all Latinx undergraduate students are enrolled.

Dr. Frank HarrisMoreover, Dr. Gina Ann Garcia has done important research in conceptualizing servingness. Garcia (2019) noted that while the federal government defines what constitutes an HSI–a full-time undergraduate enrollment in which 25% of students identify as Latinx–it offers no guidance on what servingness actually means or looks like. Garcia advises HSI leaders to take a holistic and multi-dimensional perspective on servingness and to ensure indicators of servingness are reflected in institutional structures such as their mission and purpose, leadership practices, polices, curriculum, co-curricular offerings, and advancement activities. Just as Garcia (2019) emphasized the need for a holistic and culturally-affirming approach to serving Latinx students at HSIs, a similar concept can be applied to BSIs–one that accounts for the unique experiences of Black students.

Why Black-Serving Institutions Matter

Dr. J. Luke WoodSome may question the need for a BSI designation given the existence and historic importance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). HBCUs have a long legacy of cultivating Black excellence and consistently outperforming non-HBCUs in graduating Black students, often with fewer resources. However, HBCUs and BSIs play different but complementary roles. While 99 HBCUs are enrolling nearly 300,000 students, all were founded before 1964 with educating Black students as their core mission–they are concentrated in certain states. Other states have Black populations that exceed 1 million, such as California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, and Michigan, but have no HBCUs. For example, California has about 2 million Black residents and no HBCUs, while Alabama, with 1.4 million Black residents, has 14 HBCUs, the most of any state.

Indicators of Black-Servingness

Building on Garcia’s (2019) concept of servingness and accounting for the need for more higher education institutions that are committed to serving underserved students, including but not limited to Black students, we offer these indicators of what servingness may look like at BSIs. This is not an exhaustive list nor a checklist. But rather an aspirational set of commitments for educators who are serious about creating and sustaining BSIs. The indicators are organized into five broad categories reflecting priority areas for Black-Servingness: Mission, Leadership, and Commitment; Representation and Belonging; Institutional Accountability and Effectiveness; Curricula and Co-Curricular Programs; Support and Wellness.

Mission, Leadership and Commitment

1. The institution’s mission, vision, and strategic priorities explicitly affirm a commitment to underserved students, including but not limited to Black student success and Black-Servingness. 

2. The executive leadership team includes diverse leaders, including but not limited to Black leaders and others who demonstrate a pro-Black racial consciousness and perspective. 

3. The institution maintains authentic partnerships and outreach efforts that actively support and engage local Black communities, residents, educational organizations, and the business community.

Representation and Belonging

4. Black student representation in the undergraduate population reflects, at a minimum, the proportion of Black residents within the state or local community. 

5. Diverse faculty, including but not limited to Black faculty members, are meaningfully represented across the institution’s full-time, tenure, and tenure- track ranks. 

6. A diverse student population, including but not limited to Black students, is represented in student government, clubs and organizations, and other campus leadership bodies. 

7. There are identity-affirming spaces that foster a sense of belonging for underserved students, including but not limited to Black students, featuring art, murals, and photographs of prominent alumni and other individuals who have made important contributions to society.

Institutional Accountability and Effectiveness