Written by Dr. Lynnette Zelezny, President of California State University, Bakersfield

Just outside the Dreamers Resource Center at California State University, Bakersfield, there is a tribute to civil rights leader Dolores Huerta, whose crusade to bring justice, equality, and opportunity to Latinx people around the nation began right here, in the fertile fields of the San Joaquin Valley.

Inscribed on a bench where students study, rest and reflect amid the beauty of our campus are the stirring words of this social justice icon, whose indomitable spirit in the face of incredible challenges still inspires us today:

“Every minute is a chance to change the world.”

At CSU Bakersfield, we set out to change the world every day by expanding the promise of university education to students and families who haven’t always believed that this life-enriching opportunity was open to them.

The vast majority of our students are the first in their families to attend college and must embark on this adventure – at times thrilling, at times mystifying - without a close role model to guide them. But with the compassionate support of our faculty and staff, we are sending a critical message to these students before they ever step foot on our campus: You belong.

Through the Kern Pledge, an innovative partnership with local school districts and community colleges, CSU Bakersfield is reaching students as early as kindergarten to plant the seed that college is not a dream for some; it is a dream for all. Together, we are building a culture that celebrates and respects the pursuit of knowledge and the importance of remaining in school through university graduation.

I am happy to report that this quest to diversify our university is yielding significant results. Over the past 20 years, the success of our Latinx students has soared in every way.

In 2000, Latinx students comprised just 27.5 percent of our student body, a discouraging statistic in a region with a large and flourishing Latinx population. But in 2021, thanks to CSU Bakersfield’s outreach to these students, that number has surged to 62.5 percent. Latinx students have continued to gain ground over that 20-year period in the key measurements of persistence rates and grade point average.  Perhaps the most important indicator of excellence is our improved graduation rates.  The overall two-year graduation rate for transfer students has more than doubled, from 21.5 percent to 44 percent, and the four-year graduation rate increased from 64.4 percent to 78.6 percent.

In November, the Campaign for College Opportunity named CSU Bakersfield an Equity Champion of Higher Education for the university’s outstanding work in providing a pathway for Latinx transfer students in the Associate Degree for Transfer Program. We are dismantling even more barriers for our transfer students through a rare partnership with the region’s largest community college, which now has a permanent satellite location right here on our campus, Bakersfield College Southwest at CSU Bakersfield.

Latinx students are making their mark at CSU Bakersfield, a member of the 23-campus California State University, the nation’s largest and most diverse system of public higher education and a true champion of inclusivity and equity. At the CSU, we know that diversity is not only our greatest asset; it is our superpower.

But welcoming Latinx students is only the first step of a long journey. Supporting our students through their undergraduate and graduate studies requires a comprehensive strategy and a compassionate team.

As a nationally recognized Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), which represents more than 400 colleges and universities committed to Hispanic higher education, CSU Bakersfield has access to essential support that is delivered via a number of programs tailored to the unique, nuanced experiences of our Latinx students.

The Dreamers Resource Center offers a safe space where students study, connect and seek immigration legal assistance, and the College Assistance Migrant Program helps our students transition from working in the fields to the classroom. The High School Equivalency Program is one of only 50 HEP programs federally funded through a competitive grant process by the U.S. Department of Education designed to assist migrant and seasonal farmworkers and members of their immediate families to complete their high school equivalency and, subsequently, get better jobs, begin post-secondary studies, or enroll in a vocational training program.

Grants and programs throughout the university’s four schools seek to improve Latinx representation, particularly in STEM professions, and provide culturally sensitive preparation in teacher education, health care, business and other vital fields.

In 2019, CSUB was awarded a multi-year grant from the Department of Education program, Promoting Post-baccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA). The goal is to enhance and create additional capacity by increasing enrollment, providing needed student support, improving research facilities, and engaging faculty to better serve Hispanic/Latinx graduate students through degree completion. But the real mission is simple: To encourage more of our students to pursue graduate education.

With degrees in hand, our graduates soar. CSU Bakersfield consistently tops national rankings in social mobility and affordability, which measures just how far our graduates go with the investment they’ve made in their education.   

And the students who choose to study at CSU Bakersfield quickly learn that it is not just the university that supports and nurtures them. Our 56,000-plus alumni and leaders of the communities we serve stand behind CSU Bakersfield students, offering direct support like scholarships, internships, mentorships, first jobs and other invaluable opportunities.

One such community member who serves our university on the President’s Latina/Latino Council with her wisdom and infinite compassion is Dolores Huerta, whose example has taught generations that the table is large enough for everyone to claim their seat.

When Dolores visits our campus, young Latinx students flock to the mother of “La Causa,” who, with Cesar Chavez, advocated for human dignity on behalf of our region’s families and opportunity for their children.

Those children are living that promise today at CSU Bakersfield, a university that helps each of our students unlock the magic that lies within them so that we may all rise together. •

Author Bio: Dr. Lynnette Zelezny became the fifth president of California State University, Bakersfield in 2018, breaking a barrier as the first woman to lead the university. Dr. Zelezny, a distinguished scholar in the field of applied social psychology, has served the California Central Valley her entire professional career.