Thanks to a $175,000 grant from the California State University System’s Black Student Success Initiative, California State University, Bakersfield has recently opened its first student success center for Black students.
The Dr. Thomas D. Wallace Student Success Center, named for the university’s retiring vice president for student affairs, will serve as a space for Black students to access resources, receive mentorship, and connect with other students, faculty, and staff. While the Wallace Center’s primary focus is to support Cal State Bakersfield’s Black student population, the hub is open to students of all backgrounds.
“The center’s mission is clear — to make it easier for Black students to build meaningful relationships with faculty and staff, to be supported academically and culturally, and to feel affirmed in their identity,” said Natasha Harris, director of special programs and student retention initiatives at the university. “The center shall become the cornerstone for Black student success, a space where academic gaps will be closed, graduation rates will rise, and Black excellence is not only expected but is celebrated every day.”
