November 2, 2021
Mesa College has been named a 2021 Equity Champion of Higher Education
Mesa excels at awarding Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT) to Black and Latinx students
By Office of Communications
San Diego - San Diego Mesa College has been named a 2021 Equity Champion of Higher Education
by The Campaign for College Opportunity for awarding Associate Degrees for Transfer
(ADT) to Black and Latinx students. Colleges are recognized due to their actions to
intentionally ensure that Black and Latinx students who have a transfer goal earn
an ADT. This is determined via the percentage point gap (PPG), which identifies campuses,
such as Mesa College, that are excelling in awarding ADTs to Latinx and Black students,
relative to their campus wide ADT conferral rates. Across all California Community
Colleges, Mesa is recognized as having a high proportion of degree or transfer seeking
Black and Latinx students who received an ADT in the 2019-2020 academic year. This is achievement is indicative of the equity work in which Mesa
College engages daily.
“We are proud of the students who earned these degrees, the committed faculty & staff
who support them,” stated Dr. Pamela Luster, President of Mesa College. “We’re committed
to efforts to increase the success of Black and Latinx transfer students through centering
racial equity in our work.”
The Campaign for College Opportunity will recognize San Diego Mesa College at their
virtual event, Champions of Higher Education Celebration, being held on Tuesday, November
16, 2021, from 10am-11:30am via zoom. Honorable Assemblymember Marc Berman is invited
to provide remarks, along with student leaders and other California Community College
and CSU honorees. The virtual celebration will bring together approximately 200-400
attendees representingCalifornia’s higher education leadership, elected officials, corporate sponsors, and
civic and business leaders.
About San Diego Mesa College
San Diego Mesa College is a fully accredited, comprehensive community college committed
to access, success, and equity. We honor those commitments as a diverse community
of students, faculty, professional staff, and administrators who collaborate to foster
scholarship, leadership, innovation, and excellence in an inclusive learning environment.
By promoting student learning and achievement that leads to degrees and certificates,
transfer, workforce training, and lifelong learning, we empower our students to reach
their educational goals and shape their future. Among the largest community colleges
in California, Mesa College serves 30,000 students per year, 25% of whom are full-time.
Mesa offers nearly 200 associate degree and certificate programs and is one of 15 California community colleges offering a four-year baccalaureate degree. Mesa
ranks as San Diego’s top transfer institution, is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution
and a Military Friendly School, serving nearly 3,000 veterans and their families.
Tags: President Pam, Press Release, equity, higher education equity
