Cal State Northridge to Establish Equity Innovation Hub

The California State University (CSU) system announced Tuesday a partnership with Apple and California Gov. Gavin Newsom to launch a Global Hispanic Serving Institution Equity Innovation Hub at California State University – Northridge.The hub’s goal is to increase student success and aid Latinx and other underrepresented students with skills for careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It will cooperate with other CSU campuses and Hispanic Serving Institutions throughout the country.So far, 21 campuses out of the CSU’s 23 have received the federal designation of being a Hispanic Serving Institution. The designation of Hispanic-Serving Institution is given to colleges and universities where at least 25 percent of the undergraduate, full-time enrollment is Latinx and at least half of the institution's degree-seeking students are low-income.The hub is the result of a $25 million allocation in the 2021-2022 California state budget as well as a donation from Apple. As the project evolves, Apple will also provide technology, design support and thought partnership.“Through bold vision from our state’s leaders in Governor Newsom, Senator (Alex) Padilla, Congressman (Tony) Cárdenas and Assemblywoman (Luz) Rivas, this is an exciting opportunity to collaborate with an outstanding partner in Apple and to leverage their cutting-edge and creative technologies with the intellectual capacities of world-class faculty to combine that work to benefit thousands of talented students in California and beyond,” CSU Chancellor Joseph Castro said in a statement.CSU Northridge, which will house the hub, has more than 21,000 students enrolled in fall 2021 that identify as Latinx.“CSU Northridge is a key economic and intellectual driver of the San Fernando Valley, and this new center gives the campus an opportunity not just to serve Californians, but to also serve as a worldwide destination for equity-driven learning,” Rivas said in a statement.