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As I stepped into my role as President of the Campaign for College Opportunity in its 20th year, I have spent the last few months reflecting on the journey that led me here. On June 13th, we hosted a memorable event in Los Angeles, where I had the honor of sharing the stage with my longtime partner-in-equity and friend, Michele Siqueiros, in a beautiful celebration of our shared commitment to student success. When I assumed presidency on July 1st, I was welcomed by our dedicated team as we embarked on an inspiring planning retreat in Sacramento. Shortly thereafter, I announced the expansion of our leadership team with the addition of three relentless Latina leaders who will join me in shaping the future of the Campaign.
This new leadership chapter has renewed my sense of purpose and is the fruition of my life’s work to realize racial and economic justice. As a first-generation, low-income college graduate and daughter of a perseverant single mother from California’s Central Valley, I deeply understood the systemic barriers that students face in pursuing higher education. That is why I am honored to lead an organization that is more determined than ever to break down barriers and ensure that all students, regardless of their background, can achieve their life dream of attending college and crossing the graduation stage.
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In this newsletter:
- View a video message of my key priorities
- Learn more about recent policy advocacy efforts
- Learn how the Campaign is elevating students and working with partners across California to address the current college affordability crisis, particularly amid challenges with the Better FAFSA launch
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Read the latest about our Affirming Equity, Ensuring Inclusion, and Empowering Action national initiative, including new publications
- Get a closer look at our committed team, including new additions and staff who are growing in their roles
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Explore the latest episode of Bellwether’s blog series, "Dollars and Degrees: Perspectives from the Field," where President Jessie Ryan discusses California’s Student-Centered Funding Formula (SCFF)
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Our growing multiracial democracy and society demand that we confront the challenges ahead. Though those battles are many, what these last few months have taught me is that change is possible through unity and courage. That is why I thank you for your continued support and for joining me on this journey. Together, we will actualize the vision of justice and racial equity in higher education. | |
In this video, President Jessie Ryan reflects on her journey from being a first-generation college student facing significant challenges to becoming the President of the Campaign. Jessie discusses the unparalleled impact of the organization over its 20-year history, highlighting her personal commitment to advancing college access and student success while calling upon partners to join us in the critical work of achieving racial/ethnic and economic justice through higher education. | |
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Our work at the Campaign has never been more critical. The finalization of the 2024-25 California budget in July underscored the need for a sustained focus on equitable recovery in higher education, despite a structural deficit. While the budget largely protected funding for higher education, the lack of Cal Grant expansion was disappointing. It is a reminder of the challenges we still face in ensuring that financial aid reaches the students who need it most, especially in light of the Better FAFSA launch this year and yet another delay in the upcoming application cycle.
The Campaign is committed to advocating for a simplified financial aid process that truly supports students, especially low-income and minoritized students who are often the first to be impacted by these bureaucratic hurdles. That is why the Campaign is pleased to announce the launch of our new campaign, My Spot in College, to affirm every student’s place in higher education by elevating the impact stories, financial aid resources, and partnerships that will illuminate the path to paying for college affordably.
Join us on social media and follow #MySpotInCollege for more!
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The Campaign remains at the forefront of policy transformation while assessing impact to ensure that students are fully benefiting from these policy victories. July marked the Equitable Placement Legislative Week of Action, a collaborative effort with our partners at Ed Trust-West and the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. Students, college leaders, and advocates came together to highlight the groundbreaking progress California is making in bolstering student success with equitable placement policies.
The impact has been profound: more students are now enrolling in transfer-level courses and have greater awareness about their rights. However, our recent survey, "Students Speak: A survey by and for students to understand equitable placement and completion in California," in partnership with Students Making A Change, still indicates persistent equity gaps in students’ understanding of their rights and the resources available to them for their success. The Campaign will continue to ensure the students are empowered to benefit from equitable placement policies that remove the barriers to a four-year degree.
The Campaign is also proud to announce that all of our supported bills have successfully advanced to the Governor's desk, including our sponsored legislation AB 1780 (Ting) and AB 2057 (Berman).
Altogether, these policies work to advance a more inclusive higher education system that embraces Latinx, Black, Asian American & Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native students. California can create a student-first, equity-centered playbook for the country as higher education nationwide struggles with the fallout of the 2023 Supreme Court decision on race-conscious admissions. We call upon Governor Newsom to sign these bills into law to ensure that California continues to lead in removing discriminatory barriers and championing equal opportunity for all.
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SPONSORED: AB 2057 (Berman): Strengthens the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) by increasing access to STEM pathways and setting statewide goals to close racial equity gaps in transfer attainment, as recommended by the AB 928 ADT Intersegmental Implementation Committee.
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Affirming Equity, Ensuring Inclusion, Empowering Action | |
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When the U.S. Supreme Court limited the use of race-conscious admissions in June 2023, the Campaign launched the Affirming Equity, Ensuring Inclusion, Empowering Action national initiative to prevent a return to exclusionary practices in higher education. This June and July, we launched two briefs focusing on supporting the college preparation, admission, affordability, and success of historically underserved student populations. Learn more about the briefs below. | |
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EQUITABLE COLLEGE ACCESS AND SUCCESS FOR AMERICAN INDIAN/ ALASKA NATIVE STUDENTS
Written by American Indian College Fund President and CEO Cheryl Crazybull, this brief explores how college leaders and policymakers across the nation can build a stronger multiracial democracy by working towards full inclusion and creating campuses that honor Native identity. American Indian and Alaskan Native (AIAN) people have persisted in the journey to achieving equal opportunity to higher education despite centuries of trauma. Yet, only 16% of AIAN ages 25-64 have been supported to earn a bachelor's degree, compared to 33% of the U.S. population.
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ENSURING COLLEGE ACCESS AND SUCCESS FOR ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN, AND PACIFIC ISLANDER STUDENTS
Authored by San Jose City College and Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education President Rowena Tomaneng, this brief delves into the unique challenges and experiences of Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) students in higher education, who are too often characterized as universally high achieving under the myth of the ‘model minority’. The brief sheds light on the need for more nuanced data collection, data disaggregation, and culturally competent strategies to ensure Asian American and NHPI students of all backgrounds receive support to go to college and succeed.
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August has been a time of gratitude and excitement for the Campaign as we introduce our new leadership team. We are incredibly proud to work alongside Dr. Feliza Ortiz-Licon, Sara Arce, and Dr. Rita Gallardo Good—remarkable women whose dedication to educational equity and justice makes them the perfect leaders to guide the Campaign into the future. Together, we are ready to tackle the challenges ahead and continue advocating for policies that promote college access, student success, and racial equity. | |
Making college dreams a reality takes a team dedicated to racial and economic justice. We are proud to highlight four of our staff members—Joshua Hagen, Marisa Johnson, Amanda Dominguez, and Vincent Rasso—who have stepped into greater leadership roles at the Campaign. Learn more about their impact and stay tuned as we spotlight more of our team driving higher education transformation. | |
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The Campaign is offering three part-time, paid Research Fellowships as part of our Steve Weiner and David Wolf Founder Fellowship Program. Research fellows will dive into data analysis, conduct impactful research, and help shape policies that open doors for minoritized students.
Our fellowship program is also seeking a Communications Fellow. This opportunity offers hands-on experience in graphic design for digital and print media, supporting our mission to ensure all Californians have an equal opportunity to access college and succeed. Learn how to apply and join our team of committed advocates!
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In the latest episode of "Dollars and Degrees: Perspectives from the Field," Christine Dickason, Senior Analyst of Bellwether, spotlights California’s Student-Centered Funding Formula (SCFF), a significant shift in how community colleges are funded. President Jessie Ryan discusses the origins and implementation challenges of the SCFF, which allocates funding based on enrollment, student socioeconomic status, and success outcomes. The episode delves into the equity-focused approach of the SCFF, the controversy it sparked, and the ongoing efforts to ensure the formula’s success as the state prepares for the expiration of the hold harmless provision. | | | |
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A year after the Supreme Court's June 2023 decision to overturn affirmative action, higher education faces significant challenges in adapting to the new legal landscape. Dr. Vikash Reddy, Vice President of Research at The Campaign, warns that the decision's broader impact could extend beyond admissions, affecting DEI initiatives nationwide. Despite the challenges, some institutions, particularly in California, are seeking alternative ways to maintain diversity. | | | |
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Dr. Vikash Reddy, our Vice President of Research, will be honored with the 2024 Early Career Award by Teachers College (TC) at Columbia University as part of their annual Alumni Award recognition. Vikash’s dedication to advancing equity in higher education has been instrumental in shaping meaningful, student-centered policy. From his early days as a third-grade teacher to his impactful research at UC Berkeley and TC, he continues to drive change that ensures all students have the opportunity to succeed. | | |
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We are grateful to the funders who make our work possible:
The Angell Foundation, the Ballmer Group, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the California Community Foundation, the College Futures Foundation, the ECMC Foundation, Edison International, the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, Genentech, GPSN, James Irvine Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, the Lumina Foundation, the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Foundation, the Sobrato Family Foundation, the Skyline Foundation, the Stuart Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
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With your support, we know that we can ensure that every Californian has the opportunity to go to college and succeed. Your contribution ensures that we continue to create bridges between our state’s higher education institutions and advocate for student success. | | | | | | |
