Huston-Tillotson University, a private historically Black college in Austin, Texas, has announced an ambitious initiative to expand its reach by opening a branch campus in California. This strategic move aims to significantly enhance accessibility to students on the West Coast seeking the unique educational environment that HBCUs offer. As part of this expansion, Huston-Tillotson also seeks to strengthen the workforce pipeline back in Texas.

President Melva Wallace unveiled plans to secure the necessary approvals from California authorities to establish a physical campus by August 2025. In the meantime, the university has received permission to begin offering remote coursework to prospective California students as early as January. This innovative approach allows Huston-Tillotson to start engaging with students and providing them access to quality education while the groundwork for the new campus is being laid.

Covering New Territory

While Texas boasts ten HBCUs, California currently lacks any, and Huston-Tillotson would make the state’s first. President Wallace emphasized the significance of this initiative: “If it’s working for the corporate and workforce, why don’t we take the lead on building the pipeline for the workforce by training more California students to enter the workforce here?” Wallace asked. 

To facilitate this groundbreaking expansion, Huston-Tillotson has formed a pivotal partnership with the San Diego Unified School District and the National College Resources Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving higher education completion rates among underrepresented groups. Wallace shared that the partnership originated when the NCRF approached Huston-Tillotson with the intention of enhancing opportunities for students in California.

As the university embarks on this exciting journey, officials from Huston-Tillotson are actively searching for suitable locations for the new campus. Initially, Huston-Tillotson plans to offer a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an associate degree in liberal studies at its California branch. Depending on the space selected for the campus, the university will determine the specific number of students that can be accommodated.

“There’s a scroll of things longer than I-35 that could possibly fail, but we are focusing on all of the ways that we can make this happen for those kids out there who want to attend an HBCU and just don’t have access,” Wallace said.