Huston-Tillotson University, Austin's longstanding institution of higher education, has set sights on California for the establishment of an additional campus. Announced to cater to students beyond Central Texas, the university aims to offer its education to those in the Golden State who have yet to see a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) within their borders. Initially, the academic endeavor will emerge in an online format with a Liberal Studies Requirement curriculum starting in January, as mentioned by KVUE.
Following the virtual launch, Huston-Tillotson officials hope to gain the necessary approvals to kick off construction of the physical campus by August 2025. Expressing both the grandeur and novelty of this expansion, Huston-Tillotson President Melva Wallace, serving a new group of students, commented, "Being the first undergraduate HBCU in California, it's just an amazing thing," in an interview with the KVUE.
The motivation behind the expansion is partly due to an outreach by the nonprofit National College Resources Foundation, aimed at increasing the amount of HBCUs in California. Alongside, the San Diego Unified School District is also participating in this joint effort. "There’s a scroll of things longer than I-35 that could possibly fail," Wallace told Inside Higher Ed, "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."
