West Valley College to partner with Black Honors College in Sacramento

Program is the first of its kind in the country.

Students at West Valley College in Saratoga will soon be able to transfer to the first Black Honors College in the country, thanks to a new partnership with Sacramento State University, where the program is housed.

West Valley students with at least a 3.8 grade point average who have demonstrated a commitment to learning about Black history and culture can apply to transfer to Sacramento State and enroll in the Black Honors College as early as next spring. The program is open to all qualified students, regardless of race.

The Black Honors College will offer specialized coursework, research opportunities, scholarships and more for students who have an interest in “Black history, life, culture and contributions,” according to Sacramento State. The first group of students to enroll in the program will begin this fall.

West Valley College President Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza said the partnership came about after Sacramento State president Luke Wood put out a call to community colleges.

“As West Valley’s first Black president, I am committed to provide this opportunity for highly motivated students,” Taylor-Mendoza said in a release. “The partnership with Sacramento State’s Black Honors College gives students a place to further develop their passion to grow as courageous leaders, paving the path for the next cohort of transfers.”

Enrollment reports from the 2022-23 school year show that 210, or about 2% of West Valley students are Black/African-American.

Taylor-Mendoza said students and faculty are excited about the opportunity, and that she’s met a current Saratoga High School student who expressed an interest in the program. “They’re already high achieving, they plan to attend here and so they were definitely interested in possibly going,” she added.

West Valley is one of 25 community colleges, including Mission College in Santa Clara, that are partnering with the Black Honors College.

“We are creating an institution within the institution that is specifically designed to serve the academic, co-curricular and psychological needs of Black students,” Wood said in a release.