Read EquityChat Transcript.pdf

Dr. Joseph I. Castro, CSU Chancellor, discussed his work with the California State University system, serving nearly 500,000 diverse students and over 50,000 faculty and staff. He aims to make the system stronger and more equitable, providing quality education at an affordable price. Castro shared personal aspects, including being a father and the first in his family to attend university, which motivated him to dedicate his career to paying it forward. He defined equity as creating opportunities for all to thrive and embedded equity-minded practices in his work, examining student outcomes and responding to different population needs. Castro highlighted programs like EOP, summer enrollment mini-grants, and the Male Success Alliance, as well as the new CSUCCESS program and the Global Hispanic Serving Institution Equity Innovation Hub, established in partnership with Apple and the California Governor. He also discussed the system's response to student needs during the pandemic, including affordability, food, and housing access.