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Cal Poly’s recent gains toward qualifying as a Hispanic-Serving Institution are changing the campus demographic map — and raising questions about whether other historically underrepresented groups are receiving the same level of institutional attention. As Latino enrollment climbs, student leaders and data point to persistent gaps in Black representation that remain unresolved.
The university launched an HSI-focused task force in 2022 to position Cal Poly for federal and state funding streams that become available to institutions meeting the HSI threshold. That push appears to be working: Cal Poly crossed the 25% mark for Latino/Hispanic student enrollment in fall 2024 and reported a further increase to 28.8% in fall 2025, according to institutional research figures.
What campus leaders are saying
Some student activists say the progress on Hispanic enrollment has not been matched by comparable gains for other groups. Izzy Pérez Pedraza, vice president of the Black Student Union, described a long-standing sense that Black students have never been central to campus recruitment efforts.
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“We weren’t even really in the conversation to be pushed aside,” Pedraza said, arguing that meaningful diversity must include visible faculty, staff and curriculum that reflect Black students’ experiences.
Pedraza acknowledged the university’s Black Student Success Initiative but questioned its impact so far, noting that cluster hires intended to diversify faculty sometimes result in appointments he describes as “white-passing.” He pointed to academic departments where Black faculty remain absent or very scarce: the psychology department has only recently hired its first Black professor, and political science still lists no Black faculty members.
Initiatives and the numbers
The campus’ Department of Culture and Institutional Excellence — previously titled the Office of University Diversity and Inclusion — oversees several programs, including the Black Student Success Initiative (BSSI), developed in partnership with the provost’s office. BSSI lists goals such as cluster hiring and increased K–12 outreach to boost Black representation among students, faculty and staff.
- HSI progress: 25% Latino/Hispanic enrollment in fall 2024; 28.8% in fall 2025.
- Black student enrollment: 0.8% of enrolled students in 2025, up from 0.5% in 2020.
- BSSI goals: cluster hiring, K–12 outreach, campus climate interventions.
- Student concerns: perceived lack of Black faculty and curriculum that centers diverse experiences.
Those figures illustrate a paradox: substantial momentum toward HSI status can unlock targeted resources that benefit a growing Latino student body, yet other underrepresented populations remain numerically small and, some argue, institutionally underserved.
University response and next steps
When asked for comment, Cal Poly directed inquiries through official channels. University spokesperson Keegan Koberl said the institution “continues to prioritize attracting a diverse pool of applicants so that our enrollment more closely reflects the demographics of the state we serve.” He added that the university recognizes there is work to do and is focused on “continual improvement” in its diversity efforts.
Cal Poly’s next steps will be watched closely by students and staff who want to see whether recruitment and hiring initiatives translate into stronger representation across all groups, not only for those tied to HSI qualification. The distribution of new funds and how they are used on campus programs, hires and curriculum will be a practical measure of whether the university’s stated priorities lead to measurable change.
For now, the campus is in a transition: the rapid rise in Latino enrollment changes the university’s eligibility for targeted support, but it also surfaces broader questions about equitable attention and outcomes for smaller, historically marginalized communities on campus.
