California State University Leaders Urge African American Parents to Talk to Children About College

Chancellor and presidents to speak at 10 Bay Area churches on Sunday, June 11

Contacts: Systemwide: Clara Potes-Fellow (562) 951-4806; San Francisco: Ellen Griffin (415) 338-6990; East Bay: Barry Zepel (510) 885-3884; San José: Nancy Stake (408) 924-1167

June 7, 2006 -- In an effort to increase the number of African American students eligible to attend college, the California State University is partnering with African American churches in the Bay Area to reach out to parents and students in their congregations.

On Sunday, June 11, CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed, eight CSU campus presidents and a member of the CSU Foundation Board of Governors will address congregations at 10 churches to bring awareness to the role of parent involvement and early preparation in getting to college.

The event, CSU Super Sunday, is part of a statewide campaign by the California State University to call attention to the need to augment participation by African Americans and Latinos in college.

Chancellor Reed will speak at Allen Temple Baptist Church during the 8 a.m. service. Please see complete list of presidents speaking and churches below.

“Out of the more than 405,000 students enrolled at CSU’s 23 campuses, six percent are African American,” said Chancellor Reed. “Just 7,200 African American males are enrolled as undergraduates at the CSU, one of the most diverse university systems in the country. This is deplorably low, and all of us must be accountable for improving this number. The churches and the CSU are combining energies to bring this message to the congregation, parents, students and community leaders.”

Following the services, CSU outreach directors and church education advisors will provide information on the application and admission process, including virtual tours through CSU Mentor, the website that helps students apply for college.

The Bay Area Super Sunday outreach effort is the second such an event held by the CSU this year. In February, the CSU reached out to 20,000 African Americans in eight churches in Southern California. Super Sundays were created as a follow up to discussions held last year by the CSU with African American leaders of the Bay Area and Southern California.

The California State University is the largest system of senior higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, approximately 405,000 students and 44,000 faculty and staff. Since the system was created in 1961, it has awarded about 2 million degrees, about 84,000 annually. The CSU is renowned for the quality of its teaching and for the job-ready graduates it produces. Its mission is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of the people of California. With its commitment to excellence, diversity and innovation, the CSU is the university system that is working for California. See www.calstate.edu

Participating Churches and Speakers:

Maranatha Christian Center
Pastor Dr. Anthony (Tony) Williams, Ph.D.
1811-A South Seventh St.
San José, CA 95112
(408) 280-PRAY (7729)
Congregation Number: 2,000
Speaker: President Don W. Kassing, San José State University
Service: 11:45 a.m.

True Vine Church
Pastor Louis Jones, Jr.
505 South White Road
San José, CA 95127
(408) 729–VINE (8463)
Congregation Number: 1,000
Speaker: President Don W. Kassing, San José State University
Service: 11:00 a.m.

Acts Full Gospel Church of God in Christ
Bishop Bob Jackson
1034 66th Avenue
Oakland, CA 94621
(510) 567-1300
Congregation Number: 4,000
Speaker: President-Elect Mohammad Qayoumi, California State University, East Bay
Service: 8:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.

Allen Temple Baptist Church
Dr. J. Alfred Smith
8501 International Boulevard
Oakland, CA 94621
(510) 544-8910
Congregation Number: 2,000
Speaker: Chancellor Charles Reed, California State University
Service: 8:00 a.m.
Speaker: Matthew Jenkins, CSU Foundation Board of Governors
Service: 11:00 a.m.

Glad Tidings Church of God in Christ
Bishop J. W. Macklin
1027 West Tennyson Road
Hayward, CA 94544
(510) 783-9377
Congregation Number: 2,000
Speaker: President Norma Rees, California State University, East Bay
Service: 10:00 a.m.

Saint Benedict Catholic Church
Father James Matthews
2245 82nd Avenue
Oakland, CA 94605
(510) 632-1847
Congregation Number: 300
Speaker: President Alexander Gonzalez, California State University, Sacramento
Service: 11:00 a.m.

Love Center Ministries, Inc.
Bishop Walter L. Hawkins
10440 International Boulevard
Oakland, CA 94603
(510) 729-0680
Congregation Number: 500
Speaker: President Horace Mitchell, California State University, Bakersfield
Service: 11:00 a.m.

Voice Pentecost Church
Pastor Svein Hamre
1970 Ocean Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94127
(415) 334-0105 or (415) 333-1970
Congregation Number: 200
Speaker: President Robert Corrigan, San Francisco State University
Service: 11:00 a.m.

City of Refuge
Bishop Yvette Flunder
1025 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 861-6130
Congregation Number: 200
Speaker: President James Rosser, California State University, Los Angeles
Service: 1:00 p.m.

Third Baptist Church
Reverend Amos Brown
1399 McAllister Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 346-4426
Congregation Number: 700
Speaker: President James Lyons, California State University, Dominquez Hills
Service: 10:00 a.m.