Join Our 2026-27 Middle Leadership Academy — Apply by March 27, 2026

The Middle Leadership Academy will center on servingness, grounded in Dr. Gina Garcia’s 2019 framework that challenges institutions to move beyond access and intentionally examine how they fully serve students. This year, campus teams will identify an area of focus informed by servingness and use the Academy experience to reflect, refine, and design a more intentional and impactful initiative. 

Now is the time to confirm your Team Lead and secure a Letter of Support from a cabinet level administrator. We are excited to partner with the next cohort of cross functional campus leaders who are committed to strengthening belonging and advancing equity across the CSU. 

Deadline to apply is March 27!

Academy Impacts Briefs Summary

To help California State University (CSU) campuses plan for the Middle Leadership Academy (Academy) in ways that help them reach their goals for equitable student success, this brief summarizes lessons learned from successful campus teams regarding planning and organizing for the Academy. According to participants from three campuses that sent multiple teams to the Academy over multiple years, adopting a multi-year strategic approach to the Academy yielded longer-term impacts aligned with campus goals. 

Tips & Strategies from Beyond Designation: Thinking Intentionally about Servingness in the CSU 

On November 5, 2025, over 110 individuals from all 22 California State University (CSU) campuses gathered for a two-session virtual convening focused on building servingness within the System. Titled “Beyond Designation: Thinking Intentionally about Servingness in the CSU,” the convening pushed participants to think about the strategies, data, and collaborations they can use to make minority-serving designations more intentional, sustainable, and meaningful to meet the educational needs of the students.  

Equity in Action Report: Supporting a Just and Equitable Environment for California State University Students

In 2021, over $386,000 in grant funding was invested into the California State University (CSU) system through the Network’s Equity in Action (EIA) grant awards. The Network awarded 20 EIA grants to applicants across 13 CSU campuses to support middle leaders in conducting equity-driven research across the California CSU system, to identify, define, and disrupt systemic and institutional inequities within the CSU system.  

In Case You Missed It

The Network’s Equity in Action Grant (EIA) Program is looking for new proposals that draw faculty, staff, students, and middle level administrators to support innovative thinking, research, and evidence-based practices that lead to institutional change and specifically address equity-related challenges.  

Deadline to submit is March 27!