Sacramento State President Alexander Gonzalez encouraged families and students to enroll in the California State University system while speaking at the morning service at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church today.

Gonzalez spoke to approximately 1,000 members of the congregation in attendance at the church in Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood as part of the CSU Super Sunday program.

CSU Super Sunday is an outreach program developed by CSU Chancellor Charles Reed to connect with black churches.

The chancellor, representatives from his office, members of the CSU Board of Trustees and presidents from the 23 CSU campuses speak during services at black churches throughout California on one Sunday during the month of February. As part of the university’s strategic plan, Sac State wants to not only recruit but also retain black students by providing a support system of cultural identity and peer support on the campus, Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez asked prospective students and their families to visit and talk to Sac State representatives following the morning’s service at the booth set up by the university in the church’s conference room.

Gonzalez also suggested students visit the CSU website and the Sac State campus, learn about available financial aid programs, begin taking college assessment tests prior to their senior year in high school and make sure that they are taking the necessary courses required for admittance to the CSU system.

Congregation members that are Sac State alumni should serve as examples and ambassadors of the university for prospective students in the community, Gonzalez said.

Sac State alumna and church member Melinda McClain said she is willing to serve as an example for young parishioners interested in attending Sac State.

Church member Jerry Springer Jr., who visited the Sac State booth with his children following the service, said this is a great outreach opportunity that shows the university in concerned with increasing black enrollment.

It shows the community that the CSU system sees the need for a diverse student population in order to provide a well-rounded education for students, Springer said.

Sacramento State does not limit its outreach program for black churches to the CSU Super Sunday event, said Sac State Vice President of Student Affairs Lori Varlotta. In the last year, Gonzalez visited three black churches in addition to CSU Super Sunday, she said.

Developing partnerships between the university and churches like St. Paul Missionary Baptist church and events like CSU Super Sunday will have a positive effect on Sacramento and California as a whole, Gonzalez said.

Black enrollment increased by 6.5 percent in the fall of 2007 across the CSU campuses, according to a press release from the CSU Chancellor’s office.

Gonzalez said he hopes events like CSU Super Sunday played a part in the enrollment increase.

This is the third year Gonzalez has participated in the CSU Super Sunday event, which began in 2006, and the second time he has spoken at St. Paul Missionary Baptist church.

This year representatives of the CSU system spoke at 30 churches.

Todd Wilson can be reached at [email protected].