D&I Guide

Children's Center

Provides a nurturing space in their social emotional, cognitive, and language development. A safe and welcoming learning environment where children enjoy learning and interacting with their peers.

Address: 18343 Plummer St, Northridge, CA 91325

Phone: (818) 677-2012

Hours: Monday - Friday: 7:30am - 5:30pm

Children's Center Webpage

Transportation

The A.S Ticket Office makes commuting to CSUN easier! We offer transportation information and services to our fellow Matadors and community. Whether you are commuting locally withMetro or making your way from the Antelope Valley, you can count on us to help you find your way to where Matadors belong!

CSUN AS Transportation – What They Offer

• U-Pass: Unlimited rides on most Metro buses and trains for enrolled students during Fall & Spring.
• College TAP Cards: Discounted transit fares for students.
• Fare Capping Help: Support with Metro’s TAP card fare-capping program.
• Transit Station Access: Connections to Metro Bus 167, Rapid 744, AVTA 787, and Metrolink Shuttle.
• AVTA Pass Sales: 10-trip and monthly Antelope Valley Transit Authority passes (some student discounts available).
• Metrolink Info: Guidance on student discounts and train commuting.
• Other Transportation Options: Info on Zipcar, MetroBus, DASH, and bike resources.
• Bike Registration: Support and access to the Matador Bike Compound.
• Commuter Portal: One-stop online hub for all campus transportation resources.

For more information see visit the transportation webpage.

Transportation Webpage

DREAM Center

The DREAM Center is a welcoming, empowering space that supports undocumented students, students from mixed-status families, and their allies. They provide culturally affirming services, help students navigate educational and immigration-related questions, and create a strong sense of belonging on campus.

What They Offer:

• Support with AB 540, California Dream Act, DACA renewals, and scholarship applications
• Free immigration legal services through CARECEN
• Peer and faculty mentorship to support academic and personal success
• Wellness resources, including counseling referrals and “Let’s Talk” drop-ins
• Community-building programs, workshops, and trainings focused on advocacy and empowerment
• Access to computers, printing, and a welcoming lounge space
• Staff who provide one-on-one guidance, connection, and care

Legal Services

CARECEN

Direct immigration legal services are available free of charge to CSU Northridge students, faculty, staff and immediate family. An immigration attorney is onsite on a weekly basis for general immigration related consultations. The legal services provided focus primarily on DACA renewals and general assistance in filling out immigration forms, such as family-based petitions.

Funding for the services is provided by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) in collaboration with the CSU Chancellor's Office. Legal services are provided by the Central American Resource Center of Los Angeles (CARECEN).

Founded in 1983, CARECEN, is the largest Central American immigrant rights organization in the country; it empowers Central Americans and all immigrants by defending human and civil rights, working for social and economic justice, and promoting cultural diversity.

Location: University Student Union (USU), Building C
Contact: dreamcenter@csun.edu • (818) 677-7069

The DREAM Center is here to uplift students, protect their dignity, and ensure they feel supported throughout their CSUN journey.

DREAM Center Webpage 

Oasis Wellness Center

Located in the University Student Union (USU) building on campus, the Oasis is a dedicated wellness space for students to relax, recharge, and succeed.

What it offers:

• Guided meditations, aroma-blending classes, and other mindful-wellness workshops.
• Nap pods, massage chairs, VR meditation, red light therapy, and other innovative wellness technologies.
• Outdoor lounge/relaxation spaces plus indoor facilities, including charging stations and quiet zones.
• Connections to broader campus wellness resources (counseling, health services, disability resources, etc.).●

Hours: Fall/Spring: Mon-Thu 9 a.m.–6 p.m. (Fri 9 a.m.–2 p.m.)--Summer: Mon-Fri 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Location: University Student Union, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge CA 91330-8272.
Phone: (818) 677-7373

Oasis Wellness Center Webpage

Pride Center

The Pride Center is a dedicated space on campus that supports LGBTQIA+ students, faculty, and staff by offering programs, outreach, and advocacy aimed at improving campus climate and ensuring safety and respect for all.

What They Offer:

• A safe and welcoming space with values of advocacy, inclusivity, empowerment, intersectionality, and social justice.
• Educational programs, community events, and outreach initiatives for LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies.
• Drop-in services and specialized events (e.g., “Let’s Talk” mental health drop-in) for support and connection.
• Confidential space policies: welcoming all identities, respecting privacy and experiences, and encouraging respectful dialogue and behavior.

Location: University Student Union (USU), Sol Center, 2nd floor — 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330-8272
Phone: (818) 677-4355

Pride Center Webpage

Veterans Resources Center 

The VRC is a dedicated campus space that supports student veterans, reservists, National Guard members, and their dependents as they transition from military service into academic life.

What They Offer:

• Academic support, professional development, and personal-growth resources tailored to military-connected students.
• Community-building events and peer networking to foster connection, belonging, and mutual support among veterans.
• Assistance with navigating federal benefits (e.g., VA education benefits), emergency grants, and scholarships to help reduce financial barriers.
• A welcoming physical space located in the University Student Union (USU), where student veterans can study, relax, and connect with peers.
• Staff who understand the unique challenges of transitioning from military to academic life and who advocate on behalf of veterans on campus.

Location: University Student Union (USU), CSUN, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330
Phone: (818) 677-4672 / Email: vrc@csun.edu

Veterans Resources Center Webpage

The Commission on Diversity and Inclusion is made up of student representatives, faculty representatives, staff representatives, and people who solely work for Diversity and Inclusion initiatives. The commission focuses on campus climate, access & equity, diversity in the curriculum, and institutional communication. To find out about the members of the Commission, visit their membership webpage.

The Commission also has created the Diversity and Equity Innovation grant. This grant was created to support creative activities, scholarly research, educational projects, and other innovative programmatic initiatives that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, access, anti-racism and social justice for the benefit of the CSUN community. To learn more about this, visit their grant webpage.

The Asset Map

In this section of the guide, you can find all of the resources of the different cultural programs on campus. The Asset Map includes service, names of points of contact, and how to communicate with them.

The Department of Police Services (DPS) is committed to providing a safe environment for all students, faculty, administrators, and all other members of the CSUN campus community. Furthermore, DPS strives to ensure that all services provided through its dedicated staff are done with integrity, transparency, care, and a professional focus contributing to student success. For matters of police services related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, please contact Catarino (Tony) Arias at catarino.arias@csun.edu or you can visit the DPS website assistance or inquiries.

This office champions fairness, diversity, and accountability in education and employment across campus.

What they do:

• Enforce nondiscrimination policies and ensure CSUN complies with federal and state laws on equity (e.g., Title IX, protected statuses).
• Oversee complaint processes related to discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and related misconduct.
• Provide guidance, training, and resources to students, faculty, and staff around equitable practices, prevention, and supportive measures.

Contact & Location:

Location: Valera Hall (VH), Room 285, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge CA 91330.
Phone: (818) 677-2077
Email: equityanddiversity.department@csun.edu (or equityandcompliance@csun.edu)

For more information, visit the Equity & Compliance webpage

Title IX

Title IX protects all people regardless of their gender or gender identity from sex discrimination, which includes sexual harassment and sexual violence.  This gives you an opportunity to file a criminal complaint, have an investigation, and confidentiality.

The Student Legal Support Clinic is a collaboration between AS CSUN and Southwestern Law School (via their Community Lawyering Clinic) that offers free legal advice and representation to students at California State University, Northridge (CSUN).

What They Offer:

• Pro bono (free) legal consultation, advice, and representation for students in a variety of areas—such as immigration, housing, workers’ rights, and other legal matters.
• Information about students’ rights and referrals to trusted low-cost or free legal services outside the clinic when needed.
• Drop-in or appointment services (first-come, first-served for many cases) available to enrolled CSUN students.

Location: Oviatt Library Room 312 (3rd floor) on CSUN campus.
Hours: For latest hours or to verify services: check the AS CSUN website or the clinic’s page.

The Food Pantry is a campus resource dedicated to ensuring students don’t have to choose between buying groceries and paying tuition.

What They Offer:

• Free emergency food items and basic necessities (e.g., toiletries) to enrolled students.
• A welcoming, stigma-reducing environment that encourages students to seek help without shame.
• Support for not only students but also faculty and staff in certain circumstances.
• Convenient access to non-perishable foods and hygiene supplies via weekly pick-ups.

How to Access / Get Involved:

• Students can visit the pantry on campus (check current hours on CSUN’s site or Instagram).
• Consider volunteering or partnering if you’re planning an event or awareness campaign—this is a great way to collaborate via your DEI work.

Visit the Food Pantry webpage for more information.

This Housing website provides diverse information designed specially for Cal State University, Northridge's Faculty and Staff. It shares information regarding Rental Housing, Relocation Services, Community Resources, Cultural, Government and also Entertainment.

For more information see the following link: Housing Resources

The MataCare Emergency Grant is a once-a-year grant that students can receive through financial hardships. Documentation must be provided to receive the grant.

For more information and the application visit the Matacare webpage

The Scholarship and Financial Aid office provides financial support to CSUN students through scholarships and grants and helps students reach a higher form of education. It assists students throughout the financial aid application process.

The Klotz Student Health Center is dedicated to offering a range of high-quality clinical services to cater to your health needs without breaking the bank. The comprehensive in-house and telehealth services encompass primary care, sports medicine, nutritional counseling, and birth control education. Elevating the commitment to your well-being, they extend specialty services such as chiropractic care, acupuncture, and physical therapy.

University Counseling Services (UCS) is a mental health center for students enrolled at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). They provide a range of high-quality mental health services including initial evaluations, short-term counseling and psychotherapy, Wellness Workshops, group treatment, psychiatric services, crisis/urgent care services, and case management. 

For more information visit the UCS website

The cultural and diverse clubs on campus support students from different backgrounds and cultures which creates a safe and eventful environment where students are able to connect and participate in. Visit Matasync for a full list of clubs and organizations.

• Alliance for Women in Entertainment
• Alpha Sigma Theta Sorority
• American Indian Student Association
• Armenian Student Association
• Asian American Christian Fellowship
• Aztlán Graduation and Scholarship Committee
• Ballet Folklórico Aztlán de CSUN
• Black Leadership Council of CSUN (BLC)
• Black Male Scholars
• Black Student Union
• Chabad Jewish Student Center
• CSUN Baháʼí
• CSUN Black Graduation Club
• CSUN Black Social Work Caucus
• CSUN BUILD PODER Club
• CSUN Coptic Christian Club
• CSUN Filipino American Student Association
• CSUN Hidden Road Initiative
• CSUN Hillel
• CSUN Political Science Student Association (PSSA)
• Deaf CSUNians
• Deaf Studies Association
• Disabled Individuals Rising Up for Systemic Transformation
• East African Student Association
• Feminist Students Association
• Habesha Student Union
• Hermanas Unidas de California State University, Northridge
• Indian Students Association
• Iranian Student Association at CSUN
• Japanese Student Association
• K-Pop Club
• La Familia de California State University, Northridge
• Latino Business Association
• Lebanese Student Association
• Middle Eastern North African Club
• Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/a de Aztlán
• Muslim Student Association
• Nigerian Student Association
• Phi Lambda Rho Sorority, Inc.
• Revolutionary Scholars
• Salsa Libre
• Sikh Student Association
• Society of Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science at CSUN
• Soon Movement Global
• United Sorority & Fraternity Council
• Vietnamese Student Association
• Women Inspired to Succeed & Discover Opportunities through Mentoring

All information about these organizations can be found on Matasync or on CSUN’s FSL Website

• Alpha Epsilon Pi (Jewish Fraternity)
• Alpha Epsilon Omega (Armenian Fraternity)
• Alpha Gamma Alpha (Armenian Sorority)
• Alpha Kappa Alpha (Divine 9 Black Sorority)
• Alpha Phi Alpha (Divine 9 Black Fraternity)
• Alpha Pi Sigma (Latin American Sorority
• Alpha Psi Rho (Asian/Pacific Islander Fraternity)
• Alpha Sigma Theta (Deaf and Hard of Hearing Sorority)
• Gamma Zeta Alpha (Latino Fraternity)
• Zeta Phi Beta (Divine 9 Black Sorority)
• Kappa Alpha Psi (Divine 9 Black Fraternity)
• Lambda Theta Nu (Latina Sorority)
• Rho Delta Chi (Asian-American Sorority)
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi (Jewish Sorority)
• Sigma Gamma Rho (Divine 9 Black Sorority)
• Sigma Omega Nu (Latina Sorority)
• Phi Beta Sigma (Divine 9 Fraternity)
• Phi Lambda Rho (Chicana/Latina Sorority)

The campus’s cultural houses  provide engagement and a safe space for students of different communities while fostering cultural identity. Their mission is to foster student learning and achievement through celebrating different backgrounds and cultures.  

• Black House
  • https://www.csun.edu/blackhouse
• The Omatsu House 
  • https://www.csun.edu/humanities/asian-american-studies/glenn-omatsu-house
• The Chicana/o House 
  • https://www.csun.edu/humanities/chicana-chicano-studies
• The Central American Studies Center 
  • https://www.csun.edu/humanities/central-american-transborder-studies
• The American Indian Studies Cultural Center 
  • https://www.csun.edu/humanities/american-indian-studies
• Women’s Research and Resource Center
  • https://www.csun.edu/womens-research-resource-center

Cultural departments are academic majors/minors/classes focused on culture and human experience. These courses are found through the College of Education, College of Humanities, and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

• Deaf Studies - College of Education
  • https://www.csun.edu/eisner-education/deaf-studies
• Africana Studies - Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • https://www.csun.edu/social-behavioral-sciences/africana-studies
• American Indian Studies - College of Humanities
  • https://www.csun.edu/humanities/american-indian-studies
• Asian American Studies - College of Humanities
  • https://www.csun.edu/humanities/asian-american-studies
• Central American and Transborder Studies - College of Humanities
  • https://www.csun.edu/humanities/central-american-transborder-studies
• Chicana and Chicano Studies - College of Humanities
  • https://www.csun.edu/humanities/chicana-chicano-studies
• Gender and Women's Studies - College of Humanities
  • https://www.csun.edu/humanities/gender-womens-studies
• Jewish Studies - College of Humanities
  • https://www.csun.edu/humanities/jewish-studies
• Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies - College of Humanities
  • https://www.csun.edu/humanities/middle-eastern-and-islamic-studies
• Queer Studies - College of Humanities
  • https://www.csun.edu/humanities/queer-studies
• Religious Studies - College of Humanities
  • https://www.csun.edu/humanities/religious-studies

DRES supports students throughout their college career by working on their strengths. Creates a sense of community by providing students with the academic support they need to excel in their classes.

DRES Webpage

The Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) serves historically low-income, historically educationally disadvantaged, first-generation college students.  They provide transitional experiences, mentoring, academic support, holistic advising, and potential financial support.

EOP Webpage

The Global HSI Equity Innovation Hub connects Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) across the U.S. to enhance Latinx student access to STEAM resources. By building regional hubs, such as the first one at Miami Dade College, the initiative impacts large student populations and prepares future innovators for high-demand careers. Partnerships with institutions like Rutgers University-Newark and Santa Fe Community College further foster strategic collaboration, driving institutional change and serving diverse student needs.

HSI Hub Webpage

The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (NCOD) offers many resources for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community at CSUN.  They offer interpreting services, captioning, leadership opportunities, scholarships and many other things for the Deaf community.  This is also the place to request interpreters for on-campus events.

NCOD Webpage

The CSUN Mentorship Program promotes student success at Cal State Northridge. It aims to help students more easily navigate university life by exploring various campus resources and engagement/involvement opportunities. The mentors are committed to sharing their own experiences, motivating fellow CSUN students, and helping them set goals to ultimately be successful.

Peer Mentorship Webpage

The mission of the CSU Project Rebound Consortium is to support the higher education and successful reintegration of the formerly incarcerated through the mentorship and living example of other formerly incarcerated students, graduates, faculty, and staff. Project Rebound constructs a life-affirming alternative to the revolving door policies of mass incarceration by making higher education more accessible and supportive of formerly incarcerated students so that they can acquire the knowledge and skills of a university education, enhance their capacity for civic engagement and community leadership, secure meaningful and gratifying employment, empower themselves and their families, and ultimately make stronger, safer communities.

Project Rebound Webpage

The EOP/TRIO Student Support Services Program (SSSP) at CSUN is committed to fostering a supportive community and offering services to help students develop the skills needed to achieve their academic and professional goals. Funded by a U.S. Department of Education grant, SSSP focuses on increasing retention, persistence, and graduation rates for first-generation and low-income students. In collaboration with University services, SSSP provides academic support, career counseling, a computer lab, cultural and educational activities, financial literacy, graduate school preparation, holistic advice, mentoring, and personal development opportunities.

TRIO SSSP Webpage

The INSIGHT Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award annually recognizes colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The Seal of Excelencia is a national certification awarded by Excelencia in Education that recognizes colleges and universities serving Latinx students. Certified institutions have been able to articulate and demonstrate their unwavering commitment to intentionally serve Latinx students, while serving all students.

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), founded in 1986, represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Latin America, Spain, and school districts throughout the U.S. HACU is the only national association representing existing and emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).

The San Fernando Valley Business Journal hosted its first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Awards in 2022 and honored CSUN for their work in creating an equitable, inclusive, and welcoming environment.

California State University, Northridge ranks the highest in the Western region and of the United States and number three nationwide for their diversity 

Wall Street Journal Article Link