Services
BLOC Community & Study Space
The BLOC is a dedicated social and learning hub for Black/African American Students here at SJSU. All SJSU students are welcome to relax in the space to build community, fellowship, engage in healthy and critical dialogue, recieve personal and professional support, and learn and engage with various on-and-off campus resources and opportunities. Within our center, we are able to host students for their study and social needs. We are equipped with wifi, power outlets, plenty of table space, games and bean bags for a study break.
Peer Support
The BLOC's student staff employees is made up of both Peer Success Ambassadors (PSAs) and BAM Peer Mentors (PMs) who offer personal and academic support to their peers. BLOC student staff have a deep understanding of Black/African American student experiences, and offer tangible and timely tips for student success given their own lived experiences as Black Spartans.
PSAs play a pivotal role in the operation of The BLOC, and helping to carry out the mission of the BLOC. PSA’s serve as ambassadors, helping the BLOC promote Black/African American student success and a positive Black Spartan identity on campus and in the surrounding community.
PMs play a pivotal role in the Black Alliance of Mentoring program (BAM), and helping to carry out the mission of the BLOC. PSA’s serve as peer mentors and ambassadors, helping the BLOC promote Black/African American student success by guiding and supporting incoming 1st year students through caseload support and management. Mentors develop authentic, positive, and healthy relationships with their peers by listening to understand each of their unique lived experiences and make appropriate referrals as needed.
Printing
If you need to print, email thebloc@sjsu.edu and please stop by the center to pick up your item.
Peer Mentoring
BAM (Black Alliance of Mentorship) is a program offered to encourage community engagement among the new, first-year and transfer, Black Spartans. Mentees and mentors are paired based majors and/or interests.
Drop-In Services
We partner with the Career Center, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI), Study Abroad & Away, faculty, and staff across campus to bring their resources to our space. Each week, staff from a variety of departments offer drop-in services to provide office hours for students to utilize resources and information.
Fall/Spring Semester Hours - Check our social media and newsletter for updated schedule
Outreach
The Black Spartan experience is our responsibility to continue developing. We connect broadly with our new students and provide welcome gift bags. If you are a first year student or are new to the BLOC, pelase stop by the center to pick up a welcome bag during the 1st 6 weeks of the Fall semester.
Space Reservations
Black recognized student organizations that are needing a central location for their meetings can book the Black Leadership and Opportunity Center for their next gathering. Please complete the online reservation form to reserve our space.
Student Panels
The BLOC offers visiting schools and pre-collegiate programs the opportunity to learn more about our story, space, services and resources through student panel presentations. Student panels are an opportunity for prospective students to learn about the experiences of Black Spartans at SJSU.
If you are interested in coordinating a student panel with the BLOC, please fill out our Student Panel Presentation Request Form with a minimum of three weeks in anticipation of your visit. **Please note groups will not be accepted without the completion of this form.
If your group's demographics include other identities you would like to learn more about, please inform us of your group's population and we may be able to collaborate with other departments to cover the needs of your group.
At the moment, our department is unable to lead any campus tours, if you would like to request a campus tour we recommend that you reach out to the SJSU Student Outreach and Recruitment (SOAR) department.
