The HBCU Blog

NCCU may eliminate programs to deal with budget cuts

2012-01-21T07:21:00.000-08:00

Facing increased cuts in state funding, the chancellor of N.C. Central University has proposed eliminating several degree programs, merging others and increasing the class size of selected general education courses as a way of balancing the budget.

Under the proposals, NCCU would no longer offer bachelor of arts degree programs in French, sociology or public administration; mathematics and physics would be combined into a single department and the dance program would be “restructured” and moved to the theater department.

In recommendations that he’s presenting to a series of “listening forums” across the campus over the next few weeks, Chancellor Charlie Nelms said that his proposed fiscal, administrative and academic restructuring is necessary “to free up funds to reinvest in academic and related programs, which will enhance the university’s quality and competitiveness.”

The proposals also include a parallel streamlining of administrative processes and practices designed, in total, to generate around $2 million in savings during the next fiscal year.
Taken together, Nelms said, the recommendations would not only save money but would “enhance the university’s capacity to increase retention and graduation rates,” produce graduates who possess critical thinking and analytical skills, and “respond to current and projected budget challenges.”
Nelms’ recommendations are based on a report on the academic side by Provost Debbie Thomas and on the administrative side by Vice Chancellor Wendell Davis.

The proposals from Nelms also call for:

• Eliminating the bachelor of science program in athletic training;

• Merging the College of Science and Technology with the College of Liberal Arts to create the College of Arts and Sciences;

• Transforming the mass communication program into the department of mass communication;

• Merging the computer information systems and computer science degree programs.

While the recommendations call for some degree programs to be eliminated, Nelms emphasized that courses in the affected departments will still be offered and current declared majors will be able to meet their degree requirements.

The administrative recommendations also call for:

• Implementing “reductions in force” in the division of administration and finance to “better align personnel costs with the needs and structure of units and departments”;

• Eliminating 10 temporary positions;

• Limiting free student printing in the computer labs;

• Canceling maintenance contracts for unused software products and reducing the extent of support services.

Overall, the administrative report to Nelms made 60 suggestions for cost reduction that, if all were implemented, would save NCCU about $1.475 million. With the academic restructurings, the projected total savings would be about $2 million.

“I feel strongly that these proposals will improve the university’s capacity to fulfill its mission of retaining and graduating students who can lead in a global society,” Nelms wrote in an executive summary of his recommendations.

“This is a pragmatic approach to restructuring the university that will not alter our character, because it begins with what we already do well and seeks only to make us better.”

Lincoln U. taps former AAMU President as new leader

2011-11-26T09:38:00.000-08:00

Robert Jennings, was named the 13th president of Lincoln University of Pennsylvania last week. Jennings previously served four years as president at Alabama A&M University.

Lincoln University, considered one of the nation's oldest historically black universities in the nation, has an enrollment of about 2,500 graduate and undergraduate students.

He will replace Ivory Nelson, who announced his retirement earlier this year.

Jennings served at Alabama A&M from 2005-08.

By a vote of 7-1, Jennings was fired by the A&M board of trustees for a series of alleged misdeeds - including not following school procedure in hiring a former assistant and paying the assistant for time spent away from campus.

While at AAMU he is credited with raising $4 million for scholarships and the school's endowment, a first for a AAMU president. He previously held positions at Wake Forest University in NC.

Jennings denied the charges and sued the board. That lawsuit was dismissed because the board has immunity from lawsuits.

Last year, he was a finalists to become president at Southern University in Baton Rouge, La.

Jennings will begin work in January 2012

NCCU conducting a top-to-bottom review of its academic programs

2011-11-21T14:17:00.000-08:00

N.C. Central University has undertaken a massive review of all its academic programs that could result in the merger, realignment or even elimination of some programs.

“Make no mistake about it, this [review] will impact all the work we do here,” Chancellor Charlie Nelms told the school’s Board of Trustees on Tuesday. “We are trying to determine exactly through this who are we? What are the things we do well and the things we do not do well? We realize we cannot be all things to all people.”

NCCU Provost Debbie Thomas emphasized that the effort would not “eliminate or compromise the educational core” of the university and instead would “insure its academic integrity.”

The program review was undoubtedly spurred by recent state budget funding cuts and by a just-issued UNC system report that looked into potential unnecessary degree duplication across the campuses. That report failed to find any unnecessary duplications but recommended that campuses fit new programs within the mold of their missions and use online courses to cut costs.

The provost said, the university is examining, among much else, retention and graduation rates, credit hours generated, numbers of full and part-time faculty, fiscal viability and the capacity to sustain and grow a program.

“This is and will be a very thorough process,” Thomas said.

That process ultimately will result in programs either being restructured, merged, realigned, reinvested or eliminated, she said.

The university’s academic review council will look at the results of the audit some time this month and will report and make recommendations to the chancellor by the end of the year.

Nelms is expected to bring his recommendations to the trustees early next year.

“This is not just an exercise. We are at a most critical juncture in the history of this university,” Nelms told the trustees.

“The next 6-10 months will really determine what will happen to N.C. Central University over the next decade.”

Improved retention helps Morgan grow past 8,000

2011-11-18T00:26:00.000-08:00

The number of students attending Morgan State University is on the rise for yet another year.

The student body now is a little more than 8,000.

“We saw an increase in our SAT scores in the process, because we are saying to high-performing students all over this state and all over this country, ‘You need to look at Morgan,’” said university president Dr. David Wilson. "Instead of waiting for the students to identify themselves as having problems, we've been reaching out individually to any student with an academic or financial issue and saying, basically, ‘What can we do to assist?"
Morgan State leaders have also noticed that more students are coming to school and staying longer. The student retention rate is 72.9 percent -- a 4.5 percent increase over last year. That's helping more students receive a diploma.

Tuskegee U. launches $250m Capital Campaign

2011-11-15T20:09:00.000-08:00

Tuskegee University has embarked on a five-year, $250 million capital campaign, the largest in its 130-year history.

“The landscape of higher education is changing dramatically and Tuskegee University is faced with intensified competition for the best students, faculty and academic facilities. In order to continue and further our mission, we must have adequate resources,” said President Gilbert L. Rochon.

The “Programmed for Excellence” campaign will seek to raise a quarter of a billion dollars over the next five years. Funding from the comprehensive campaign will go toward student scholarships, faculty development, facilities and infrastructure, innovative partnerships, campus life, athletic programs, endowed professorships and more.

Overall, the campaign will facilitate Tuskegee University’s enhancement of its graduate and undergraduate academic curricula; increase enrollment and retention; expand student support; grow the endowment; incorporate cutting-edge computational and analytical instrumentation; upgrade academic and physical facilities; establish a large and small animal veterinary hospital; modernize infrastructure; facilitate health care access; stimulate regional sustainable development; attain preeminence as a research university; and expand its global footprint.

Virgil E. Ecton was recently appointed vice president for federal affairs and director of the capital campaign. He will perform his duties in the university’s Washington, D.C., office. Ecton is the former vice president for university advancement at Howard University. Prior to his appointment at Howard, Ecton worked for the United Negro College Fund for three decades. As the senior executive vice president of development for the UNCF, he raised more than $1.6 billion during his tenure.

Tuskegee's Kellogg Hotel gets a makeover thanks to generous alums

2011-11-07T16:59:00.000-08:00

The Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center at Tuskegee University got a much needed makeover thanks to the efforts of two alumni, Matthew and Roberta Jenkins, who donated money to refurbish the lobby, bar and restaurant areas.

Two other alums, designer Vicki Carter and project manager Kathy Webb, planned and implemented the renovation on a pro-bono basis. The lobby features new animal print furnishings that can comfortably accommodate 40 people and an imported blown glass chandelier.

“This is a Neiman Marcus, over the top, fantasy gift for Tuskegee,” Carter said.

The 10-week project used a mix of existing and new fixtures to update the look of the hotel while embracing its history. For example, in the restaurant area, the old dining tables got a new and innovative look. The tops were redone with an automotive paint treatment resulting in a unique and glossy, deep chocolate finish that is durable and easy to maintain. Columns bearing quotes from university figures, past and present, remind diners of the university’s deep legacy.

Visitors were treated last week to a walking tour with the donors and design team. Ribbons were cut on the doors leading to the three refurbished areas. Along with a new look, the bar and restaurant areas got new names. The restaurant is now known as Dorothy’s Place, paying homage to Dorothy Hall, the historic university guesthouse, which is now the Kellogg. The newly dubbed Skegee Lounge features a unique marble top bar that is more efficient, making drink service faster.

Donor Roberta Jenkins said the changes to the hotel will benefit students studying hospitality and dietetics and said the facility can now serve as a laboratory and training ground with state-of-the-art equipment. Matthew Jenkins said he wanted the best for the renovations and encouraged a new service attitude to go with the Kellogg’s first class adornments. He also urged others to give and help with future needed upgrades to the hotel.

“Jump on the team. Get behind it and push it,” Matthew Jenkins said. “We have a gem here… polish it.”

Southern U System branches out online

2011-11-03T02:01:00.000-07:00

The Southern University System has partnered with Education Online Services Corporation (EOServe Corp.) to implement multiple online degree

programs for all campuses within the System.

“Today’s student seeks a variety of learning options," said SUS President Ronald Mason. This is just another of them.

Southern University online, will offer students the opportunity to receive Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Sciences, and Masters degrees from the University. No word yet on which particular degrees will be offered, the program should be up and running over the next 12 to 24 months.

Kimbrough named President of Dillard U.

2011-11-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

Walter M. Kimbrough, Ph.D., will take over as president of Dillard University on July 1, 2012.

“We are thrilled to bring such an energetic, visionary leader to Dillard,” says board chair Joyce M. Roché. “Dr. Kimbrough is uniquely well-suited to help the university build on its strengths and chart a strategic course for the future.”

Kimbrough joins Dillard after serving for seven years as president of Philander SmithCollege in Little Rock, Ark., where he orchestrated a remarkable revitalization effort. Under his leadership, the college dramatically increased student recruitment and graduation rate. The university also adopted a new mission and greatly raised its stature by focusing on its core values and history as anHBCU and a charter member of the United Negro College Fund.

Kimbrough, who is among the youngest college presidents in the nation, is known for his active use of social media to engage and stay connected with students. “The depth of Dr. Kimbrough’s dedication to students is inspiring,” says Dr. Roché. “He is successful because he puts students’ success above all else.”

Prior tobeginning his tenure at Philander Smith, Kimbrough served for four years as the vice president for student affairs at Albany State University in Albany, Ga. He also served as director of student activities and leadership at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., and held administrative posts at Georgia State University and Emory University.

Kimbrough received a bachelor of science in agriculture with a major in biology from the University of Georgia. He earned a master of science in college student personnel services from Miami University and a doctor of philosophy in higher education from Georgia State University.

State Senator Calls for Dismissal of SC State President

2011-10-11T17:55:00.000-07:00

SC State Sen. Robert Ford, a member of the Legislative Black Caucus, has asked the Board of Trustees at South Carolina State University to remove President George Cooper, citing the board's grade of D+ for the university's leader.

"It is time for a change," said state Sen. Robert Ford in a statement.

Sen. Ford says Cooper has had ample time to enact an agenda, but he "instead continues to earn poor grades on his leadership abilities."

This latest turn of events with Cooper is in a long line of events stretching back to 2010. In July 2010, the Board of Trustees voted to fire Cooper, but he was later reinstated after two new board members voted to reinstate him.

Ford is threatening to get Gov. Nikki Haley and members of the General Assembly involved if the board does not act in removing Cooper.

Off Topic: So long friend !!

2011-10-06T00:11:00.001-07:00

Savannah State opens new Student Union

2011-09-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

Savannah State University recently gave students, alumni and faculty a look at its new student union building. The new $11.75 million building will house new office suites, study lounges, a dance studio, meeting and events space with video projectors and smart technology, and a food court.

Students voted in 2009 to pay an extra $150 a semester to pay for the building.

SC State plans $100 million Capital Campaign

2011-09-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

South Carolina State University is planning its first capital fundraising campaign. The full University Trustees will consider the idea on September 29, after a trustee committee approved the plan last Thursday.

Trustee Matthew Richardson says the campaign probably will start next year.

South Carolina State vice president Anthony Holloman says state support for the school has dropped dramatically.

Money raised from the campaign would go for need-based scholarships, building an endowment, as well as faculty development and perhaps a new student fitness and wellness center.

UDC receives $200,000 Kaiser Permanente Workforce Grant

2011-09-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States has awarded the University of the District of Columbia a $200,000 workforce grant, as a part of its mission to invest in the future of health care and help build communities that sustain good health. The workforce development grants will support an estimated students with scholarships, equipment, and educational training in nursing, allied health, and health technology.

At UDC Kaiser hopes to build capacity in health related programs and purchase simulation equipment to enhance instruction.

Southern University pushes its faculty for pay cuts

2011-08-18T17:05:00.000-07:00

Southern University “likely” will ask to declare a financial emergency next week unless nearly all of the faculty agree to furloughs and shorter termination notices, the chancellor said Wednesday.

Southern’s new chancellor, James Llorens, said the budget shortfall proved larger than expected and greater demands are being asked of the faculty. But some of faculty members are balking at the requests, essentially creating a standoff with Southern’s administration.

Declaring a financial emergency, called exigency, allows the administration more leeway to lay off tenured faculty and axe academic programs. Exigency is generally considered a serious blemish that could scare away current and potential employees.

Southern faculty are receiving “voluntary furlough and program discontinuance” agreements to sign. The wording includes furloughs equaling 10 percent of their annual pay across-the-board for all Southern employees.

The agreement does not guarantee that exigency, which would allow the university to force furloughs, will not be declared.

Llorens said unless 95 to 100 percent of the faculty voluntarily sign the agreement, university administrators would have no option but to call exigency. “I understand this is a difficult situation. It’s nothing we go into lightly,” Llorens said.

After initially agreeing to furloughs of up 10 percent last month, Southern Faculty Senate President Sudhir Trivedi said the extra demands and lack of guarantees change everything.

“They refuse to be fair and equitable, and that is why our offer is not on the table anymore,” Trivedi said, noting that the executive committee of the Faculty Senate unanimously opposes signing the agreement.

“We will fight in every possible way against financial exigency,” Trivedi said. “If they are bluffing, I am calling out their bluff.”

Llorens said he plans to meet with faculty leaders Thursday.

Trivedi also is upset with some pay raises and promotions in the Southern University System office occurring at the same time.

Walter Tillman, the former executive associate to the vice president for academic and student affairs, was promoted to the newly created system office for academic initiatives position with a 35 percent raise from $66,500 to $90,000.

Also, Linda Catalon, the system director of internal audit, got more than a 10 percent pay hike from about $76,000 to $85,000.

Southern University System President Ronald Mason Jr. said the savings come from eliminating the vice president from academic and student affairs position and its $156,500 salary when Kassie Freeman retired.

The system office also is starting a new $40,000 fund to support faculty research development and awards, Mason said.

Now, the main Baton Rouge campus must restructure as did the system office last year, he said. Unfortunately, he added, that may require exigency.

“It’s an extraordinary step, but these are extraordinary circumstances,” Mason said.

Llorens said the furloughs would be temporary and that structural changes and program cuts made in the next few months should make for long-term fixes. He said that is why faculty who are laid off from program cuts will need to be out of the job by the end of the school year.

Tenure or tenure-track faculty typically require at least a one year or more termination notice.

Southern staff have been furloughed by 4.6 percent the past two years, but the faculty have not.

Southern is in its third year of state budget cuts, and the university has been affected by budget problems more than most colleges because Southern also has lost revenue from its declining enrollment.

A university that once had more than 10,000 students, now enrolls more than 7,300 students.

The university budget is slated for final approval at the Aug. 26 Southern University System Board meeting in Shreveport. The board also most approve the exigency request, if one is submitted.

Despite the problems, Trivedi insisted the university is not in “financial insolvency” and that more administrative cutbacks can be made.

Southern Student Government Association President Demetrius Sumner, who also sits on the Southern Board of Supervisors, said he is pushing for the faculty to sign the agreements.

Faculty cutbacks are imminent regardless, he said.

“These are things that are going to happen one way or another,” Sumner said. “The only question is, do we declare financial exigency to do it?”

Atlanta church steps in to help Morris Brown pay debt

2011-08-14T18:10:00.000-07:00

Cascade United Methodist Church, in Atlanta, presented a $22,000 check to Morris Brown College Sunday to help the college paying off a $500,000 debt to the U.S. Department of Education.

The funds represented the exact amount needed to help the 130-year-old college eliminate its federal government debt.

The U.S. Department of Education's offer to settle the college’s multi-million dollar debt with an amount of $500,000.

With Cascade’s donation, Morris Brown will have more than enough funding to pay the settlement, due Wed., Aug. 24th.

“We recognize the historical significance of Morris Brown College to our community and the world,” says Rev. Dr. Moss. “We are grateful that our Cascade members have answered the call during these tough economic times. We are called to be a light in the community so we are pleased to participate in this vital way.”

McClaurin out at Shaw U.

2011-08-09T22:11:00.000-07:00

Irma McClaurin, Shaw University's third president in three years, has stepped down. Neither McClurin or the university would say what led to the resignation, both said it was a mutual decision. McClurin is Shaw's 15th president and the school's first femaie leader. She held the job less than a year. She was hired Sept. 6.

"Shaw University has seen many changes and experienced challenges in the last six months. And with change comes transitions," the university said in a statement issued today.

In June 2009, Dorothy C. Yancy took over as interim president after the abrupt announcement that President Clarence Newsome was taking a one-year leave of absence and would not return.

Shaw in 2009 announced that it was drowning in more than $20 million in debt. In 2010, the university was given a $31 million federal loan to keep its doors open.

On April 16, the school suffered more than $3 million in damages after a tornado touched down on campus. More than 27 buildings were damaged.

The school mounted a rapid recovery. Classes are scheduled to begin Aug. 17, with all classrooms and residence halls open.

On Sunday, McClaurin said Shaw's financial burden had prompted her to seek new investors.

McClaurin said she planned to take her "Imagining More" campaign - an effort to improve upon prior blueprints - to private investors and alumni across the country.

"We still have a funding challenge," she said Sunday. "The goal is to boost donations more aggressively."

Board members referred questions about the resignation to Willie Gary, chairman of Shaw's board of trustees. Calls to Gary were not immediately returned.

Work continues on new dinning facility at Hampton

2011-08-01T21:08:00.000-07:00

Hampton University is completing construction on a new $25 million, 100,000 square-foot cafeteria. The university broke ground for the new waterfront dining facility in September 2010 and expects to complete it by June 2012. The 3-story facility will house two dining halls, one for students that will seat 1,500 and another for special University dining and entertainment events that will seat 1,150.

The building is designed to offer views of downtown Hampton through a 3-story convex glass curtain wall that will be the length of the building. The facility is surrounded by a terrace where eaters can dine outside when weather allows.

Hampton has been raising money for the new cafeteria since late 2006 and planned to break ground when reaching $25 million. In May 2010, the University needed only $1.4 million more and a hard push was made to raise the rest by late 2010. Officials are still encouraging alumni to donate toward the project.

Fire Damages Tuskegee U. Dorm

2011-07-14T18:31:00.000-07:00

A fire on the Tuskegee University campus has severely damaged a residence building. News video showed large flames and thick, black smoke pouring from the roof of the West Commons apartments, described as a dormitory-style building.

University officials say the blaze began shortly before 5 p.m. Investigators say they believe lightning from a thunderstorm is a possible cause, though an official cause had not yet been determined.

Authorities say three students lived in the building during the summer session but were not in the complex when the fire started.

University officials say they are trying to find housing for students affected by the fire.

SSU hires former UGA A.D as "consultant"

2011-07-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

Former University of Georgia athletic director Damon Evans has been hired as a "consultant" at Savannah State University the newest member of the Mideastern Athletic Conference. Evans will consult on athletic matters.

The hiring come on the heals of the dismissal of Marilynn Suggs as SSU athletic director. Evans has indicated he is not interested in the job.

Evans was hired by Savannah State president Cheryl Dozier to take a look at the university's troubled athletic department, including its administration and fundraising.

While taking the athletic director position might have seemed like a big step down after a six-year stint as AD at Georgia, Evans could have used the job as a springboard to a comeback of sorts.

Evans succeeded Georgia's head football coach Vince Dooley as athletic director for the Bulldogs in 2004. That came tumbling down on June 30, 2010 when he was arrested for DUI. He resigned from Georgia five days later. He pleaded guilty to the charge and received probation, community service and a $750 fine.

Alabama State economic impact approaches $1B annually study says

2011-07-10T12:46:00.003-07:00

The results of a one-year study which measured the economic impact of Alabama State University showed that the school has a nearly $1 billion impact on its region.

The study, conducted by the Washington Economics Group, of Coral Gables, Fla., shows that the University's operations and related activities have a $901 million impact on the state's economy and in particular the economy of the three counties that comprise the River Region. The study further reported that the University “is a powerful catalyst of economic development for the state and for the River Region in particular.”

"We want to share this news because our long-term development secures a bright future for our children and grandchildren," ASU President William H. Harris said. "We want others to know the importance of the University so they will become partners with us. These numbers reinforce the importance of Vision 2020."

In addition to the annual $901 million state-wide impact, the University generates 10,500 jobs.

"Wow!" Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange exclaimed. "We always knew the University had a big impact. Now we know how big." He compared the University's impact to the military's $1.4 billion and Hyundai's $1.5 billion impact.

The study conducted during 2010-2011 attributed the economic contributions to three significant University activities.

The most visible is the University itself as a business — $150 million annual operating budget, $250 million in campus construction projects, and a consumer that purchases millions a year from local businesses. The University employs about 1,100 full-time and part-time employees, including 317 faculty members. These University operations result in an impact of $341 million and include areas such as the creation of 3,931 jobs, labor income of $128 million, and state and local tax revenues of $35 million.

The second group of activities describes the impact of 5,600 students who attend the University and live in Montgomery, visitors to campus, and alumni events and tourists on campus. These expenditures result in a total impact of $53 million and generate 589 jobs, $15 million in income, and $8 million in state and local tax revenues.

The third category is the contribution alumni make to the economy. Graduates bring enhanced skills and knowledge to the workforce, make increased earnings, and enhance the economic development environment for new and existing businesses. This increased earning power of ASU alumni living in the state results in an impact of $507 million and includes 5,981 jobs, $168 million in labor income, and $75 million in state and local revenues.

Specific to the River Region, the University generates $885 million for the three-county area surrounding the City of Montgomery, including 9,714 jobs, $314 million in labor income and $111 million in state and local taxes.

In addition to these direct economic impacts generated by the University, ASU also provides significant intangible benefits to Alabama and especially to the River Region.

"It promotes a reputation of having a vibrant business climate, contributing highly educated human resources to the state’s workforce and supporting targeted industries in the state," the report summarizes. "In essence, the University’s presence is a positive force in the attraction of new businesses and the retention of existing ones."

“Alabama State University is a major part of the engine that drives the local and state economy,” said Harris. “There is no doubt that we have a big vision, but we also have an even bigger impact.”

Referring to the University's location near the center of the city, Mayor Strange described how the University and city council were working together to build one community — not two communities divided by an interstate.

"We here in Montgomery are releasing the brake on our potential," he said. "We are doing smart things, the right things to build a city and a University we are all proud of. The City of Montgomery wants to be part of your transformation and help the University have the academic and research programs that will enhance the city."

"We are moving forward," said Dean, who also is chair of the ASU Board of Trustees. "We are not stopping. We want to compete with the major universities in this country."

Howard Opens New Center for Drug Research and Development

2011-07-06T19:44:00.000-07:00

The Howard University School of Pharmacy recently opened a new Center for Drug Research and Development in a renovated area of the school’s basement. The Center will provide 4,900 square-foot of dedicated space for faculty, students and outside companies to develop new drugs and drug products.

“This is a significant occasion,” said Beatrice Adderley-Kelly, Ph.D., dean of the College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Allied Health Sciences. “This allows our faculty to be on the cutting edge of research and allows the school to partner with industry to develop new drugs.

Emmanuel O. Akala, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Pharmacy, will serve as the program director for the new facility, which was funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Research Resources.

Included in the center’s numerous work spaces are a Formulation Laboratory, where active and inactive pharmaceutical ingredients are handled; an Aseptic Laboratory for developing drugs for intravenous use, and a Manufacturing Laboratory, where capsules and tablets are produced.

The center also contains an Analytical Laboratory to check to insure that products have the correct amount of active ingredients, and a Quality Assurance Laboratory for a final check of the products and packaging area, where drugs will be packaged and labeled.

SACS Rejects Fisk U. Financial Plan

2011-06-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

Financially troubled Fisk University was dealt another setback Thursday in its efforts to remain a significant player in higher education when the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools rejected the Nashville university’s financial update and added more items to the important agency’s list of concerns about the historic school’s viability.

At its summer meeting in Charlotte, N.C., which ended Thursday, SACS continued its “warning” status for Fisk until December, giving it six more months to address a variety of issues or face being placed on probation or dropped from membership in the widely respected regional accrediting body.

Fisk has been on warning status from SACS for more than a year, with the Atlanta-based agency repeatedly citing the school’s weak financial condition as the key reason for refusing to grant Fisk a clean bill of health. In its final statement Thursday, SACS expanded the scope of its concerns to include questions about whether Fisk’s administrators were qualified to lead, the qualifications of its academic officials and the school’s compliance with Title IV education programs.

SACS general rules grant schools 24 months to address “warning” status matters. In the case of Fisk, which has been in warning status 18 months, the SACS decision Thursday means Fisk needs to comply with SACS’s issues by December or the agency would be forced to place Fisk on probation or drop it from membership in SACS.

Removal from membership could result in Fisk being disqualified from receiving federal financial aid for its students, some 90 percent of whom rely on financial aid to go to college. Higher education analysts say such an outcome could essentially doom the historic school, a fixture in Nashville since the Civil War and home of the world famous Jubilee Singers.

Fisk had been hopeful its stepped up fundraising efforts would turn SACS around, had no immediate comment on the SACS action.

A&T to offer new Ph.D. in nanoengineering

2011-06-12T23:43:00.000-07:00

The UNC board of governors on unanimously approved N.C. A&T’s request to plan a doctoral program in nanoengineering. The new degree program will be the fourth and final degree program that will make up the joint school, a venture between A&T and UNCG.

“It’s very important to our evolution as a school,” Jim Ryan, dean of the joint school, said about the board’s approval. “I’m looking forward to having both our nanoscience and our nanoengineering programs firmly established.”

Ryan said the nanoengineering program could be ready to accept doctoral students by January. The board of governors must give final approval before the program is implemented.

Ryan said the joint school will be one of a small number of schools that offer doctoral degrees in nanoengineering.

Nanoscience is the study of atoms and molecules smaller than 100 nanometers. Area educational and business leaders say the school and its activities will contribute to economic development in the Piedmont Triad.

The school offers master’s degrees in nanoscience and nanoengineering, and a doctoral degree in nanoscience.

UNCG is offering the degrees in nanoscience, while N.C. A&T is offering nanoengineering degrees.

The school’s inaugural class enrolled last fall. The joint school is under construction on East Lee Street at the Gateway University Research Park’s south campus. Students are studying in a temporary space on the research park campus.

The school’s scientists have taken on important projects, including working on a prototype for a handheld device that could help detect mild brain injuries.

'Bama State searching for a Prez

2011-06-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

Alabama State University has a sitting president with a contract that expires in August 2012, but the school's Board of Trustees has reconvened it's presidential search committee and said it is "highly likely" the school will have a new president when the process concludes.

Trustee Marvin Wiggins, who is leading the search committee, said they have not talked to the sitting president about extending his contract, only saying that trustees are working hard to bring in a quality leader to run the university.

"If he (the sitting president) applies for the job, that's his call," Wiggins said. "But right now we're preparing because of the expiration of his contract in August 2012."

Elton Dean, chairman of the Alabama State University board of trustees, said "it's just time" to begin the search.

"That was our plan pretty much when we suspended the search. That was our plan -- not to discontinue, but to suspend," Dean said. "Now it is almost a year out before the president's contract is up. We wanted to get the ball rolling again before that time."

"We don't think finding a president is going to be that easy so we wanted to give ourselves enough time to do a proper search," Dean said.

When asked how likely it was that Alabama State University would have a new president after the search, Wiggins said "highly likely."

ASU President William Harris, through a university spokesman, declined to comment on the situation.

Harris was president of ASU from 1994 to 2000. He returned in 2008 as interim president after the departure of Joe Lee. Harris has also served as president of Paine College and Texas Southern University.

Wiggins said Harris was initially the interim president and, as part of negotiating his contract extension, Harris "felt better with the title being president instead of interim president."

"All we did was change the title," the trustee said. He said there were no other new terms or benefits.

Former Hampton football Coach files $7 million lawsuit against University

2011-05-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

Former Hampton University football coach Jerry Holmes, who was fired in 2009 amid allegations he was seeking another job, is suing the school for nearly $7 million.

Holmes claims that statements made by HU athletic director Lonza Hardy and then-director of human resources Angela Dunn were false and have damaged his professional reputation. Holmes was dismissed following his only season as head coach on Jan. 26, 2009.

Then, Hardy told local newspapers in the Hampton area that Holmes was terminated because he was networking for a professional assistant coaching position at the Senior Bowl all-star game in Mobile, Ala. Holmes denied he ever interviewed for another position.

The lawsuit claims Hardy knowingly or with reckless disregard made "materially false statements" with the intention of "humiliating" Holmes. The suit claims the statements were "willfully designed by defendant to discredit plaintiff in his profession."

The suit, filed by attorney Steve Forbes in Hampton Circuit Court, seeks $6.5 million in actual damages and $350,000 in punitive damages.

Holmes, was the secondary coach for the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League last fall.

In its response dated Feb. 14, Hampton University requested the suit be dismissed. HU claims that each alleged false statement "either was not published, was privileged, constituted opinion, did not prejudice (Holmes) in his profession, or by its plain and natural meaning was not defamatory."

In particular, the response argues that all correspondence from Hardy and Dunn were sent directly to Holmes and copied only to "university employees who were in a position to have a need to know." Dunn was never quoted in the media.

Holmes signed a two-year contract to be HU's head coach on Dec. 31, 2007, replacing longtime coach Joe Taylor after serving as an assistant for the previous four seasons. The contract stipulated Holmes could be terminated for violating NCAA rules or making negative comments about the athletic department or university to the media. There was no mention of interviewing for other jobs.

The Pirates went 6-5 in Holmes' only season. On Jan. 26, two days after the Senior Bowl, Holmes received from Hardy a letter of dismissal. Hardy claimed that Holmes not only told his assistant coaches of his attempts to leave, he encouraged them to do so. Hardy called that "highly unprofessional and disrespectful" to HU.

Howard U. Class of 2011 includes Three Fulbright Scholars

2011-05-15T07:23:00.000-07:00

The Howard University Class of 2011 includes three Fulbright Scholars – Antonino Eugene Lyons II, Jessica A. Cooper and Manjot Kaur Jassal – who will spend next year in Brazil and India respectively.

Lyons, received a degree in supply chain management, will work to prepare small Brazilian businesses for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games. He will also teach English. In preparation for Brazil, Lyons will study Portuguese at the Middlebury Language School in Vermont.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I look forward to it,” Lyons said. “It’s something that I have been talking about for the past year – Brazil and all its opportunities and getting in on the ground floor.”

Cooper, a received the jurist doctorate and served as senior editor on the Howard Law Journal, will spend her Fulbright year in India, where she will teach English. She is also very interested in studying educational systems, one of the primary reasons that she sought the Fulbright award.

"I am extremely excited and humbled to have the opportunity to represent the United States as a Fulbright Scholar in India as an English Teaching Assistant

Jassal’s Fulbright will encompass research examining the impact of health education on awareness and prevention of sexually transmitted infections among adolescents in two rural villages in Punjab, India where HIV infection rates are 26 percent nearly three times tihe national average of 9 percent.

The Fairfax, Va. native plans to pursue a career in medicine. She currently works as a research assistant in the College of Medicine Department of Physiology and the Department of Chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences. Jassal is a 2011 candidate for a Bachelor of Science in Biology.

“Education is the highest form of prevention,” said Jassal. “My fellowship will contribute to the success of education efforts in Panjab as well as allow me to gain a greater understanding of the culture of a Panjabi immigrant population in the United States that I wish to serve one day through community medicine.”
Lyons, Jassal and Cooper join a prestigious legacy of Howard University Fulbright Scholars. Since 1993, Howard has produced 23 student Fulbright recipients.

Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other countries, through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State sponsors the Fulbright Program.

Congresswoman's "earmark" improves Edward Waters Col

2011-05-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

A $2 million earmark by Jacksonville, FL Congresswoman Corrine Brown has made much needed improvements to Edward Waters College.

Brown, a democrat, made a point of saying the improvements were the result of a congressional earmark, which funds specific projects at a lawmaker's request.

"There's a lot of negativity about earmarks," Brown said. "But this project would never have happened without it."

Yesterday, the school and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority marked the end of the $2 million improvement project. About $1.4 million came from the federal government; $600,000 came from the state.

Brown's earmark added new sidewalks, bus shelters, lighting, landscaping and improved drainage and signals and even the college seal in the roadway.

Edward Waters President Nat Glover said the improvements made the area safer and more attractive to future students and their parents. And he said he hoped the project would lead to a neighborhood revitalization.

"Our first goal is the campus," he said. "But we also hope this spurs improvements in the community."

Hampton U. receives $1m gift from it's President

2011-05-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

Hampton University President Dr. William R. Harvey and Mrs. Norma B. Harvey have donated $1 million to Hampton University to be used as incentives to increase faculty salaries. This is the second $1 million gift they made to the University. For the academic year 2011-12, every Hampton University faculty member will receive at least a three percent increase.

The Harveys’ donation will provide additional funds to faculty members who have received grants, published articles in refereed journals, and provided significant service to Hampton University. Under this arrangement some faculty members may be able to receive salary increases up to eight percent.

In 2001, President and Mrs. Harvey donated $1 million to fund a scholarship, dedicated specifically for high school students from Hampton and Newport News interested in becoming teachers.

Southern University Baton Rouge chancellor chosen

2011-05-04T19:20:00.000-07:00

The Southern University System's Board of Supervisors has chosen James L. Llorens as the next chancellor of its Baton Rouge Campus.

Llorens currently serves as the assistant chief administrative officer for the Office of the Baton Rouge Mayor-President. Before that, he was dean of graduate studies, chair of Southern's political science department and associate professor of public administration on the Baton Rouge campus.

"Having worked in both state government and academia, Llorens has a clear understanding of what it takes to lead the Baton Rouge campus," Darren Mire, chairman of the SUS Board, said in a Friday news release.

The board voted 11-4 for Llorens, one of three finalists named by a search committee last week.

System President Ronald Mason Jr. expressed his displeasure with the outcome after that meeting, but said he would follow the process.

Mason had praised Michael Sorrell of Paul Quinn College in Dallas and Philander Smith College President Walter Kimbrough as two rising stars in the historically black college community. Kimbrough was invited to interview, but withdrew his candidacy. Sorrell was not among the three semifinalists.

Llorens is a native of Alexandria. He received his B.A. from Loyola University, MS from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Ph.D. from Louisiana State University. He will replace Kofi Lomotey, who resigned under pressure in November, effective June 30.

Llorens was among the finalists for chancellor in 2008 , when Lomotey was chosen.

Morris Brown to settle $10 million in fed debt

2011-04-25T21:36:00.000-07:00

Morris Brown College is expected to settle nearly $10 million in debt for pennies on the dollar in an agreement pending with the U.S. Education Department.

In the April 7 letter, obtained by The Associated Press, the Education Department said it will forgive more than $9.4 million in debt, provided Morris Brown pays the remaining $500,000. The deal would help the college overcome a major hurdle in its efforts to regain accreditation.

Morris Brown College President Stanley Pritchett said the settlement agreement could be finalized as soon as May 1 and that the payment would be due within 90 days of the signed deal. The letter, signed by Department of Education counsel Russell B. Wolff, says the agreement must also be approved by the Department of Justice.

Morris Brown College was founded by former slaves in 1881 and has roots in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Audits done by the Education Department of the college's finances for the years between 1999 and 2004 uncovered the debt.

The debt represents years' worth of unused federal aid that the school was supposed to return to the government. Typically, the government gives schools money at the beginning of the academic year for student aid and other purposes. When any of that federal money is left over at the end of the year — sometimes because fewer students than expected need assistance — a school is required to give money back to the government.

Morris Brown's current debt totals around $30 million. The school owes money to vendors and other creditors. Pritchett, who came in as interim president in 2008, says most of the debt is about a decade old.

With the loss of accreditation, the school has been ineligible for federal student aid and struggling to survive with a skeleton campus and enrollment. Today, the college has three majors — down from 48 — and 85 students, a shadow the 3,000 students Morris Brown boasted at the height of its enrollment.

Meanwhile, the school has teetered on the brink of extinction but has found a way to survive. The campus was nearly shuttered two years ago after the city demanded a $380,000 overdue water bill, but Morris Brown held two rallies to raise the money to settle the debt. Alumni have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep the school afloat.

Former SU athletic director files suit

2011-04-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

Former Southern University Athletic Director Greg LaFleur, who was fired three days after his April 3 arrest on a misdemeanor prostitution count in Houston, is suing the school for breach of contract.

LaFleur contends in a lawsuit that Southern fired him “before giving him written notice and an opportunity to refute the alleged cause’’ for his termination.

LaFleur is seeking damages, including his base salary for the remaining term of his contract, which he says was to expire June 30, 2013.

The suit was filed Thursday in Baton Rouge state court.

Yarbrough out at SSU

2011-04-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

The Board of Regents for the University System of Georgia has voted not to renew the contract of Savannah State University President Earl G. Yarbrough yesterday. The Regents did not give a reason for its decision and held deliberations behind closed doors.

Yarbrough is a finalist to lead Southern University Baton Rouge.

The 64-year-old Yarbrough received the highest ranking among candidates for the Southern University post and is expected to be interviewed later this week, along with five other candidates.

One person familiar with the Georgia regents’ discussion said the decision was due to a desire to make a change rather than any specific complaints or mismanagement by Yarbrough.

Some Savannah State alumni have written letters and memos to the regents calling for Yarbrough’s ouster. They complained about academic quality and the number of freshmen needing remedial courses, the limited number of academic majors offered, the campus crime rate, and poor management of the athletic department.

“Unfortunately, under the Yarbrough administration, Savannah State has seen a lack of leadership that has been harmful to the university,” wrote “Concerned Alumni” which included Danny Parrish, Willie Walker, Alfred Berry Jr., and Lamar Rhodes.

In a separate interview, Rhodes, a 2000 grad who practices law in Atlanta, conceded that Yarbrough is likable.

“He’s a nice person. I just think as president, he’s not up to the job,” Rhodes said last month after an alumni meeting in Atlanta that Yarbrough attended.

Yarbrough became Savannah State’s 12th president in 2007. He said his first mission was to restore pride in the school while raising its visibility among potential students.

Yarbrough is crediting with cleaning up the school's finances, increasing enrollment to an all-time high, starting a campaign to begin construction for new classrooms, dorms and sports facilities and joining an athletic conference.

Georgia Chancellor Erroll Davis will name an interim president and a search committee within days.

Southern fires AD following arrest

2011-04-07T19:13:00.000-07:00

Southern University Athletic Director Greg LaFleur was fired Wednesday following his arrest Sunday night on a misdemeanor prostitution count in downtown Houston.

SU Chancellor Kofi Lomotey announced LaFleur's dismissal in a university news release Wednesday night, a little more than 72 hours after the 52-year-old LaFleur was arrested during a prostitution sting.

Lomotey said his decision to fire LaFleur, who was hired in 2005, is one that had to be made - and made quickly - for the overall stability of Southern's athletic program.

He said the school will launch a nationwide search for a new athletic director.

LaFleur, a former LSU and NFL tight end, was attending the NCAA men's Final Four in Houston last weekend seeking potential candidates for the va-cant SU basketball job.

Houston police said LaFleur was arrested at 8:30 p.m. Sunday. According to the criminal complaint filed by Houston police, LaFleur is accused of so-liciting a person to engage in "sexual intercourse for hire."

After his arrest, LaFleur was taken to the Harris County Jail. He was released on a $500 bond at noon Monday and is scheduled to appear in the Harris County Criminal Court on April 11.

Attempts to reach LaFleur on Tuesday and Wednesday were unsuccessful because the voicemail on his cell phone was full.

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Xavier U of LA to construct new 4,500 seat arena

2011-04-02T12:06:00.000-07:00

Xavier University of Louisiana announced plans last week to construct a 4,500-seat Convocation Academic Center that will serve as the home for XULA athletics and other large campus events. Construction is expected to begin in May with anticipated completion in summer 2012.

The Convocation Academic Center also will contain classrooms, offices and meeting spaces. A regulation-size auxiliary basketball court also will be included to add flexibility in scheduling practices for the basketball and volleyball teams.

"This new arena will be a tremendous addition for Xavier athletics," XU Athletics Director Dennis Cousin said. "It will upgrade our already excellent programs and take them a notch higher. It will be a big boost to us in recruiting."

"There also are plans to construct tennis courts in the near future not far from the Convocation Academic Center," Cousin said. "This will give our nationally ranked tennis teams the ability to not only practice on campus but to also host dual matches, something we haven't done in decades."

Howard MBA Program Ranked in Top Ten

2011-03-28T21:35:00.000-07:00

The Howard University MBA program has been named sixth on the U.S. News and World Report list of "10 M.B.A.s With Most Financial Value at Graduation." The list ranks the 10 business programs where graduates earn the most in their first year relative to their debt load. Howard is the only Historically Black College and University on the list and is also listed in the top 100 schools in the U.S. News Business School ranking.

"The School of Business is proud that we continue to be recognized among leading business schools," said Dean Barron H. Harvey, Ph.D. "This honor validates the hard work of the faculty, staff, students, alumni and corporate partners who provide tremendous support and continue to dedicate themselves to the pursuit of academic excellence."

The Howard University School of Business, as it is known today, was founded 40 years ago, but its roots date back to 1870, when the Board of Trustees of Howard University approved the establishment of a school of Commerce in conjunction with the Freedman's Saving Bank and Trust Company.

In 1970, the present-day School of Business was founded, with Dr. Milton Wilson as Dean. Over the years that followed, the School of Business' prominence within Howard University grew, as the school became the second largest among schools and colleges within the University in terms of enrollment, and firmly established its reputation for excellence in both the academic and business communities.

NC Central among the most popular in the nation

2011-03-27T11:11:00.000-07:00

The law school at N.C. Central University, along with Yale and Harvard, has been selected as one of the nation's most popular law schools.

U.S. News & World Report ranks NCCU ninth on its new list, which is headed by Yale, followed by Brigham Young University and then Harvard. Central is the only North Carolina law school on the popular list.

The list is based on the percentage of students admitted to a particular school who actually choose to enroll there. For 2010, the NCCU law school had an admission yield of 49.6 percent. Of 415 applicants accepted by the school, 206 subsequently enrolled there. By comparison, around 80 percent of the applicants accepted by Yale chose to go there.

Other schools in the ranking included Southern University, Liberty University, the University of Oklahoma, Regent University, the University of Memphis, and the University of New Mexico.

This isn't the first time the NCCU law school has been highly ranked.

It had previously been rated as the nation's best value for law schools for two years in a row by National Jurist Magazine.

Tuskegee to offer three new degree programs

2011-03-24T17:26:00.000-07:00

Tuskegee University is primed to offer three new academic programs this fall after their board approved the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Master of Public Health and Master of Science in Public Health degree.

“The approval of these programs is in line with the president’s vision and mandate to increase enrollment,” said Dr. Luther S. Williams, Tuskegee provost.

The information technology degree will be offered in the College of Business and Information Science.

“The IT program takes advantage of the growing IT workforce needs on a national and global basis,” Williams said. “Tuskegee University will be a major producer of IT professionals, subsequently increasing the enrollment of CBIS.”

The public health programs will be offered in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health. The degree programs in public health will prepare students to face the current public health and disparity issues that disproportionately affect the rural, disadvantaged, racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S.

Williams said most of the programs have faculty in place. Recruitment efforts have been approved to find additional instructors.

The Board also authorized approval for Tuskegee to research and develop several other programs the Master of Arts in Humanities-Bioethics; Master of Science in Psychology; Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering; Ph.D. in Veterinary Science; undergraduate degree in civil engineering; undergraduate degree in forensic science; and undergraduate degree in mass communication.

Sessoms: UDC hurt by DC policies

2011-03-12T09:23:00.000-08:00

UDC President Allen Sessoms says his efforts to revitalize the school are hampered by some DC policies, including the D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant program, which since 1991 has been giving residents up to $10,000 to attend colleges in other states and up to $2,500 to attend private universities in the city.

“The program is a disincentive for students who want to go to UDC,” said Mr. Sessoms. “The District’s high school graduates get zero dollars to attend UDC but the program pays instead for them to attend Michigan, Virginia or Maryland or other states, and the money is not needs-based. Even residents who attend private universities in the District receive tuition assistance. They’re going to Trinity, American, George Washington, Princeton.”

The competition posed by those tuition grants and more prestigious degrees is heightened by the city’s consistently high unemployment, illiteracy and dropout rates, and failure to meet the demands of the 21st-century global labor market.

Dillard University president stepping down

2011-02-24T19:33:00.000-08:00

Dillard University President Marvalene Hughes announced her plans to retire in the next few months.

Hughes was hired less than two months before 80 percent of New Orleans was flooded by Hurricane Katrina, has been credited with spurring the institution's post-Katrina recovery and helping Dillard to regain its footing.

Prior to coming to Dillard, Hughes served as president of the University of California at Stanislaus, where she oversaw more than $70 million in infrastructural campus improvements, and was credited with increasing enrollment by 40 percent and achieving many national rankings for the first time in the institution's history.

Dr. Hughes received her undergraduate degree from Tuskegee University and her Ph.D. from Florida State University.

Hughes took over the helm at Dillard in July 2005 and said it has been a challenge to serve the institution and help rebuild the historically Black school since Hurricane Katrina.

"It has been challenging and rewarding to serve 'Fair Dillard' over the past six years," Dr. Hughes said. "It was an honor to play a role in rebuilding Dillard, following its devastation at the hands of Hurricane Katrina. Because of your faith in Dillard's rich legacy, together, we have not only preserved the heritage of this stellar institution, but brought it to new heights, positioning Dillard for greater achievements in the 21st century.

"In the months ahead, I will be working tirelessly to sustain and build upon our many successes, and to identify new opportunities to secure Dillard's future," Hughes continued. "We will continue to focus heavily on fundraising to enable us to rebuild Dillard's entire campus.

Dillard University is expected to soon begin its search for her successor.

Alabama State cafeteria fight leads to arrest

2011-02-22T20:52:00.000-08:00

A cafeteria fight on the campus of Alabama State University has lead to a full investigation and one arrest by campus police.

The fight involved two groups of students, and resulted in no serious injuries. The fight involved hundreds of students was videotaped and is making its way around the web.

For the moment, ASU Police are not releasing any specifics because they don't want to jeopardize the investigation.

They did tell us the altercation involved only students.

"Most important is that the safety of our students, staff and our faculty is paramount so it's going to be investigated and anyone who is found to be in violation of ASU's zero tolerance policy on violence will be dealt with judiciously," stated ASU's Police Chief Huey Thornton.

Since it's early in the investigation, Thornton says he can't say who was involved or how many students.

Link to fight vide here

JSU Professors Create Possible Prostate Cancer Treatment

2011-02-09T21:24:00.000-08:00

A team of researchers at Jackson State University have created a possible treatment for prostate cancer using particles that are about 80,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair.

But their potential is massive, said Paresh Ray, who led JSU’s research team.

“The particles can be used in three ways: detecting the cancer cells, killing them and monitoring the treatment to see if it is working,” he said.

It’s that monitoring capacity in particular that is new, Paresh wrote in an article published recently in The Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Reading over an abstract of Ray’s report, Dr. Charles Pound, chief of urology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, said, “This could be something that is so novel and exciting that they win the Nobel Prize.

Howard U. Board votes to refocus University

2011-02-06T21:04:00.000-08:00

Howard University's board of trustees voted Saturday to shutter or consolidate 71 of its 171 undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in an effort to make the institution stronger and better. Howard plans to invest the savings in its research and doctoral programs. Critics of the move, contend the actions fly in the face of some of the institution's most storied academic legacies.

"We're excited about what we've done," said Alvin Thornton, special adviser to Howard’s president, Sidney A. Ribeau, and leader of the review, which he said left the institution "more strategically focused" as a research-oriented historically black college. The review leading up to the trustees' unanimous vote on the "academic renewal" plan spanned three years. This process included preparation for the reaffirmation of accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and a review of Howard's degree programs by the Presidential Commission on Academic Renewal, which preceded Ribeau's first set of recommendations. The review process also included town meetings and a series of appeals in which faculty members and their advocates argued in person with the provost and in written proposals for the future of their programs.

"We no longer have to be everything to everyone," Ribeau said in a statement, reflecting the view that Howard's place in higher education has changed because it no longer needs to offer the broad range of programs it did when segregation prevented black students from enrolling at many universities. “We have identified specific areas of emphasis and we plan to be leaders in those areas.”

Of those areas of emphasis, two consistently emerged as perhaps the most notable, according to several faculty members and administrators: the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics; and Africana and diaspora studies. The remaining four were to revise Howard's model for undergraduate education and increase interdisciplinary programs; increase the commitment to internationalism and global studies; streamline graduate and professional offerings in favor of research; and enhance humanities, communication, urban education, business, and performing and visual arts programs.

Howard is also adopting a new core curriculum with a more consistent freshman courseload, and considering beginning a "black male initiative" and honors program. Also new will be a requirement that will reduce from 127 to 120 the number of credits needed to graduate. These and other moves are designed to help push Howard's four-year graduation rate from 49 percent to a percentage in the 80s -- all while continuing to serve Howard's traditional base of students, said Thornton. "We want to show people how it's done with a certain demographic," he said.

Improving the quality of Howard's doctoral program will also take some effort. An overview of the pending changes noted that the university's doctoral classes tend to comprise five students, on average, and that a 2010 survey conducted by the National Research Council showed "considerable room for improvement" in Howard's Ph.D. programs. "Few performed strongly in comparison with all programs in their fields," the overview read, "and none operated at a level of national distinction."

Twenty-two undergraduate, 11 graduate and 38 graduate professional programs -- were marked for closure or reconfiguration, a few that faced that fate late last year escaped the chopping block. The lucky programs include African Studies and a dance concentration within the theater department.

"I’m extremely excited," said Denise Saunders Thompson, an instructor who helped lead the fight to save the dance concentration. She credited a push from students, including a scholarly forum, as well as a booklet she and others produced on the history of the program and position statements from such luminaries as Debbie Allen, the actress and choreographer who is an alumna, with swaying the administration and trustees. But, noting that the stay of the department's closure is no guarantee of future prosperity, she said she and her colleagues would need to find new ways to collaborate, both within and outside the university. "We just have to step up our game now," she said.

Three-quarters of Howard's tenured faculty members are eligible to retire, with their age plus years of service equaling or exceeding 70. Thornton said that the university was committed to hiring tenure-track faculty to replace those who retire, though they obviously will be in different disciplines, with different expectations placed on them for tenure. Any savings resulting from hiring more junior faculty will be reinvested in the university, not used to cover budget deficits, he said.

He also stressed that, even though STEM fields represented a major focus for Howard in the future, it would not abandon a commitment to liberal education, adding that Howard sees no discrepancy between STEM fields and the humanities. "Any suggestion that you can have an excellent STEM-focused university and not have a high quality liberal arts and humanities concept is folly," he said, citing John Slaughter, president emeritus of the University of Maryland at College Park and a member of the commission that analyzed and recommended changes at Howard. "You can’t have it."

Faculty gives SC State President vote of no confidence

2011-01-17T19:56:00.000-08:00

For the second time in nearly six months, South Carolina State University president George Cooper is under fire again, this time from the faculty senate has given Cooper and his administration a vote of “no confidence.”

The group voted 19-3 with one abstention at a meeting last Thursday. Faculty Senate members are elected by their respective departments.

The Faculty Senate outlined what it thinks are Cooper’s shortcomings. They include his failure to:
• Provide and implement a compelling vision for the university
• Adhere to shared governance by refusing to communicate with the elected representatives of the faculty
• Uphold policy and properly oversee the financial status, including the cash flow, of the university, as found by the outside financial consulting firm Elliott Davis

The document also states that Cooper has “ignored public scrutiny regarding the university’s financial status and has provided no answers or embarrassing answers to the public, particularly regarding the James E. Clyburn Transportation Center.”

Attorney Donald Gist, who said he is Cooper’s personal attorney and does not represent the university, said, “Dr. Cooper takes the position that the Faculty Senate does not reflect the full faculty at South Carolina State University.”

Jonathan Pinson, chairman of the university’s Board of Trustees, in a prepared statement Friday said, “The majority of the Board of Trustees’ members do not feel that the action is representative of the entire faculty and supports the president and his administration. Thus, the majority of the Board of Trustees’ members continue to express confidence in the president and his administration.”

This is not the first time the university’s Faculty Senate weighed in on Cooper’s leadership. The university’s board in June voted not to renew Cooper’s contract, effectively firing him. The Faculty Senate released a position statement supporting the board’s actions.

Then two weeks after letting Cooper go, the terms of two board members expired, and two new members took their places. The newly configured board rehired Cooper.

Southern abandons tougher admission standards

2011-01-12T19:40:00.000-08:00

Southern University has abandoned, indefinitely, its plan to toughen student admission requirements, Southern System President Ronald Mason Jr. said.

Partly citing “financial reasons,” Mason touched on the issue after a discussion about a new Baton Rouge Area Chamber research paper, titled “Toward a Renaissance at Southern University A&M College.”

The recently released report suggested toughening Southern’s GPA and ACT entrance standards among other recommendations.

Last year, Southern had planned to increase the minimum GPA standard from a 2.0 to a 2.5 — on a 4.0 scale — and to phase in the minimum ACT test score from a 20 to a 22 by 2012. But after facing opposition from the Faculty Senate and others, the decision was made to delay implementation until 2011.

Now, Mason, who became president last summer, said the toughened standards are being indefinitely delayed.

Mason said the focus is on doing a better job of retaining and graduating students under the current admission standards.

Tougher standards typically cause a temporary dip in student enrollment, which is why Mason cited financial concerns from the potential loss of tuition dollars at a time of state budget cuts to colleges and Southern’s problems with already declining student enrollment levels.

Southern’s enrollment has dropped from nearly 9,500 students in 2000 to about 7,300 this past fall.

Southern Chancellor Kofi Lomotey said, there is a “Catch 22” in terms of improving performance at a time of continuing college budget cuts.

Lincoln U. (PA) president announces retirement

2011-01-08T13:34:00.000-08:00

Ivory V. Nelson, who as president led Lincoln University out of debt and spearheaded a building boom that is transforming the nation's oldest historically black college, will retire in June.

Nelson, 76, guided Lincoln during a critical time in its history, when university officials decided to relinquish majority control of the Barnes Foundation board of directors, leading to the art collection's controversial move from the college to Philadelphia. The decision was seen by some as the catalyst behind the release of millions of dollars in state funds to the school.

Nelson joined Lincoln in 1999 after serving in leadership posts at Texas A&M University, Prairie View A&M University, and Central Washington State University. When he arrived at Lincoln, the infrastructure and many buildings were rundown, and the school was $15 million in debt.

In January 2000, the school's main electrical line had ruptured, so, with no power on campus, he had to send the 1,500 students home for three weeks. "We couldn't educate them, feed them, take care of them," Nelson said. "Our infrastructure had failed and we couldn't deliver."

During his presidency, Nelson has dealt with a faculty strike, controversies over a fitness course required for some students, and anti-Israel statements made by a tenured professor.

Since 2005, the school has built a $22 million residence hall, a new cultural center equipped with an art gallery, computer labs, and a 1,049-seat auditorium; a $40 million science and technology center (which will be renamed in Nelson's honor); and a newly renovated student union and library.

Due for completion in 2012 are a wellness center and athletic complex, capping off a $325 million campus makeover.

The school's enrollment, also, has grown from 2,000 in the 1999-2000 school year to 2,361.

A search committee has been formed to look for a new president.

Former Albany State President named interim President at Tn State

2010-12-19T13:44:00.000-08:00

Tennessee State University has named Dr. Portia Shields, former president of Albany State University, as interim president, she starts work on Jan. 2, 2011.

TSU’s current president, Melvin Johnson, announced in July his plans to retire on Jan. 1.

Shields who was chosen from a pool of candidates listed with the Registry for College and University Presidents, a national search service that assists universities and colleges around the country as they seek exceptional leadership during transition periods has been signed to an 18 month contract with an option for it to be extended or shortened. She also can not become a candidate for permanent president.

Most recently Shields served as chief executive officer and chief academic officer of Concordia College in Selma, Ala., from November 2007 to December 2009. While there she improved academic programs and institutional effectiveness, raised campus academic standards, and enhanced the college’s financial operations.

She helped Concordia address accreditation concerns. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges initially placed Concordia on probation for issues concerning 17 different requirements and standards. In its most recent report, SACSCOC cited only two issues remaining for the college to address.

Sheilds becomes the first female leader in TSU's 98-year history.

Tuskegee U. Veterinary School to be beneficiary of $1.6 million gift

2010-12-13T21:16:00.000-08:00

The Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine recently was designated as a beneficiary in a $1.6 million planned gift from Tuskegee alumni Dr. Matthew and Roberta Jenkins. The funds are made available through a remainder unitrust, and the University will receive 50 percent of the net assets at the time of distribution.

The couple formed the Matthew and Roberta Jenkins Family Foundation in 1984. It has been responsible for providing a number of scholarships across the country to students, colleges and institutions.

Getchel L. Caldwell II, vice president for university advancement, underscored the significance of the gift.

"Tuskegee alumni have long heard the call to structure and create planned gifts for their alma mater," he said. "The Jenkins' gift is a sterling example of alumni giving and will serve as another great example of Tuskegee pride."

Dr. Tsegaye Habtemariam, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health at Tuskegee, said students will indeed benefit from the gift.

Matthew Jenkins, a former member of the Tuskegee University Board of Trustees, received the doctorate in veterinary medicine from Tuskegee in 1957. Roberta Jenkins, received an institutional management degree from Tuskegee. is

The Jenkins currently reside in Long Beach, Calif. They are the parents of three children and have six grandchildren.

The Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine (TUSVM) historically was established in 1945. TUSVM graduated its first class of fully qualified veterinarians in 1949. Since then, it has graduated more than 70 percent of the black veterinarians in the U.S.

Howard U. fires football coach

2010-12-12T12:39:00.000-08:00

Howard University fired football coach Carey Bailey last Monday, according to a source who requested anonymity because details of the financial settlement are still being worked out.

Bailey, who just completed his fourth season, has two years remaining on his contract.

Howard went 8-36 under Bailey, including 2-30 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference games. The Bison's season-ending 59-35 loss at home to Delaware State on Nov. 20 was their 27th consecutive MEAC loss and marked their third consecutive winless league season. The only game Howard (1-10, 0-8 MEAC) won this season was against Division II Lincoln University.

The Bison had the second-worst offense in the league, averaging 18 points per game. Despite all-MEAC first-team selection Keith Pough, they also had the worst defense in the league, allowing 37.5 points per game.

Fred Humphries to speak at Sav State fall commencement

2010-12-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

Frederick S. Humphries, Ph.D., president emeritus of both Tennessee State and Florida A&M Universities, will be the guest speaker at Savannah State University's fall 2010 commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. Dec. 11 at Tiger Arena.

About 170 students will receive undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Humphries graduated magna cum laude from FAMU in 1957 with a B.S. in chemistry. Humphries was also a distinguished military science graduate and is reported to have been the first black officer commissioned into the Army Security Agency, the Army's signal intelligence branch from 1945 to 1976, according to SSU.

After two years in the military, he entered the University of Pittsburgh as a teaching assistant in chemistry, became a graduate research fellow in 1960 and earned his doctoral degree in chemistry in 1964, the first black student in university history to earn a doctorate in that discipline.

The Tennessee Board of Regents named Humphries president of TSU in 1974. Humphries and others argued in U.S. District Court that expanding the predominantly white UTN alongside the traditionally black TSU fostered competition for white students and perpetuated segregation, according to SSU.

The court ruled the two schools should merge, with UTN placed under the administration of Humphries and TSU. TSU became the surviving institution, and Humphries earned a national reputation for fighting for historically black colleges and universities and opportunities for minorities.

Humphries left TSU in 1985 to serve as president at FAMU. While at FAMU Humphries served on the Board of Directors of several Fortune 500 companies, Wal-mart Stores, Brinker International (the parent company of Chilli's and On The Border restaurants, and others.

Ex-Clark-Atlanta President paid $1.1 million

2010-11-27T17:12:00.000-08:00

Former Clark Atlanta University President William Broadnax was paid $1.1 million for the 2008-09 fiscal year, his last year in office. That put him among the 30 top-paid presidents of private colleges in the nation. The payout to Broadnax was more than 1 percent of the university's $86.6 million operating budget.

During his tenure at CAU, Broadnax's annual pay and deferred compensation, usually totaled more than $400,000 a year, among the top if not above the pay range at comparable institutions, said a college compensation expert.

CAU, with an enrollment of 3,800 students, has struggled financially in recent years, even before the recession.

The news outraged current and former professors, among whom Broadnax had been deeply unpopular.

"That is criminal," said retired professor Bob Holmes. "On what basis did the board of trustees agree to that? It's not a golden parachute because he didn't have a contract after five years. ... The alumni association should file a lawsuit against the board for malfeasance."

Broadnax contended his compensation package was closer to $800,000 than $1.1 million although he was unable to give an exact figure. He said he was guaranteed a retirement package when he became president because he had left a secure position at American University and would have to make unpopular decisions at Clark Atlanta. He is currently the Distinguished Professor of Public Administration at Syracuse University in New York.

The 66-year-old said the university had drained its endowment of $40 million for operating expenses before he came aboard and was teetering on bankruptcy. He had to to fire faculty and eliminate programs.

"What you see is the honoring of a contract," he said of his compensation. "They (the trustees) understood it was giong to be a fairly rough road if I did the things that needed to be done

"The only reason Clark Atlanta is still around is because of the steps we took and they were tough."

Clark Atlanta spokeswoman Donna Brock said the reported payout to Broadnax of $1,158,537 was correct and part of it was contractual. She didn't know the amount.

Ray Cotton, an expert on compensation for university presidents, said some of the pay may have been in the form of deferred compensation, but he questioned the wisdom of awarding that much to Broadnax.

“The fact of the matter is he received that amount of money in one fiscal year," said Cotton, a lawyer based in Washington. "With regard to Clark Atlanta peer institutions, that is an extraordinarily high number."

Only one other metro Atlanta college president came close to Broadnax's compensation. Emory University President James W. Wagner also received slightly more than $1 million.

Brock said current CAU President Carlton Brown does not have a retirement package.

Fisk VP could lead Alcorn

2010-11-26T11:20:00.000-08:00

Fisk University Provost Dr. M. Christopher Brown could become the next president of Mississippi's Alcorn State University if all goes as planned. Brown has served as Fisk Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost since July 2009.

Last week Brown, who is 35- years old, was selected as the the "preferred candidate" for the Alcorn presidency by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning commission.

Brown must now attend a series of campus meetings, leading up to a final vote by the Mississippi College Board

He previously served as Vice President for Programs and Administration at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, Director of Social Justice and Professional Development for the American Educational Research Association (AERA), as well as Executive Director and Chief Research Scientist of the Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute of the United Negro College Fund. Dr. Brown has held faculty appointments at the Pennsylvania State University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Former NSU President is "preferred" candidate for JSU job

2010-11-23T20:28:00.000-08:00

Carolyn Meyers, a past president of Norfolk State University, was named Monday as the preferred candidate for president of Jackson State University.

If formally named president, Meyers would be the first woman to lead Jackson State. Meyers must now attend a series of campus meetings, leading up to a final vote by the Mississippi College Board.

Former JSU President Ronald Mason left at the end of June to take over the Southern University System, based in Baton Rouge, La. Former professor Leslie McLemore has been interim president.

Bethune receives grant to develop new masters program

2010-11-13T03:10:00.000-08:00

Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) has received a $250,000 grant from the Jessie Ball DuPont Fund to support the identification and acquisition of library resources for a new graduate program in Integrated Environmental Science (IES).

DuPont has given the university more than $3.5 million since 1948.

""The masters in Integrated Environmental Science will be the second master's degree planned by B-CU faculty since 2004, "said B-CU President Trudie Kibbe Reed. While the university has already purchased new library resources for the new program, this grant will ensure B-CU's vision for the program will become a signature degree offering."

B-CU has taken an innovative approach in the development and implementation of its new IES programs.

Recognizing the field of environmental studies/science is, by definition, interdisciplinary – encompassing elements from the sciences (biology, chemistry, ecology, geology), humanities (philosophy, ethics), and social sciences (economics, geography, sociology, law) as well as policy analysis and other fields of study – B-CU's bachelor's and master's degree programs in IES are designed to expose students to multiple disciplines and help them develop the skills to make important linkages and assessments across the sub-fields.

B-CU's programs seek to fill this need and stand as a model in the newly developing field of IES. The curriculum has been reviewed by upper-level employees of NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, the U.S. Forest Service, and the National Estuarine Research Reserve system, the U.S. Geological Survey, and incorporates the proposals of the Environmental Systems and Sustainability Roundtable, a national effort to develop standards for interdisciplinary environmental programs in higher education.

N.C. A&T to offer motorsports technology degree

2010-11-07T17:40:00.000-08:00

N.C. A&T University gained approval to establish a bachelor's degree program in motorsports technology.

The program will train students to work with team owners, corporate sponsors and others in the motorsports industry.

The university already has a motorsports concentration in its department of manufacturing systems.

NC A&T names Hilton interim AD

2010-10-24T09:41:00.000-07:00

Earl M. Hilton III has been appointed interim athletics director at North Carolina A&T State University, effective Monday, Oct. 25. Hilton most recently served as assistant vice chancellor of student affairs and has also served as the associate athletics director. The announcement was made today by Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr.

“Earl will assume the leadership of our athletics program as we launch an aggressive, national search for a new athletics director,” said Chancellor Martin. “He has extensive experience in athletics and an abundance of expertise in NCAA compliance, budget oversight and personnel management. I am confident in his ability to manage our athletics program until a new athletics director is selected.”

Prior to coming to N.C. A&T, Hilton was assistant athletics director at Buffalo State University and academic counselor for athletics at Texas Tech University. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Lamar University in political science; Master of Public Administration degree from Texas Tech University and Juris Doctorate from Texas Tech University.

Growth is the order of the day at Albany State

2010-10-20T19:00:00.000-07:00

Albany State University Vice-President for Fiscal Affairs Larry Wakefieldwas beamed with pride as he talked about the schools record enrollment in an address at the Albany Rotary Club.

“We’re seventh in the state among Georgia schools in retention rates and eighth out of 35 in six-year graduation rates,” Wakefield told the gathered Rotarians. “We’re quite proud of that.”

Wakefield then went into detail about the progress being made on Albany State’s master plan for expansion.

“Our new student center should open next year,” Wakefield said. “The building costs $15.8 million and will add 60,000 square feet to our dining hall.

“We recently broke ground on two new residence halls. The buildings will add 600 new beds and will be for freshmen and the other for upper classmen. The building should open by August of next year and cost $23 million.”

Wakefield said the university is especially excited about the Ray Charles Language, Performing and Visual Arts Center becoming closer to reality.

“The beauty is this is all state money,” Wakefield said. “We have $28.7 million budgeted for the building and another $1.8 million for design.”

Wakefield said that eventually all the buildings located in the lower campus’ flood plane will be replaced by new buildings on the upper campus, then razed, leaving the lower campus as an expansive greenspace.

VIBE Magazine story rocks Morehouse community

2010-10-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

The October issue of VIBE Magazine, which hit newsstands October 12th), takes a look at the dress code put in place at Morehouse College targeted at the small group of active and vocal cross dressers at the traditionally all-male Black college.

Not surprisingly, the article has drawn record-breaking traffic online at Mean Girls Morehouse.

In an email sent to all Morehouse students and alumni, Morehouse College President Robert Franklin stated, "As president of this institution, as a Morehouse graduate and as a father, I am insulted by what is to be published. Addressing our young men as “girls” is deeply disturbing to me, no matter what the remainder of the article may say. Morehouse has for 140 years developed men—men who are equipped to live and contribute to an increasingly diverse, global and complex world."

The VIBE article takes a look at the ever-present tensions on the Morehouse campus between the school’s hyper-masculine attitude and its gay students. Writer Aliya S. King profiles several current and former Morehouse students whose flamboyant gay tastes pose an affront to the campus of 3,000 students. The article—provocatively titled “Mean Girls of Morehouse”—is based on the apparently self-titled group of gays known as the Plastics and some of the same ones targeted by the school last year with its “Appropriate Attire Policy.”

The school’s lack of tolerance came under fire after a gay-bashing in 2002 and again in 2006 when allegations of an anti-gay firing surfaced.

NC A&T AD fired, Track Coach retires following students death

2010-10-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

Wheeler Brown, the athletic director at North Carolina A&T University has been fired, today, following the death of a student during an unsanctioned track tryout.

Brown, an A&T graduate and former football player, first came to the campus in 2002 as the department’s associate athletics director for internal affairs and compliance. He served as interim AD from November, 2007 until being named permanent AD in August, 2008.

Track coach Roy Thompson — a 26-year A&T employee — has since announced his retirement effective December 1.

An autopsy released Thursday showed that 20-year-old Jospin Milandu died as a result of complications from sickle-cell disease. Milandu was one of 29 students at a A&T track tryout who had not been given a physical, an NCAA violation. A newly designed mandatory screening test which all Division I college athletes began undergoing this fall would likely have revealed the sickle-cell trait, which can lead to sudden death during strenuous exercise.

An athletic trainer was absent during the, Aug. 19 tryouts, which is against school policy. It was 82 degrees and cloudy, on the day the tryout were held the autopsy said.

Deborah Calloway, will take over Brown's duties until another athletic director is named.

Tuskegee gets grant to help new farmers and ranchers

2010-10-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded $675,750 to Tuskegee University as part of the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program.

Nationwide, the number of new farmers and ranchers is increasing.

Many of these new farmers lack the years of experience held by most farm operators. To close this gap, the USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program at Tuskegee University provides education, mentoring, and assistance to these beginning farmers and ranchers.

Cheyney U. sees jump in first-year enrollment

2010-09-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

Cheyney University (PA) has enrolled one of it's largest first-year classes in recent University history. 6.6 The school saw its first year enrollment increase by 46.6 percent this year over last year. Overall, the University’s total enrollment has increased by 6.6 percent over last year’s enrollment.

The University’s president, Dr. Michelle Howard-Vital expressed extreme pleasure with the University’s reported enrollment numbers, and further states, “This demonstrates that families recognize the value we offer for an undergraduate education that will prepare young adults to be competitive and responsible citizens in a global economy.”

The University attributes the increase in first-year students to enhanced marketing and recruitment efforts. Cheyney expects to grow to approximately 2,000 students by 2012.

As a part of its' new outreach effort Cheyney hopes to begin offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in nearby Philadelphia at 7th and Market Streets inside Philadelphia’s Mellon Center; as well as offer more online course offerings in order to remain competitive and convenient for students of the 21st century. Cheyney University is also working to develop partnerships with a variety of organizations and agencies to respond to the need to increase the college-going rate of citizens in the Philadelphia region and to provide skills training through various workforce training programs.

Texas Southern looking out of state for students

2010-09-21T18:14:00.000-07:00

Frustrated by the university's reputation in Houston, Texas Southern University president John Rudley is aggressively courting students from out of state. "A lot of local kids, had such a negative opinion of Texas Southern," said Rudley. "I couldn't get them to come here."

California and Louisiana have proven especially fertile recruiting territory. But Rudley has also pursued students from his hometown of Benton Harbor, Mich., arguing that Texas' largest historically black university had something to offer students from a small town in an economically depressed state. Now there are nearly three dozen TSU students from Benton Harbor, population 11,000.

Other historically black schools also are recruiting from outside their geographic regions in an attempt to grow enrollment, said Marybeth Gasman, an associate professor of higher education at the University of Pennsylvania who studies the schools.

Many of the schools, including Texas Southern, have relatively low admission standards as part of a commitment to make higher education more accessible. But Rudley also has launched scholarships and special programs for honors students in order to attract better students.

Gilbert Rochon named 6th president of Tuskegee

2010-09-19T20:29:00.000-07:00

Dr. Gilbert L. Rochon has been named the sixth President of Tuskegee University. He will take office on Nov. 1. Rochon comes to Tuskegee from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.

Rochon currently serves as a senior research scientist at the Rosen Center for Advanced Computing and director of the Terrestrial Observatory at Purdue. The Observatory is a real-time satellite ground station for interdisciplinary multi-sensor remote sensing. Additionally, he served as Associate Vice President for Collaborative Research and Engagement at Purdue.

Rochon earned his bachelor's degree in English from Xavier University (New Orleans); a Master of Public Health degree from the Yale University School of Medicine; and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Rochon has held several positions in education, health, and community and national agencies. His resume includes: director of the Dorchester Mental Health Center, Boston State Hospital, Boston, Mass.; associate professor and director/chair of the Conrad N. Hilton Endowed Professorship, Urban Studies and Public Policy Institute at Dillard University in New Orleans, where he established joint BA/MS degree programs in collaboration with counterparts at Columbia University (Urban Planning), New School for Social Research (Public Policy) and State University of New York, Stonybrook (Coastal Oceanography); and researcher and investigator in divisions of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Rochon has an extensive background of international research. He is currently an adjunct professor at the Mah Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand.

Rochon, a native of New Orleans, has been the recipient of many research fellowships, including the Fulbright Senior Specialist Research Fellow, International Nutrition Fellow, the Dwight David Eisenhower Faculty Fellow, and the Dorothy Danford Compton Fellow.

Rochon has published and/or collaborated on more than 135 articles in peer-refereed professional journals. He is the founding editor of the Journal of Terrestrial Observation. He also serves on many review panels and advisory boards in the areas of his scientific specialization.

Ronald Walters dies at 72

2010-09-12T19:27:00.000-07:00

Ronald W. Walters, a longtime professor of political science at Howard University and the University of Maryland, and one of the most respected public intellectuals on matters of race, civil rights and public policy, died Friday at age 72. He had been suffering from cancer.

Dr. Walters won worldwide acclaim as the author of many books, including works on black presidential politics, pan-Africanism and the resurgence of white conservatism.

After 25 years at Howard, Dr. Walters became director of the African American Leadership Institute at Maryland and frequently appeared wrote for the popular press and appeared on television programs discussing major issues of the day. In 1984, he was a key adviser to the presidential campaign of Jesse Jackson, and he had been a major intellectual force behind the Congressional Black Caucus since the 1970s.

SWAC/MEAC Challenge renewed thru 2013

2010-09-07T18:21:00.000-07:00

Walt Disney World Resort has announced that it will continue as sponsor of the MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney through 2013. The Resort and ESPN made the joint announcement the day after the 2010 event drew the second lowest attendance in the events seven year history.

“As a company that values diversity and supports education, we are proud to renew our commitment to the MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney,” said Eugene Campbell, vice president of minority business development for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “The MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney is more than a game – it’s a weekend long celebration for our community filled with events that encourage young people to achieve their dreams.”

The MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney, an ESPN Regional Television (ERT) owned-and-operated event, features football teams from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Walt Disney Resorts and ESPN are all owned by the Walt Disney Companies.

Virginia State University Business School Buys E-Textbooks for Students

2010-09-01T14:54:00.000-07:00

Why do students have to pay for college textbooks? Couldn't the reading material be considered part of the college infrastructure paid for by officials as part of tuition, like classroom buildings and course-management systems?

Virginia State University is experimenting with that idea this fall, with a new effort to give free e-textbooks to students in its business school for eight core courses. The university recently negotiated a deal with upstart publisher Flat World Knowledge that treats buying e-books like buying campuswide software—with the institution paying a small per-student fee. The university plans to formally announce the deal Tuesday.

Student complaints about the high cost of traditional textbooks drove the university to try the giveaway. "For our accounting books senior year, there's nothing under $250," said Mirta Martin, dean of the Virginia State University business school. "What the students were saying is we don't have the money to purchase these books."

Last year Ms. Martin became so frustrated from hearing stories about students who were performing poorly because they could not afford textbooks that she made a pledge that no needy student would go without a book. She asked community officials and others to donate to a fund to pay for books of students who came forward asking for financial help, and last year that project paid for $4,000 worth of books for students. But Ms. Martin felt that philanthropic model was not sustainable, so she began reaching out to publishers to see if the institution could get some sort of bulk rate that would allow the institution to pay for textbooks for all students.

The university found Flat World Knowledge, which offers free e-textbooks to students and makes money by selling study guides and printed versions.

In its standard model, Flat World offers free access to its textbooks only while students are online. If students want to download a copy to their own computers, they must pay $24.95 for a PDF (a print edition costs about $30). But the publisher offered the business school a bulk rate of $20 per student per course, and it will allow students at the school to download not only the digital copies but also the study guide, audio version, or iPad edition (a bundle that would typically cost about $100).

"It's a really significant shift in the business model of the publishing industry," argues Eric Frank, president and co-founder of Flat World Knowledge, who compared the new approach with the way colleges buy software licenses.

Professors at the university spent the last few months frantically reviewing Flat World's available textbooks to see which ones to adopt, as part of a curriculum review that was already under way.

If the experiment goes well, the business school will hope to add more courses next semester. Ms. Martin says her hope is to give away e-books for students in about 30 courses by about 18 months from now.

Elizabeth City State launches mobile giving campaign

2010-08-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) has partnered with The Elizabeth City State University Foundation to launch a new program designed to capture donations via text message. To power its mobile platform, ECSU through The ECSU Foundation has partnered with Denver based Mobile Accord, Inc., the premier provider of mobile technology to the non-profit sector. The mobile giving channel is supported by AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint/Nextel, T-Mobile and US Cellular representing the vast majority of US mobile users.

ECSU is one of several universities in the United States to embrace the mobile giving channel allowing donors to connect with the organization and contribute funds through text messaging. Cell phone users will have the opportunity to instantly react to fundraising appeals and confirm their donation by simply sending a text message. The donation is charged to the donor's regular monthly cell phone bill and is separated from other transactions and identified as a non-taxable donation.

"Virtually anyone using a privately owned mobile phone can make a $10 donation to the university by sending the text message ECSU to 50555. This new technology will allow ECSU to connect with constituents, acquire new donors, and dramatically extend our overall reach through this vital new channel," said William Smith, vice chancellor for the Division of Institutional Advancement.

Elizabeth City State University and The ECSU Foundation representatives will launch the mobile giving program on August 28, 2010 during the halftime of the home, football game against Johnson C. Smith University. University and The ECSU Foundation representatives will repeat this mobile giving request at future games and fundraising events.

NCCU students want new Union bldg.

2010-08-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

Students at N.C. Central University want a new student union.

"What we have now is too small. It's just not big enough for us anymore, not in the year 2010," said Dwayne Johnson, the NCCU Student Government Association president. "We really need a new union."

The current Alfonso Elder Student Union was built in 1968 and last renovated in 1992, it has one main floor, a lower level and a total of 39,575 square feet.

That's not nearly enough, Johnson says.

"We have about 130 student organizations now, and there are about seven to nine rooms available in the union," he explained. "There's not enough places for everybody to meet. And there's nowhere to hold events or to just hang out with friends. The place is just too small."

On the lower level, there's a bookstore, a post office, a game room, a small snack bar, a billiards room and even a small meditation room. An annex with bowling lanes, built more than 40 years ago, adds another 5,800 square feet.

NCCU already has more than $100 million in construction projects under way on campus, including construction of a massive parking deck, a new residence hall and a new nursing school building.

Johnson said he understood that the push for a new student union is unlikely to bear fruit in the immediate future.

"But I think we can begin to make progress," he said. "We need to get people talking about this. We need to set the groundwork. Whether this takes five years or 10 years, we need to get this started."

Housing crunch leaves student homeless at Southern

2010-08-15T12:24:00.000-07:00

More than a few Southern University students say arrived on campus last Thursday to find they didn't have a dorm assignment.

Ashton Bush has a lot on his mind as he heads back to class. He didn't think finding a place to sleep would be one of them.

"I've been paying $8,500 every semester," said Bush. "This is gonna be the eighth time staying in an apartment, a lot of time it's a struggle."

Bush, who is originally from Houston, arrived at Southern with a car full of belongings, but no place to put them. He says that he filled out the housing applications and paid the fee on time.

Larry Harvey found himself in a similar situation. He says he doesn't have family in Baton Rouge to help him out and really needs a dorm room.

"So, the only I thing I could do was pay my fees, go to housing and figure out if something could be done, if I could get into something," said Harvey.

What he found was a 15-page waiting list.

"There's nothing we can really do," said Harvey. "Just get your name on the waiting list and we'll call you and let you know what's going on."

The seniors took their concerns to Southern's Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Dr. Mwalimu Shujaa. Shujaa says as of today, there were 117 open slots for housing, but it was just a matter of sifting through the wait-list.

"Now in addition to that we are making contact with a housing complex very near the campus," he said. "We worked with them before to accommodate students we were not able to house on campus," said Shujaa.

Bush says he and Harvey were told the school is trying to get them a place to stay.

As of 5 p.m. Thursday, Bush says he had not yet heard anything from the provost. If he doesn't get a room tonight, he's relying on friends to help him out.

NCCU to welcome 1,400 freshmen this fall

2010-08-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

N.C. Central University is expecting to welcome 1, 400 freshman this fall -- among the largest freshmen classes the school has ever had. The new class begins moving in this week, and the university apparently has enough on-campus housing space to accommodate them all.

"We have reserved enough spaces," said Kevin Rome, NCCU's vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management.

"Right now, we're at capacity, but we should be fine. The only problem would be if we have a large number of students in the next day or two who haven't already confirmed that they are coming. We don't expect that, but there's no way to predict that now."

The 1,400 first-year students would tie the record set last year as the largest entering class. Those figures are about 30 percent higher than any previous classes.

NCCU, traditionally shy of on-campus housing, had to struggle with the size of the class last year. The university ran out of on-campus options and had to house around 300 students for the first semester at the Millennium Hotel.

There are no plans to do anything similar this year, even if more students do show up this week, Rome said.

"We are no longer in the business of providing off-campus housing," he said.

"We've decided not to house any students off-campus. We will make every attempt to keep them here based on what vacancies we have. If we can't accommodate them here, if we have 20 or 30 students we didn't anticipate, we will work with the students to identify off-campus housing possibilities."

The university was able to meet its enrollment goal and keep the Class of 2014 at the record-setting number of 1,400 students despite tuition increases totaling $548 a year for undergraduates who are North Carolina residents.

"I don't think the increases have had a major impact on enrollment here," Rome said. "It is, of course, a significant increase for some students, but when you factor in financial aid, the impact is not as great as it is at, say, UNC Chapel Hill."

At the end of its session this summer, the state Legislature agreed that the additional funds brought in by tuition increases at UNC system campuses could remain with the schools and be used for financial aid.

At NCCU, around 90 percent of students receive some kind of financial aid and more than 50 percent are eligible for the need-based federal Pell Grant financial aid program.

Tuskegee upgrades architecture department to stand alone school

2010-08-04T18:32:00.000-07:00

On the eve of his departure as president, Tuskegee's Dr. Benjamin F. Payton announced that the Board of Trustees approved his recommendation to elevate the Department of Architecture at Tuskegee University to School status.

The new school was given the name the Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture, in honor of the first black to graduate in architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Taylor set up the architecture program at Tuskegee in 1892, at the invitation of founder, Booker T. Washington.

"This move reinforces the University's efforts to increase visibility and strength in that area (architecture)," Payton said. "The action should also serve as a strong statement of the University's commitment to the program over the long haul."

Current architecture department head, Dr. Richard Dozier, has been named the first dean of the new school.

Architecture was a department within the College of Engineering, Architecture and Physical Sciences. The dean of the College, Dr. Legand Burge, stated that he is "fully supportive of the action of the trustees and the president. It is the right direction in which we should be going."

Tuskegee University began offering certificates in architecture under the Division of Mechanical Industries in 1893. The four-year curriculum in architecture leading to the Bachelor of Science degree was initiated in 1957 and the professional six-year program in 1965. The program is fully accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board.

Enrollment up Albany State works through growing pains

2010-08-01T18:15:00.000-07:00

The largest incoming freshman class in Albany State University history is causing on-campus housing problems, forcing school officials to boost dorm room occupancy from two to three students. The housing crunch is temporary and will be alleviated next fall with the construction of two new residence halls.

Incoming freshmen at ASU are required to live on-campus unless they live within 50-miles of the university.

“Over the last five years we have experienced enormous growth at Albany State University,” ASU President Everette Freeman said. “The Board of Regents has asked that we open wide our doors. Perhaps 1,000 freshman will be on campus this fall, and our growing pains are causing housing problems.”

ASU will break ground on two new dorms on Aug. 20. Construction is scheduled to be complete by Aug. 18, 2011. In addition, the school is also building a new student center. Total cost for the three buildings-- $48 million. Students will pay for part of the costs with a $100 fee to fund the new construction. The remainder will be paid for with grant money.

“Tripling up the freshmen is not an easy decision, but we really don’t have any other choice,” VP for Fiscal Affairs Larry Wakefield said. “A year from now we will have the new residence halls. We hope this is a temporary problem.”

“Many of the incoming freshmen had their own single rooms at home. They will now have the opportunity to meet more of their classmates. We think they will gel, for community and learn to live together, ” said Freeman

“Some may ask ‘what’s in it for Albany?’” Freeman said. “Not only will three new buildings add to the local economy, but studies have shown that our students contribute roughly $52 million a year to the local economy.”

NC A&T faculty member charged with inappropriately touching teen

2010-07-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

A N.C. A&T faculty member was arrested Saturday in Raleigh on a charge he inappropriately touched a 15-year-old girl while attending the Omega Psi Phi fraternity convention.

Javelin Hall, 36, of Greensboro, was arrested about 1:45 p.m. in the 300 block of Fayetteville Street, said Jim Sughrue, a spokesman for Raleigh police.

Sughrue said officers were working a street festival in the area that was part of a convention for the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, which Hall was attending.

Someone who witnessed the alleged incident approached police and identified Hall as a suspect, and he was taken in to custody, Sughrue said.

Hall was charged with felony indecent liberties with a minor and placed in the Wake County jail on a $25,000 bond.

According to N.C. A&T, Hall had been employed at the university as an adjunct faculty member teaching writing from August 2009 through May. His contract was set to be renewed at the university on Aug. 11.

Architecture school at Southern could fall to budget ax

2010-07-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

Kofi Lomotey, the Chancellor of Southern University Baton Rouge said, he faces the prospect of having to close the school of architecture next fall because of further state budget cuts. Campus spokesman Ed Pratt said the university is still exploring methods to keep it open, including reaching out to alumni for financial help.

Lomotey said he would have to give a year's notice to faculty before ordering the closure of the architecture school so they and students can shop around for other universities. The school of architecture averages about nine graduates a year. Sixteen of the campus' 88 programs have been recommended for termination or merger.

In the past two years, the campus has seen its budget reduced by 22 percent -- roughly $19 million, including the $4.8 million reduction the school took this year. The cuts resulted in layoffs last year and possibly lead to another 50 staff and administrative job cuts this year, the chancellor said.

Southern University Baton Rouge faces a loss of $7 million in federal stimulus money next year and probably more reductions in state money.

Southern U gets its own "app"

2010-07-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

Students at Southern University can access news, sports scores or even financial aid information on their iPhone using the new “Jag App” the university recently launched. The app is available for download for free.

Southern has made the next step in social networking by putting the app in its mix along side Facebook and Twitter.

Southern Student Government Association President Demetrius Sumner said many students get most of their news through their phones.

“It’s a great attempt by Southern to meet students where they are,” Sumner said of the brand-new Southern University System iPhone app.

Schools in the Southern System, including those in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Shreveport, are the first public colleges in the state to unveil an iPhone app.

Tulane University released a similar app in March and LSU plans to go online with its own by early September.

New Southern President Ronald Mason Jr. said the Jag App will be a great way to communicate with Southern constituents — parents, students, alumni, faculty and staff.

“We’re out front,” Mason said, joking that he is “a little too old” to be an expert on iPhone apps.

Southern has started out with just the iPhone app, but could still move beyond to programs for BlackBerry and Android smartphones as well.

Heath Price, LSU assistant vice chancellor of finance and administrative services, said LSU’s plan is to release iPhone and BlackBerry apps nearly simultaneously for the start of the fall semester.

“That’s the model now — it’s all going toward the apps,” Price said. “It’s amazing how many kids on this campus use iPhones or iPod touches.”

The $40,000 LSU app programs completed by the Blackboard software company will feature LSU news, videos, directories, maps and even GPS tracking for campus bus services.

The only thing missing will be LSU sports news. Price said LSU athletics has a contract with Verizon, which is a competitor of the AT&T-based iPhone.

“We’ve run into some of those little quirks,” he said.

Southern and Tulane have similar iPhone apps created by Tulsa, Okla.-based Straxis, which has done apps for more than a dozen colleges.

Rachel Hoormann, Tulane’s director of web communications, said the Tulane app is already very popular, noting that the only complaints are from BlackBerry users upset that it is only available for iPhones.

“We wanted to give people easy access to frequently read info … in your pockets,” Hoormann said.

Southern’s Jag App came a lot cheaper, costing less than $5,000 that was paid with private funds, according to the university.

Former Southern interim President Kassie Freeman said Straxis offered quality service at an affordable cost with a quick turnaround time.

“It’s big for us to release it in the summer,” said Freeman, currently the Southern System’s vice president for academic affairs.

She said the unveiling of the new app coincides with new student orientation and last week’s national alumni conference.

Hampton cancer center lauded as a "jewel"

2010-07-11T13:46:00.000-07:00

The new Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute doesn't open until next month, but already area leaders are lauding it as a jewel.

On a recent tour U.S. Sen. Mark Warner marveled at the treatment that will be offered at the 98,000 square foot, $225 million center.

The center piece of the building is a three-story 90-ton machine which will be used to precisely target and kill cancer cells.

Cynthia Keppel, the institute's scientific and technical director, showed them the main control room, where technicians will work to monitor the dose of the proton beam to cancer patients.

There are five treatment rooms and the capacity to treat 170 patients per day, Keppel said. Unlike traditional radiation therapy, proton therapy directly target tumors, doesn't affect surrounding healthy tissue, and minimizes side effects, she added.

Typical treatments are given once a day for 39 days and take about 20 minutes each, she added. Actual radiation time is a minute.

HU has been awarded $9.4 million in federal funds for the center since 2008 for equipment, research and high-level staff, said Bill Thomas, associate vice president of governmental affairs.

In April, Gov. Bob McDonnell restored $510,000 in state aid for HU that was originally cut by state legislators. Restoring that amount for a full $1 million over two years honors the commonwealth's commitment to support the institute and the resulting economic benefit it brings to Hampton Roads, he said.

Warner applauded HU President William R. Harvey for his "audacity" to have the grand vision of creating the center. Seeing it go from idea to construction to patient treatment within six years is amazing, Warner said, adding that the institute adds one more jewel to the crown of HU.

The center is the first of its kind in Virginia and one of eight in the United States.

Hampton launches online campus

2010-07-06T00:09:00.000-07:00

Hampton University just launched a virtual campus that offers a myriad of associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees.

The web-based courses can be taken through HamptonU Online beginning Aug. 2, and are targeted to working adults who need the flexibility of online courses.

Offerings include three doctoral degrees, two master's degrees, eight bachelor's degrees, two associate degrees and two certificate programs. Undergraduate courses are $425 per credit hour and graduate courses are $600 per credit hour.

"We are trying to take the expertise and strong programs found on campus and make them available to people which Hampton University hasn't touched yet," said Cassandra Herring, dean of the College of Education and Continuing Studies.

HU's online doctoral degree program has also expanded from its existing doctorate in nursing. It now offers doctorates in business leadership and in educational leadership and management.

Student support services such as admissions, financial aid, registration and IT help desk will be offered 24/7. The online campus is led by Cristi Ford, director of distance education.

Ford said bachelor's degrees can be achieved in as little as three years if a student completes his or her required course work every term.

Five academic sessions will be held throughout the year, two in the fall, two in the spring and one in the summer.

Board hurting SC State

2010-07-04T19:56:00.000-07:00

from the State Newspaper
They have hired and fired presidents with head-rolling dispatch. They have publicly feuded. And they have passed the chairman’s gavel like rolls at a Thanksgiving Day dinner.

Along the way, South Carolina State University’s board of trustees has damaged the university in the eyes of key supporters in the General Assembly and some disappointed and embarrassed alumni. The trustees also have raised a new set of questions about the school’s leadership just months before the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools launches its re-accreditation examination.

“I have consistently fought for resources for S.C. State,” said state Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg. “They make it tougher and tougher to convince people that we are worthy of assistance.”

While Cobb-Hunter and others have been vocal about their frustrations with the university, there was an eery silence from the school’s most prominent graduate, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., as the board decided against renewing the contract of President George Cooper and then, two weeks later, reversed that decision.

Clyburn has offered no public comments about the goings-on at S.C. State despite several requests for comment.

As the third-ranking Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives, Clyburn is well-positioned to direct federal money to S.C. State. And he has. But Clyburn was furious with the board’s decision in 2007 not to renew the contract of Cooper’s predecessor, Andrew Hugine. The congressman has been equally frustrated with how the university has proceeded with plans for a new transportation center that bears his name and not accounted for millions of dollars it has received.

Board members, prompted by questions raised by The (Charleston) Post and Courier, voted last week to review spending on the transportation center. State Sen. Robert Ford, D-Charleston, said Friday that he had the required five signatures from lawmakers to launch an audit by the state’s Legislative Audit Council, the investigative arm of the General Assembly.

Meanwhile, legislators, who already have imposed large budget cuts on S.C. public colleges and universities, said next year could bring even bigger cuts. That would make S.C. State’s financial situation – it was one of the few schools in the state to order faculty and staff furloughs to deal with budget cuts and an unexpected drop in student enrollment last fall – even more strained.

Into this vortex again steps Cooper, the fired and rehired president.

Thursday’s vote may have extended Cooper’s stay at S.C. State, but board members – even those who initially voted to renew his contract – have been far from effusive in their praise of the president they hired two years ago.

SC State rehires president it just fired

2010-07-03T00:04:00.000-07:00

The South Carolina State University Board of Trustees has agreed to reinstate Dr. George Cooper as its president, officially revoking the appointment of Interim President Judge Merl Code.

The board voted not to renew Cooper's contract on June 15, and on Monday appointed Merl Code as interim president.

School officials say the addition of two new board members, attorney Robert L. Waldrep Jr. and alumna Patricia Lott, changed to the vote to reinstate Cooper, 8-5. Previously, the board had voted 7-4 not to renew Cooper's contract which expired yesterday.

Cooper had an earned a D+ on his performance evaluation
Cooper had earned an average score of 2.56 on a scale of 1 to 5 on his more recent performance evaluation. The evaluation required trustees to rate Cooper on 15 aspects of his performance including whether he: maintains a professional image in state government; is prepared and informed when making budget and program requests to the state legislature; and has a positive influence on employee morale and performance.

Judge declines to serve as SC State interim prez

2010-07-02T07:12:00.000-07:00

Merle Code, the South Carolina Municipal Judge that SC State officials recently appointed to serve as the schools interim president has decline to take the position.

With several new board members in place, the SC State is seeking to reinstate George Cooper who was fired last month.

HBCUs best at training doctors serving the poor

2010-06-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reveled that medical schools at historically black Morehouse, Meharry, and Howard Medical schools ranked first, second, and third in a study of 141 training institutions that produce the highest percentage of physicians practicing in under served communities.

The study was conducted from 1999 to 2001 by a group of George Washington University researchers led by Fitzhugh Mullan, M.D. and rated the schools in "social mission" categories - the percentages of graduates entering primary care practice, working in areas with shortages in health care providers and serving underrepresented minorities.

Harvard, widely regarded as the nation's most prestigious medical school, was 67th; John Hopkins was 122nd, and the University of Pennsylvania was 29th. Vanderbilt, a top-tier southern school, ranked next to last. No highly ranked school was included in the top 10.

Morehouse, only 35 years old, presented its first class of graduates in 1985.

Reached in his Washington, D.C. office, Mullan said the data was "a bit of a surprise for some people, but we thought we should be upfront and not set the black schools aside with any asterisks that would say, 'Yes, they did well in these categories, but ... '"

Mullan's team didn't use its findings to recommend what other colleges should do to improve their scores, he said, "because they all have different missions; some may choose to say 'This is our mission, and we're fine with it,' but we asked all of them to take a look at the findings and spend some effort to consider or reconsider their mission."

Medical schools, Mullan reminded the study's readers, "are the only institutions in our society that can produce physicians; yet assessments of medical schools, such as the well-known U.S. News & World Report ranking system, often value research funding, school reputation and student selectivity factors over the actual educational output of each school, particularly regarding the number of graduates who enter primary care, practice in underserved areas and are under-represented minorities."

Meharry's president, Wayne C. Riley, said the study's results demonstrate "that there are 20 institutions that excel in training physicians who are African-American, Latino and Native American, and that at the top of that list, graduating students at a much higher rate, are historically black medical schools."

City Council gives thumbs up to new Hampton U dinning hall

2010-06-12T22:05:00.000-07:00

The Hampton City Council voted 6-0 to grant Hampton University a use permit for a new $25 million, 115,000-square foot dining hall to serve the campus.

The use permit was granted with five conditions. These include that the sole use of the building will be as a student dining hall and there can be no third-party rental of the building.

Outdoor lighting should face downward to avoid glare to neighboring properties.

According to Joy Jefferson, HU's associate vice president for development, Hampton University will break ground on the waterfront property as soon as it raises the money to build the facility.

The new dining hall will replace the "big caf" and "small caf" eateries in Virginia-Cleveland Hall, a which was built in 1874 and is designated as a National Historic Landmark.

Architectural renderings of the project show a futuristic building with brick and curved glass on the front and an all-glass back facing the Hampton River on Queen Street.

Tuskegee president likely to extend stay for a month

2010-06-10T06:22:00.000-07:00

Tuskegee University president Benjamin F. Payton has decided to extend his stay by at least a month while the University searches for his successor.

Payton said the June 30 deadline marking his retirement from the presidency isn’t as set in stone as once believed. “I put a date on the wall,” Payton said. “I told them June 30, but then I considered staying until July 31.”

Though his bags are mostly packed – moving trucks have been seen at Grey Columns – Payton is likely to remain at TU in either an interim or advisory role after the June 30 deadline. Rumors suggest the candidate chosen to replace Payton in the presidency is not yet available to assume the role, though these are unconfirmed at this time.

In fact, the announcement Payton could remain is the only information about the search straight from the horse’s mouth. The TU Presidential Search Committee, headed by board chair Andrew Brimmer, announced at the onset of the search nothing would be released until the end. They weren’t kidding.

Payton did say he and his wife, Thelma Payton, will leave Tuskegee for houses in New Jersey and Florida.

“We’re going to run away from the hurricanes to New Jersey and away from the snow to Florida,” Payton said.

In its 128 years of existence, TU has had only five presidents – Payton, being the fifth, is serving in his 28th year. He announced his intention to retire in March 2009.

“I’m sure whatever decision is made, it will make for a smooth transition,” Payton said. “Things are going to be fine, it’s just going to take a little bit of getting used to.”

Morehouse ranked among "most grueling" colleges

2010-05-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

The Huffington Post, one of the nation's leading blogs, has named Morehouse College as one of the nation's "most grueling colleges". Morehouse joins MIT, Johns Hopkins University and the United States Naval Academy on the list of the ‘Most Grueling Colleges.’

The Huffington Post had the following to say about Morehouse, "the alma mater of Martin Luther King, Jr., Spike Lee and Samuel L. Jackson is committed to upholding standards of excellence. “Morehouse men” must follow a dress code and choose between 35 areas of study. Courses in pre-med biology are notoriously difficult, and many of the Atlanta college’s students opt for pre-law, pre-med or pre-dentistry tracks."

Forbes Magazine recently named Morehouse as one of the “10 Great Schools for Networking".

Howard makes pitch to move its hospital and health colleges to Walter Reed

2010-05-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

Howard University has submitted a $1.1 billion plan to move its hospital and health sciences operation to the nearby Walter Reed Army Medical Center campus after the facility closes next year.

University officials say the ambitious proposal would bring a top-notch teaching hospital to an underserved area.

"We're very excited about the possibility," said Eve Higginbotham, senior vice president and executive dean for Health Sciences. "We believe it would be a win-win for the District." A recommendation is expected to be made to the military in June or July.

Higginbotham said that if the bid is successful, the project would be built in three phases, starting in 2012 and ending in 2017.

The new hospital would probably be financed through a partnership with a private hospital management company, according to the proposal. Other money would come from fundraising, leveraging non-core assets and other means.

The university is one of 23 organizations, including charter schools, arts programs and food pantries, that have expressed interest in the land.

When Walter Reed closes, its medical operations will be shifted to a campus at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda and an Army hospital being built at Fort Belvoir.

Tuskegee plans $20M, 500 bed housing complex

2010-05-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

Tuskegee University, Sunday, announced plans to construct a new $20 million, 500 bed, dorm named for retiring president Benjamin F. Payton. The new facility will provide living spaces, study halls, labs and lounges for freshmen and sophomore students.

The dorm will have cutting-edge technology throughout, and offer suites as well as more traditional singles and doubles, and includes strong emphasis on physical as well as intellectual fitness.

President Obama delivers Hampton U. graduation address

2010-05-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

President Barack Obama returned to the Hampton Unversity campus yesterday to give a commencement speech in which he cited the struggle of African Americans to gain the right to an education.

President Obama's presence at the podium was met with a roar of clapping and cheering and a shout from the crowd: "I love you." "I love you back, that's why I'm here," the President replied.

In his commencement speech, he said the founders of Hampton University and all historically black colleges knew that the inequality wouldn't vanish overnight but that an education was the place to start.

He quoted Frederick Douglass, saying that "education ... means emancipation," and told graduates that their college degrees are more important than ever, because high school diplomas are no longer a ticket to a solid middle-class life.

"All those checks you or your parents wrote to Hampton will pay off," he said. "You are in a strong position to out compete workers around the world."

Obama spoke of disparity in academic achievement, with blacks being outperformed by their white classmates, and rich students outperforming poor students, no matter their skin color. All Americans have a responsibility to change that, he said.

"Be role models for your brothers and sisters," Obama told graduates. "Be mentors in your communities. And when the time comes, pass that sense of an education's value down to your children."

President Barack Obama accepted an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Hampton University after the speecch. He also was given an athletic jersey with "Hampton University" on one side and "President Barack Obama" on the other. "He promised me he's going to wear it, so you'll see it on TV," Hampton University President William Harvey said.

Southern taps JSU's Mason for top job

2010-04-30T12:45:00.000-07:00

The president of Jackson State University in Mississippi was picked today to be the next president of the Southern University System.

Ronald Mason Jr. was selected on a vote of 14-2 by the Southern Board of Supervisors.

Mason was one of three finalists for the post. Leonard Haynes III, senior advisor in the U. S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education, got two votes for the job.

The selection followed interviews today of all three finalists. Also considered was Robert Jennings, former president of Alabama A & M University.

Payton takes Tuskegee to new heights

2010-04-18T09:33:00.000-07:00

Since coming to Tuskegeee University in 1981 Benjamin Payton he has fostered innovation and academic excellence, playing a key role in helping the University become the outstanding institution of higher learning that it is today. Payton came to then Tuskeegee Institute during its 100th anniversary succeeding Luther Foster, who had served as president for 28 years.

Payton became only the fifth president in Tuskeegee's 129 year history, and his path to the presidency was an unlikely one. He program officer of higher education at the Ford Foundation in New York, NY, and after the search committee had already gone through over 300 applicants and couldn't find anyone they felt was the right fit to continue the the legacy of Booker T. Washinton and his three successors, they approached Payton.

After some cajoling by his mentor Benjamin Mays, Payton agreed to be considered. "He told me, 'You know, it won't hurt to have them review your resume,'" Payton, 77, recalled. "He also said 'It won't hurt you and it, won't hurt them.'"

When Payton arrived in Tuskegee in 1981, he knew a big job lay ahead in many areas, but he also was aware that the challenges confronting him paled in comparison with what Booker T. Washington faced when the school opened in 1881

From Institute to University
Replacing "Institute" with "University" was one of Payton's early moves. When an aide returned to campus from a student recruiting trip and told him about problems encountered at the college fair, he knew something had to be done.

"He said students would walk by the table he was at, take one look at the 'Tuskegee Institute' sign and keep walking," Payton said. "Some would stop long enough to say they wanted to go to a university, not a community college."

In 1982, a year after he assumed office, Payton learned first-hand what his recruiter had told him.

He was accompanying then-Vice President George Bush as an educational adviser to Africa and extended to West Germany, Bermuda and Cape Verde islands.

In an interview with Jet magazine, Payton said he found that those he talked to didn't know what kind of school Tuskegee was and often asked Bush why he picked someone from a "community college" as one of his key advisers.

Bush got so tired of hearing those comments that he eventually introduced Payton as president of "Tuskegee University." That quickly got the attention of those who might have dismissed Payton as someone from a small school without nationally known credentials.

It took a few years, but Payton's recommendation to his board of trustees eventually bore fruit and, in 1985, Tuskegee Institute became Tuskegee University.

It would be the beginning of many major changes and improvements on campus.

Much-needed face lifts came quickly, thanks to generous donations and grants. Deteriorating buildings were torn down and replaced with modern dormitories and classroom structures while beautification projects turned the eyes of visitors accustomed to more drab surroundings.

Once his feet were firmly on the ground and he had the solid backing of trustees, Payton launched one project after another and Tuskegee University's star rose higher and higher.

He saw to it that the school, with an enrollment of about 3,000 students, never had problems with accreditation. He restructured TU's academic programs into five colleges, initiated the school's first doctoral programs and led the way for development of the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site.

Capital campaigns that at times lagged behind optimistic goals soared past them under his leadership with more than $200 million raised. Two of his proudest accomplishments involved establishment of an aerospace science and engineering program and development of a national center for bioethics research and health care.

The bioethics facility, which is housed in a former hospital, came as a commitment from then-President Clinton, who issued a national apology for a controversial study of syphilis-infected men from Tuskegee and Macon County.

"It was a monstrous thing to do," Payton said. "People call it the 'Tuskegee Experiment,' but, it wasn't Tuskegee that did it, it was the United States Public Health Service and it went on for 40 years. The apology was long overdue."

Payton said the result of the study, the apology and the aftermath was a national policy that no experimentation could be done with human beings without that person's consent.

His drive to support doctoral programs has attracted the best and brightest students in the country. They focus on materials science and engineering as well as integrated biosciences.

Those two academic disciplines might be a bit over the heads of people without a clear understanding of basic math, but for Tuskegee University, it put the school on a level with the top schools in America.

"It was clear to me that if Tuskegee University was going to come into its own, it must reach for the stars and seek to be the best in sculpting out new areas of instruction," he said. "It was important to pick areas where we were already strong and engineering was one of them."

Asked if he ever thought he'd spend as much time as he has at Tuskegee University, he broke into a big smile.

"I didn't think of it in terms of time," he said, in a rich baritone voice cultivated through years of public speaking and, as a young man, occasional theatrical work. "I've always been mission-driven, hoping I could make significant contributions in the position that I occupied."

It's also his belief that it doesn't matter how long anyone stays at a job, "it's how effective you are in what you're doing."

"Actually, there was just so much to do that I forgot about the time," he said. "My years here have been driven by a sense of strategic moves in forwarding the development of this university."

Southern finalist down to three

2010-04-15T21:30:00.000-07:00

The search for a new Southern University System (SUS) president has been narrowed down to three. Tuesday, SUS interviewed four candidates in public interviews and expects to select a new president on April 30.

The three finalist in rank order are Ronald Mason, president, Jackson State University; Leonard Haynes, III, senior adviser, U.S. Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Edcuation, and Robert Jennings, former president, Alabama A&M University.

The search committee is expected to meet with each of the candidates individually, and before deciding on a new leader to oversee Southern's three campuses, law school and agricultural center. The main campus is in Baton Rouge.

JSU President throws is hat in the ring for Southern top job

2010-04-09T16:38:00.000-07:00

Ronald Mason,Jr. president of Jackson State University is one of two new applicants to lead the Southern University System.

Clarence Newsome, the former president of Shaw University in North Carolina is the other.

The Southern president search committee still must screen their experience and backgrounds before it is certain that Mason or Newsome will be interviewed Tuesday, said Murphy Bell Jr., search committee co-chairman.

“They both have some exciting credentials,” Bell said.

Southern’s stated goal is to choose a new president by the end of April. Interviews were originally scheduled for this week, but were postponed until Tuesday. Bell said it is possible more could still apply.

Mason has headed Jackson State one of Southern’s top rivals for 10 years. The public Mississippi college, along with Southern, is one of the nation’s largest historically black colleges and enrolls nearly 9,000 students.

Mason is currently embroiled in controversy over his support of Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour’s proposal to merge Jackson State, Alcorn State University and Mississippi Valley State University into one historically black college.

In November, Barbour proposed the merger. Then in January, The Clarion-Ledger obtained a presentation by Mason supporting a merger similar to Barbour’s plan.

He (Mason) has done a lot of impressive things at Jackson State,” Bell said, declining comment on the merger proposal by calling it a Mississippi issue.

At Shaw, Newsome resigned last year with Shaw in the midst of an ongoing financial crisis and more than $20 million in university debt.

Shaw, a private college, has more than 2,500 students.

Southern U. System president search delayed

2010-04-06T18:57:00.000-07:00

Southern University is delaying its president candidate interviews until next week in anticipation of new applicants and concerns about the state’s spending freeze on travel, university officials said Monday.

The interviews were scheduled for today.

Southern Board of Supervisors Chairman Tony Clayton said he still have a new system president selected by the end of April.

Interviews are now scheduled for all day April 13 on campus.

Five candidates have made have been advanced to the interview stage. Clayton said he expects at least three more to join the field by then. He declined to give names.

The five candidates scheduled for interviews are:

Carolyn Meyers, outgoing president of Norfolk State University in Virginia.
Leonard Haynes III, senior adviser in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education.
Robert Jennings, former president of Alabama A&M University in Normal, Ala.
Marvin Yates, Southeastern Louisiana University vice president for student affairs.
Yates is a former Southern University chancellor, and Haynes was a Southern executive in the 1980s who has previously applied for the president position.

Ironically, the delay could end up costing Southern more money because of short notice in canceling or postponing travel plans.

Search committee co-chair Murphy Bell emphasized that no one else has officially applied, except for Southern professor and former agriculture dean Leroy Davis. Bell said it is not decided if Davis will be interviewed.

Southern University System spokeswoman Katara Williams also confirmed, “they’re still talking to people. There are some more people who may potentially apply.”

The Southern University System oversees three academic campuses, a law school and an agricultural center.

Kassie Freeman, who has not applied, is serving as interim president.

Morehouse to host it's first gay pride

2010-03-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

Students at Morehouse College will host the school's first-ever Gay Pride Week and have invited multi-media "maven" B. Scott a gay African-American TV/Radio personality and Internet sensation.

Scott will be speaking on the “Out & in the Spotlight” panel is one part of the pride week events, hosted by Safe Space, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organization. Scott will be discussing his experiences as being an out gay out man in the entertainment industry; the importance of loving and accepting oneself; and how being gender non-conforming—not adhering to society’s rules about dress and activities for people that are based on their sex—has shown the need to help expand society’s views of what being LGBT is in this country.

“I was honored when Morehouse College asked me to speak at their first Pride Week,“ said B. Scott. “It is encouraging that they have decided to acknowledge the LGBT community in a positive way on their campus, which is the first step in creating an environment of acceptance and equality.”

Tennessee State faces accreditation hurdle

2010-03-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

Tennessee State University's accreditation could be at risk this year unless it proves professors adequately test students, administrators make results-driven decisions and instructors have the right credentials to teach their subjects.

The university is in the early stages of its Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation reaccreditation process. Outside groups have issued scathing reviews of TSU and suggested the school lacked an evidence-based culture and does not providing basic services.

TSUl officials maintain that they will have no problem earning reaccreditation, and added the issues raised in the school's initial review are typical of most universities going through the process.

A team of educators from peer institutions will visit TSU later this month to conduct interviews, review documents and verify the information. A final decision will be made in December.

"Just because they have something written in the compliance certification does not mean they are in trouble," said Belle S. Wheelan, president of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
"They have a chance to clean up those things. That's the first blush."

The initial report raised questions about the university's financial resources because the school's most recent audit wasn't ready at the time the documents were due. Providing a copy of the audit will clear the school in those categories, TSU officials said.

Other concerns were more complex.

The university came up short in a key area because it didn't show that students are consistently tested on what they have learned. In addition, there wasn't evidence that student assessments were used to make budget decisions or to make programs better.

School officials said almost all degree programs had assessments in place and they were making decisions based on the information collected from those assessments, but the university did not have a uniform system for requiring and collecting that information.

"We have planning and assessments throughout the university, in some areas better than others," said Timothy Quain, TSU's accreditation liaison.

In response to the concerns, the school this year will standardize the assessment process, collect the data and show how they are tied to budgeting and planning. That will happen for the first time in June.

Faculty Qualifications

Another issue involved the qualifications of the school faculty.

In four programs, too few courses were taught by professors with doctorates. In other cases, the university didn't produce proof that instructors had the proper credentials.

TSU officials say they will respond to this concern by recruiting more qualified faculty and by collecting resumes and documents that prove existing faculty have the proper credentials.

Charles Manning, chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents, said the state does not get involved in the reaccreditation process until the on-site team issues its report. He said he believes TSU will correct any issues raised.

Auditors cite Alabama A&M for mistakes

2010-03-05T21:21:00.000-08:00

State auditors cited Alabama A&M University this week for $171,316 shown on its books but not found in its bank acount at the end of the 2008 fiscal year.

Auditors also cited the university for bypassing a certified low bidder and buying goods from another vendor and for eight other unresolved issues from previous audits.

The audits were conducted by the State Examiners of Public Accounts. The latest, for the fiscal year 2008, was posted on the examiners' Web site Friday.

The audit found that "the university's General Fund cash account on the general ledger balance did not reconcile with the bank statements at year-end. The reconciliation incorporated adjustments not made to the general ledger at year-end resulting in a difference of $171,316.00."

Auditors recommended A&M "post all adjustments at year-end to ensure that general ledger balances and bank statement balances have been reconciled and are in agreement."

Still unresolved from previous years, auditors reported that A&M:
• Improperly adjusted its general ledger student receivables control account at the end of FY 2008.
• Had not completed a physical inventory of capital assets in recent years.
• Did not support its bank reconciliation with an accurate list of outstanding checks.
• Did not make necessary adjustments to its accounting records in a timely manner.
• Allowed students to register and attend class while still owing unpaid balances from prior semesters.
• Had fixed asset subsidiary account balances that did not support amounts presented in the financial statements.
• Did not keep records of revenue collected for athletic events or deposit them in a timely matter.
• Did not obtain required vendor disclosure statements for all bids and contracts exceeding $5,000.

A&M to offer buyouts to 280 employees

2010-03-01T21:39:00.000-08:00

In effort to deal with state budget cuts Alabama A&M University will offer buyouts to nearly 300 veteran employees.

The A&M board of trustees voted unanimously to offer six months' pay to 280 employees who have 25 years' experience or are age 60 with 10 years' experience to leave.

Charles Rucker, vice president for business and finance, said he estimates 43 will take the buyout, leading to net savings of $1.8 million by the end of fiscal 2011 and $2.7 million by the end of fiscal 2012.

The buyout would be paid this year and next to spread the cost, but trustees authorized borrowing up to $1 million from A&M's contingency fund this year if the offer proves more popular.

A&M is coping with a 7.5 percent state budget cut this fiscal year. Combined with drops in enrollment, school President Andrew Hugine Jr. says the university's funding is down $18 million over the past two years.

Groundskeeping to be outsourced
Board members also approved outsourcing groundskeeping, custodial services and facilities management to Aramark, the company now handling food service on campus.

The three-year contract is for $4.86 million, Hugine told the board, but Aramark has promised to make $1 million a year in "retrofits and upgrades" to the campus over the life of the deal.

The first of those upgrades will be installing call boxes around campus to improve student safety, Hugine said.

A&M employs 115 people in custodial, grounds and facilities jobs now. They will meet with Aramark executives and A&M administrators Monday to learn their future.

Administrators said Aramark has promised to give A&M employees a chance to work for the company, but the school expects at least some will retire or seek work elsewhere.

Search for Southern U system president yields 13 applicants

2010-03-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

The Southern University System has an initial pool of 13 applicants seeking to become the next system president.

Southern now plans to narrow that list next week with the aid of the DHR International search firm of Chicago.

Interviews will begin in March, they said.

Committee Co-Chairman Domoine Rutledge said there are a few “exciting” potential candidates who also could join the list, although he refused to give any names.

“It’s a good pool as far as I’m concerned,” said Rutledge, president of the Southern University Alumni Federation. “Obviously, there are some who are better than others.”

The goal is to select a new president in mid-April.

The Southern University System oversees three academic campuses, a law school and an agricultural center.

The applicants are vying to replace former President Ralph Slaughter, whose contract ended in June and remains in litigation with Southern.

Kassie Freeman, who has not applied, is serving as interim president.

The new applicants are:

Belinda Childress Anderson, former Virginia Union University president in Richmond, Va. She resigned in June.
Mohammad Bhuiyan, director of the Fayetteville State University Center for Entrepreneurship in North Carolina.
Robert Jennings, former Alabama A&M University president in Normal, Ala. He stepped down in 2008.
Gerald “Jerry” Jensen, CEO of the Siskin Children’s Institute in Chattanooga, Tenn. He is a Southern law graduate.
Carolyn Meyers, Norfolk State University president in Virginia. She is leaving Norfolk at the end of June.
Kenneth Reeves, business executive and former assistant director of the Texas A&M University 12th Man Foundation.
Dr. Kevin Stephens Sr., New Orleans Health Department director. He is a Southern and LSU graduate.
The previous nominees and applicants in the pool are Adesoji “Soji” Adelaja, director of the Michigan State University Land Policy Institute in East Lansing, Mich.; Charles Green, former Bermuda College president; Leonard Haynes III, U.S. Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education senior adviser; Roosevelt Newson, former Bowie State University provost in Maryland; Karl Wright, former Florida Memorial University president in Miami; and Marvin Yates, Southeastern Louisiana University vice president for student affairs.

Williams resigns as prez of Edward Waters

2010-02-27T08:51:00.000-08:00

Claudette Williams, the 28th president of Edward Waters College, has resigned to become a vice president with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

In 2007, Williams became the first female president of the school, where she inherited problems with accreditation and declining enrollment.

"Certainly the college is in a stronger, better place," said Williams from her office Friday afternoon.

Williams says during the past three years the school has made improvements to aging infrastructure and the college's enrollment that had been declining has been stabilized.

This year nearly 900 students are enrolled at Edward Waters College.

Ex-Jacksonville sheriff Nat Glover will serve as interim president. A search committee has been formed to review candidates for the position.

In her new job, Williams will coordinate the development and implementation of programs and policies to aid institutions in meeting accreditation and improving education.

Texas Southern trying to manage $4.9 mil cut

2010-02-21T03:42:00.000-08:00

Texas Southern University, like many historically black colleges across the country, is facing new realities in budgetary management. As the State of Texas tightens its belt on spending, TSU projects institutional cuts to reach nearly $5 million.

Proposed cuts include $700,000 through a hiring freeze; $450,000 through reduced business travel; $1.1 million through cuts in office supplies, utility costs and other operations; $1.6 million through a cut of 28 staff positions; $1 million through cutting six faculty positions. Those may be done through attrition or retirements.

Mississippi HBCU merger dies in Legislature

2010-02-06T21:46:00.000-08:00

The most controversial part of Governor Haley Barbour’s legislative agenda – the merging of universities – died a quiet and not unexpected death Tuesday.

The proposal was not taken up in committee in either chamber of the Legislature. Tuesday was the deadline for bills to be passed out of committee in the chamber where they originated.

Normally it is not safe to say an issue is dead for the session because of various methods of getting around the committee process, such as amending legislation on the floor of either chamber.

But both the House and Senate Universities and Colleges committees chairs said Tuesday they do not see a mechanism to revive the merger proposal during the 2010 session.

In November, to deal with the state’s budget crunch, Barbour had proposed merging Mississippi University for Women in Columbus with nearby Mississippi State University and placing the three historically black universities – Mississippi Valley State University, Alcorn State University and Jackson State University – all under the JSU umbrella.

In the House, Universities and College Committee Chair Kelvin Buck, D-Holly Springs, said early on he would not consider legislation to merge universities.

On Tuesday, his Senate counterpart, Doug Davis, R-Hernando, said he did not bring up the legislation in his committee because “as of right now at this time, I don’t think the votes are there to pass it.”

The other most notable proposal Barbour made in November called for consolidation of 152 school districts into 100. But the governor has formed a commission to study the issue and to make a recommendation in early April.

JSU Prez stands by his HBCU merger plan

2010-02-01T20:58:00.000-08:00

Despite a public backlash, Jackson State President Ronald Mason Jr. has reiterated his stance in favor of merging Mississippi's three historically black universities.

"I know the challenges we face today - we could stop the merger and still end up losing the schools," he told a group of about 300 students who gathered on campus Wednesday. "If not this, then what?"

Mason, speaking by phone from Washington, received several "boos" from students as he explained his idea to consolidate Alcorn State, Jackson State and Mississippi Valley State into a new "Jacobs State University."

"This really would be a model for the next generation of HBCUs," he said. "I've thought about this a lot."

Mason, who has led JSU since 2000, has been recognized nationally as one of the top HBCU leaders. In 2008, he received the Thurgood Marshall College Fund's Education Leadership Award - the highest individual honor given to a current leader of a public HBCU.

He publicly opposed a similar merger proposal made by Gov. Haley Barbour in November.

But in a 34-page presentation obtained by The Clarion-Ledger recently, Mason suggests creating a single university would be better than letting "financially weak ASU, MVSU, JSU become weaker" in the state's budget crisis.

The university system is preparing to lose more than $180 million in appropriations by 2012 because of the budget crisis and the end of federal stimulus dollars.

"In my mind, if we don't come together, we could end up dying apart," Mason said.

Mason said his idea was not ready to be made public. He had discussed it with selected state leaders and alumni. "I've just been picking people's brains," he said.

But lawmakers Wednesday condemned Mason for making the suggestion.

"Whether it be President Mason or Gov. Barbour, we think it shows a clear lack of wisdom," said House Universities and Colleges Committee Chairman Kelvin Buck, D-Holly Springs. "It is a position that we cannot support and will not support."

Sen. David Jordan, D-Greenwood, said he felt betrayed by Mason's decision to suggest a merger behind closed doors.

"We have a Philistine among us," said Jordan, a Valley State grad. "The only thing (Mason) needs to close is his mouth."

Other alumni expressed a similar disapproval.

"Alcorn State and Valley State will merge with Jackson State the day after Mississippi State and (the University of Southern Mississippi) merge with Ole Miss," Alcorn alum Matt Thomas said.

Rep. Billy Broomfield, D-Moss Point, said he received an e-mail with the PowerPoint presentation last week.

"He (Mason) didn't realize how ludicrous it was," said Broomfield, who chairs the Legislative Black Caucus.

Despite two Senate bills that propose mergers, Bounds said the merger idea is a nonissue. The bills have not been taken up.

"The House has made it abundantly clear that they will not take this up," he said. "The most productive thing we can do now is find out how we deal with the cuts we face."

Alcorn State President George Ross said Wednesday he does not believe the university's future is at stake.

"We're having to make some tough choices that we maybe would not have made otherwise," he said.

Jackson State University President Ronald Mason's suggestion to create a single university out of the state's three historically black colleges includes the proposal to rename the school Jacobs State University.

The proposed name would honor H.P. Jacobs, who is one of the founding fathers of JSU.

A former slave, Jacobs went on to become a minister and doctor who founded the Mississippi Baptist Convention and Natchez Seminary, which eventually would become Jackson State.

"I just thought he was a great symbol of black people being able to overcome," Mason said.

His PowerPoint presentation on the merger notes that Alcorn State and JSU are both named after "slave owner/segregationists."