Monthly Archives: October 2013
Hampshire College Cancels Performance of an “Afrofunk Ensemble”
One band member stated that their appearance was cancelled after they were criticized on social media as being "too White" to play Afrobeat music.
Online Articles That May Be of Interest to JBHE Readers
From time to time, The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. Here are this week's selections.
Recent Books That May Be of Interest to African American Scholars
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education regularly publishes a list of new books that may be of interest to our readers. Here are the latest selections.
Task Force Finds Fault in UCLA’s Racial Bias Complaint Policies
An internal task force at the University of California at Los Angeles issued a report that concluded that policies and procedures currently in place to deal with complaints of racial bias and discrimination from faculty members are inadequate.
Higher Education Grants of Interest to African Americans
Here is this week’s news of grants to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
Controversy Over a Confederate Flag at the University of Rochester
A house adviser demanded that the student take down the flag that was hanging in his dormitory window. The administration later stated that the student should have the right to display the flag.
New Program Will Help Teens From Low-Income Families Prepare for College
Alvernia University in Reading, Pennsylvania, has established a four-year program of tutoring, coaching, and mentoring to help hundreds of low-income teens prepare for college. Some will receive full scholarships to Alvernia.
The Persisting Racial Gap in College Student Graduation Rates
In 2013 the graduation rate for Black students at the nation's largest universities that participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I is 44 percent. This is 22 percentage points below the rate for Whites.
Gender Differences in Acceptance of Black Students at Predominantly White High Schools
The research found that stereotypes about African American boys' prowess in sports and their general perception as being "cool or street smart," helps them cope in social situations better than African American girls.
Three African Americans Elected to the Institute of Medicine
While the Institute of Medicine does not disclose the racial or ethnic makeup of its membership, it appears that only three of the 70 new members are African Americans: Phyllis Dennery, Thomas LaVeist, and Beverly Louise Malone.
How Racial Bias Affects the Perception of Fairness in Economic Decisions
In an ultimatum game, participants were more likely to regard low financial offers from Black proposers as unfair and were thus more willing to "punish" the Black proposer by leaving them with no money.
A Check-Up of Blacks in Medical Schools
New data released by the Association of American Medical Colleges shows that in 2013 Blacks or African Americans were 8 percent of all applicants to U.S. medical schools and 7 percent of all first-time enrollees.
Harvard Study Finds Different Neural Activity When Subjects View Black and White Faces
Researchers in the department of psychology at Harvard University have found a region of the brain where neural patterns changed when test subjects viewed either a Black or White face.
How the Ban on Race-Sensitive Admissions Impacts Black Enrollments at the University of Michigan
In order for racial parity to prevail in Michigan, the number of Black students in the entering class at the University of Michigan would have to nearly triple.
Brandeis University Announces Hiring Campaign in Black Studies
The university, where only 4 percent of the undergraduate student body is Black, has announced that it will hire two faculty members in African diaspora studies in the first phase of a multi-year cluster hire in the discipline.
Regina Benjamin to Receive the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism
Dr. Benjamin is the former Surgeon General of the United States and now holds the NOLA.com/Times Picayune Endowed Chair in Public Health Sciences at Xavier University in New Orleans.
Historical Milestone at St. Augustine’s University
Nita Charlene Johnson Byrd is the first woman to be ordained as an Episcopal priest in St. Augustine University's chapel and the first woman to serve as chaplain of the university.
New U.S. Ambassador Taught at Dartmouth College and Howard University
Tulinabo Mushingi is the new U.S. ambassador to the African nation of Burkina Faso. A native of Congo, he is the first African-born naturalized U.S. citizen to return to Africa as an ambassador.
Xavier University Looks to Strengthen Its International Ties
Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans has initiated a new effort to increase the "internationalization" of campus. Among the elements of its five-year plan is to increase the number of foreign students who enroll at the university.
Duke University Scholar Wins Anthropology Award
Lee D. Baker, professor of cultural anthropology at Duke, has been selected to receive the Prize for Distinguished Achievement in the Critical Study of North America by the Society for the Anthropology on North America.
Predominantly Black Martin University Lays Off Faculty, Staff
Martin University in Indianapolis experienced an unexpected drop in enrollments this fall. The school had expected 700 students to enroll for classes but only 522 actually did so. This produced a $600,000 budget shortfall.
Five African Americans in New Administrative Positions at Universities
Appointed to serve in new positions are Anre Dixon at Cheyney University, Kimberly Logan at Alabama A&M University, Shari Clarke at Ohio University, Rychetta Watkins at the University of Memphis and Lorraine Goffe-Rush at Washington University.
In Memoriam: Major Robert Odell Owens, 1936-2013
The former 12-term Congressman from New York was a major supporter of African American higher education and after leaving Washington, taught at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn.
Online Articles That May Be of Interest to JBHE Readers
From time to time, The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. Here are this week's selections.
Recent Books That May Be of Interest to African American Scholars
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education regularly publishes a list of new books that may be of interest to our readers. Here are the latest selections.
A Bad Week for Grambling State University
The football team boycotted practice and refused to travel to a game in Jackson, Mississippi, to protest conditions in its practice facility and other grievances with the Grambling administration.
Penn State Creates New Doctoral Degree Program in African American Studies
According to the university's count, Penn State will be the 12th university in the United States to offer doctoral degrees in African American studies.
Higher Education Grants of Interest to African Americans
Here is this week’s news of grants to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
University of South Carolina Creates Exhibit to Honor Its First Black Faculty Member
The University of South Carolina has recently acquired and placed on displayed the law school diploma of Richard Theodore Greener its first Black faculty member who taught philosophy, Greek, and Latin during the Reconstruction period.
Audit Finds Possible Fraud at Alabama State: University Says It’s Under Attack
After receiving the report, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley sent a letter to the board of trustees asking them to suspend the search for a new university president. The board refused to comply with this request.
Terrell Strayhorn to Lead New Center at Ohio State University
The mission of the Center for Inclusion, Diversity, and Academic Success will be to foster inclusion, promote diversity, and ensure the academic success of all students at the university.
Factors That Foster Educational Success Among Youth From Low-Income Families
A new study conducted by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles, has identified five factors that have a major impact on whether or not students from low-income families succeed in higher education.
Faculty Senate at Howard University Rebukes Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees
The Faculty Senate at Howard University has passed a resolution expressing "no confidence" in the executive committee of the university's board of trustees. The vote came two weeks after university president announced he was retiring.
Outreach Programs for Parents Can Reduce School Mobility Among Black Students
Students who change schools often have problems adjusting to the new educational environment and this can impact their academic performance. Programs that reach out to Black parents can reduce the likelihood that children will change schools.
Oakwood University Gets Approval for New Online Education Initiative
Oakwood University, the historically Black educational institution in Huntsville, Alabama, has received approval from Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to offer a business degree in organizational management online.
Tuskegee University President Resigns
Gilbert L. Rochon, president of Tuskegee University in Alabama, announced that he was resigning from his post immediately. Dr. Rochon was only the sixth president of the university that was founded by Booker T. Washington in 1881.
