A Legal Victory for HBCUs in Maryland

mdA federal judge has ruled that the state of Maryland has made it difficult for its four historically Black universities to succeed by permitting nearby predominantly White universities to have similar and competing academic programs. The presence of competing programs at predominantly White institutions siphons students away from the HBCUs, making it more difficult for the Black universities to succeed financially. Judge Catherine Blake wrote in her ruling that the state “offered no evidence that it has made any serious effort to address continuing historic duplication.”

The case was originally filed in 2006 by students and alumni of the state’s four historically Black colleges and universities: Bowie State University, Coppin State University, Morgan State University, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. After several attempts at mediation, the case was heard last fall.

The judge did not order specific remedies to solve the problem and urged the universities to enter into mediation. She suggested that “the transfer or merger of select high demand programs” to HBCUs would be a solution.

Related Articles

1 COMMENT

  1. Hooray for MD HBCUs! The Florida Dept. of Education did the same thing when they allowed the Univ. of South Florida to start a Pharmacy School when FAMU has a very successful and long-standing program….and then turns around and denies Florida A&M University a dentistry school despite the overwhelming evidence a school is needed to service under-served/rural areas in the state. #THEFIGHTCONTIUES

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs