Monthly Archives: February 2014
CalState Los Angeles Will Require Students to Take Courses on Race and Ethnicity
The AcadCalStateLAemic Senate at California State University in Los Angeles has approved a measure by a vote of 33 to 18 that will require all students to complete a course that focuses on issues of race or ethnicity.
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.
How Letters From His Mother Influenced the Writing of Langston Hughes
John Edgar Tidwell, a professor of English at the University of Kansas, and Carmaletta Williams, a professor of English and African American studies at Johnson County Community College shed new light on the writings of Langston Hughes.
American University of Nigeria to Open New “Smart” Library
The American University of Nigeria is an innovator in digital library technology. The library has more than 200,000 electronic books and journals in its inventory.
Brown University Expands PostDoc Diversity Program
Brown University plans to bring six postdoctoral fellows from underrepresented minority groups to campus for two years each. African Americans, American Indians, and women in science and economics will be the focus of recruiting efforts.
North Carolina Central University Official to Take County Manager Post
Wendell Davis, vice chancellor for administration and finance at North Carolina Central University in Durham, has announced that he will step down from his post in April to become Durham County Manager.
New Arts Hall at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools to Honor Gordon Parks
The George Lucas Family Foundation has pledged to donate $25 million to the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools for a new arts hall. At George Lucas' request, the building will be named to honor Gordon Parks.
Columbia University Awards the Kennedy Prize for Drama to Dominque Morisseau
The 2014 Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History was awarded by Columbia University to Dominique Morisseau for her play Detroit '67.
Elson Floyd to Remain as President of Washington State University Through 2021
President Floyd's contract was not due to expire until 2016 but the board decided to add five years to the term of the agreement due to Dr. Floyd's "exemplary service." He has served as president since May 2007.
The Advanced Placement Tests on Which Black Students Have Been More Likely to Succeed
Of the 34 AP examinations offered in 2013, African Americans scored the highest on several foreign language tests. Also the racial gap in AP scores were the lowest on many of the foreign languages tests.
Simmons College of Kentucky Receives Accreditation
Founded by former slaves in 1879, what is now known as Simmons College of Kentucky has received accreditation for the first time from the Association for Biblical Higher Education.
New Government Data Shows a Racial Gap in Home Internet Use
New data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that 83.6 percent of the non-Hispanic White population in the United States has Internet access in their home. For Black Americans, the figure is 68 percent.
Two Black Scholars Named to Endowed Professorships
Robert M. Franklin Jr., former president of Morehouse College was appointed to an endowed chair at Emory University and Pat Obi was named to an endowed professorship at Purdue University Calumet.
Joseph Francisco Among the Finalists for Dean of Arts and Sciences at the University of Nebraska
Joseph S. Francisco is the William E. Moore Distinguished Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Science and Chemistry at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Jackson State University To Add Four Degree Programs
Included in the new programs are two doctoral degrees in engineering, a bachelor's degree in statistics, and the state's only bachelor's degree program in biomedical engineering.
NYU Scholar Lyle Ashton Harris Selected to Win the David C. Driskell Prize
Lyle Ashton Harris was chosen as the winner of the 2014 David C. Driskell Prize, given to an early career scholar or artist who has made an original and important contribution to the field of African American art or art history.
St. Augustine’s University Sees Sharp Drop in Enrollments
Some 200 of the 1,267 students who enrolled last fall have not returned for the Spring 2014 semester. The enrollment drop has produced a $3 million shortfall in tuition revenue.
Honors for Two African American Professors
Ruth Wilson Gilmore of the City University of New York was honored by the Association of American Geographers and Michelle Albert of Howard University received the Red Dress Award from Women's Day and the American Heart Association.
Honors for the Student Newspaper at Grambling State University
The Black College Communication Association has named the student newspaper at Grambling State University in Louisiana, the best campus newspaper among all of the nation's historically Black colleges and universities.
New Posts for Three African American Administrators
The appointees are Cheryl Harrelson at New Mexico State University, Claude Poux at the Harvard College Observatory and Ferentz Lafargue at Williams College in Massachusetts.
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.
African American Ole Miss Student Is a Victim of a Race-Related Attack
A Black woman student says she was doused with an alcoholic beverage by a group of men in a truck. One of the occupants of the truck called her a "Black nigger."
In Memoriam: Hazo W. Carter Jr., 1946-2014
Dr. Carter served as president of West Virginia State University for 25 years from 1987 to 2012. He was the longest serving president in the university's history.
University of Louisville Discovers Old Photos of Martin Luther King Jr.
The Louis D. Brandeis School of Law recently discovered a series of 12 photographs that document a 1967 lecture given by Martin Luther King Jr. in the school's Allen Court Room.
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.
Four Elite California Universities in Joint Effort to Boost Minority Ph.D.s in STEM Fields
The consortium, funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, includes Stanford University, the California Institute of Technology, the University of California at Los Angeles and is led by the University of California at Berkeley.
Scholars Line Up to Offer Support for Temple University’s Anthony Monteiro
In a letter last month, Temple University's Anthony Monteiro, a non-tenured associate professor and a leading authority of W.E.B. Du Bois, was told his contract would not be renewed at the end of the current semester.
New Digital Archive of a Scrapbook of a 1927 Black Alumnus of the University of Iowa
The scrapbook was the work of Patrobas Cassius Robinson, who enrolled at the university in 1923 when he was 17 years old. Four years later, he earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry.
The Young African Leaders Initiative Comes to Syracuse University
The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in New York will host 25 students from Africa this summer as part of President Obama's Young African Leaders Initiative.
Examining the Gender Gap in African American Degree Attainments
There are 2,248,000 African American men over the age of 18 who have earned at least a bachelor's degree compared to 3,283,000 African American women with at least a bachelor's degree.
The Large Racial Gap in Advanced Placement Examination Scores
Participation of African American students in Advanced Placement programs at U.S. high schools has soared in recent years. But a huge racial gap persists in performance on AP examinations.
Rutgers-Camden Chancellor Heading Back to Penn Law School
Wendell Pritchett, chancellor of the Camden campus of Rutgers University, is stepping down in June and will take a position as Presidential Term Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law.
UCLA Study Gives a Poor Grade to Hollywood’s Progress in Diversity
Darnell Hunt, UCLA professor and the lead author, stated, "The report paints a picture of an industry that is woefully out of touch with an emerging America, an America that is becoming more diverse by the day."
Wanda Fleming Lester to Lead the Business School at North Carolina Central University
Dr. Lester was vice provost for academic affairs and undergraduate programs at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro and has 15 years of experiences as a senior administrator in higher education.
Sylvester James Gates Jr. Named the 2014 Scientist of the Year
Dr. Gates, the John S. Toll Professor of Physics and the director of the Center for String and Particle Theory at the University of Maryland College Park, is being honored by the Harvard Foundation.
