Monthly Archives: April 2014

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.

Danette Howard Takes Key Education Post at the Lumina Foundation

Dr. Howard has been serving as secretary of higher education for the state of Maryland. She is a former student affairs and admissions officer at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Robert Jefferson Named Director of Africana Studies at the University of New Mexico

Currently, Dr. Jefferson is an associate professor in the history department at the University of Alabama Birmingham and has led the African American studies program at the university.

Artist Agrees to Redo Mural After Objections to His Depiction of Vanderbilt’s New Football Coach

Critics of the mural stated that Mason's image reminded them of the minstrel era when African Americans were portrayed with darkened skin and white lips to exaggerate racial differences.

Will the Federal Government Challenge Merit-Based College Scholarship Programs?

Many scholarship programs nationwide have minimum test score requirements that, while not discriminatory on their face, have the effect of disproportionately excluding large percentages of Black and other minority students.

African Americans Fare Well in Admissions at Harvard University and Williams College

African American students are 11.9 percent of the admitted students at Harvard University and 14.3 percent of all students admitted to Williams College in Massachusetts.

New Study Abroad Program Will Take 16 University of Memphis Students to Ghana

The African and African-American Institute at the University of Memphis is guided by the African proverb, "Those who learn must teach."

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.

Name Change for Black Studies Program at the University of North Carolina Greensboro

The Black Studies program was founded in 1982 and its name was later changed to African American Studies. Now the program will have the new title of African American and African Diaspora Studies.

Saint Augustine’s University to Offer Online Graduate Programs in Business

The first program in the series, that will be offer in a partnership with Pearson Education, will be a master's degree program in organizational leadership that will begin this fall. Four additional degree programs are planned.

Boston College Professor Named Child Advocate of the Year

Ruth G. McRoy, the Donahue and DiFelice Professor of Social Work at Boston College, has been selected to receive the Child Advocate of the Year Award from the North American Council on Adoptable Children.

For Those With Ph.D.s in STEM Fields, Blacks More Likely to Work in Academia Than Whites

A new study of more than 400,000 doctoral recipients of all races from 1959 to 2010 finds that 49 percent of Black women and 46 percent of Black men with Ph.D.s in STEM fields hold academic positions.

A Majority of States Do Not Adequately Teach the Civil Rights Movement in Their Public Schools

Only three states scored a letter grade of A from the Southern Poverty Law Center. Interestingly, all three states are in the South: South Carolina, Louisiana, and Georgia. A majority of states received grades of D or F.

In Memoriam: Charles Sumner Stone Jr., 1924-2014

Chuck Stone was a Tuskegee Airman, a veteran journalism, an esteemed professor of journalism, and a frequent contributor to The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education.

African American Faculty Appointments

Michael Lee Owens was reelected chair of the governing board of the Urban Affairs Association, James Lance Taylor was promoted at the University of San Francisco, and Quito Swan of Howard University was named an NEH University Teachers Fellow.

Alabama A&M University Choir to Perform at Lincoln Center

The Alabama A&M University Choir will be performing at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City as part of the Distinguished Concerts International of New York program.

Diane Boardley Suber Out as President of Saint Augustine’s University

President Suber's ouster comes on the heels of several difficult months at the university. Enrollments have dropped which has led to increased financial difficulties and turmoil among high-level administrators.

Black Women From Towson University Make Debating History

Ameena Ruffin and Korey Johnson of Towson University in Maryland are the first African American women's team to win the Cross Examination Debate Association's National Championship.

Four Black Scholars in the Running for Vice Provost Position at the University of Kansas

The four finalists for the position of vice provost for diversity and equity are DeBrenna Agbényiga of Michigan State, O. Gilbert Brown of Missouri State, Calvin White Jr. of the University of Arkansas, and Nathan Thomas who was chief diversity officer at the University of South Florida Polytechnic.

Grambling State University President to Step Down on June 30

Dr. Frank G. Pogue was named interim president of the university on December 15, 2009 and was elevated to job on a permanent basis in July 2010. He is the former president of Edinboro State University in Pennsylvania.

A New Campus Master Plan at Delaware State University

Delaware State University, the historically Black educational institution in Dover, has approved a new campus master plan that will govern the growth of the university over the next 20 years.

House GOP Budget Targets the Pell Grant Program

Under the GOP plan, the maximum Pell Grant award would be frozen for the next decade at $5,730. And it would eliminate Pell grant eligibility for some part-time college students.

Huge Racial Disparities in School Suspensions and Expulsions

Black students are suspended and expelled at a rate three times greater than white students. On average, 5 percent of white students are suspended, compared to 16 percent of black students.

Two African American Scholars in New University Administrative Posts

Susan Wilson was appointed vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Brandon Bowden is the new assistant vice president for student affairs at Florida State University.

Black Teenager Admitted to All Eight Ivy League Colleges

The eight Ivy League colleges had acceptance rates ranging from 5.9 percent to 14 percent this year. But Kwasi Enin, a Black student from Shirley, New York, received letters of acceptance from all eight of them.

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.

Latest News