Monthly Archives: April 2017
University of Utah Looks to Prepare Black Doctoral Students for Their Careers
The African American Doctoral Scholars initiative aims to develop teaching skills and provide training in developing syllabi, grant proposals, publishing, and presenting research.
Lincoln University to Launch New Museum Studies Program With the Barnes Foundation
Only 4 percent of the nation's museum leadership is African American, according to a study by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The new Lincoln University Museum Studies program has the goal of increasing the number of African Americans who pursue careers in museum management.
Black Students Accepted for Admission at High-Ranking Colleges and Universities
Recently, the nation’s highest-ranked colleges and universities informed applicants if they had been accepted for admission into the Class of 2021. Some of the nation’s most selective institutions provided acceptance data broken down by racial and ethnic groups.
The Percentage of Black Teachers in the Nation’s Schools Shows a Significant Decline
In 1987 there were 197,900 Black teachers employed by the nation's elementary and secondary schools. By 2012, this number had grown to 247,900. But shockingly, the percentage of all teachers who were Black dropped from 7.5 percent to 6.4 percent.
Milton Curry Named Dean of the School of Architecture at the University of Southern California
Professor Curry currently serves as associate dean of the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan. He has been on the faculty at the University of Michigan since 2010.
African Americans Are More Reluctant Than Others to Take on Student Loan Debt
The study, by researchers at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, found that Black students were 7 percent more likely than other students to not consider financial aid packages that had a student loan component.
Michael Drake Gets an Extension of His Contract as President of Ohio State University
In June 2014, Michael V. Drake became the 15th president of Ohio State University. He is the first African American to be president of Ohio State. Now the board of trustees has extended his contract through June 2021.
University Study Finds That Blacks Are More Likely Than Whites to Be Bullied at Work
The results of the study, led by researchers at Georgia State University in Atlanta, showed that about one of every five workers reported being subjected to workplace bullying, but that African Americans were bullied at a higher rate than Whites.
Mark Smith Appointed Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Texas at Austin
Dr. Smith was a member of the 1980 and 1984 U.S. Olympic team in the sport of fencing. He currently serves as dean of the Graduate School at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. He has held that post since 2009.
Oakwood University Crowned Champion of the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge
Oakwood University, the historically Black educational institution in Huntsville, Alabama, recently won the 28th annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge in Torrance, California. The university took home a $75,000 grant.
Professor Eulanda Sanders Named Department Chair at Iowa State University
Eulanda Sanders, the Donna R. Danielson Professor in Textiles and Clothing at Iowa State University, was named chair of the department of apparel, events, and hospitality management at the university. She joined the university's faculty in 2012 after teaching at Colorado State University.
Southern University Offers Financial Incentive to Children of Alumni
Under the new Legacy Award program, students who qualify for admission and have at least one parent who is a Southern University graduate will be able to pay in-state tuition no matter where they currently reside.
Honors for Three African Americans at Major Universities
James M. Rosser, former president of California State University, Los Angeles had a building named in his honor. Arletha McSwain of Bethune Cookman-University won an award for her efforts in distance learning and a portrait of Carrie Parker Taylor, the first Black woman to enroll at Indiana University, was unveiled.
Xavier University Begins Partnership With the University of Antilles
Historically Black Xavier University in New Orleans has entered into a partnership agreement with the University of Antilles that has campuses on the French-speaking Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique.
Five African Americans Appointed to New Administrative Posts in Higher Education
Taking on new administrative roles are Karen M. Carty at Grambling State University, Anthony L. Holloman at Fort Valley State University, Ray Trapp at North Carolina A&T State University, Roman Banks at Southern University, and Robert Kelly at Loyola University Maryland.
Student Protests Grip the Campus of Salem College in North Carolina
The women's college in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has a student body that is 22 percent Black. The student protesters maintained that faculty had used the word "nigger" in class and claimed that the college "fosters a culture of racism, sexism, and elitism."
Black Teenager in New Jersey Accepted Into All Eight Ivy League Schools
Ifeoma White-Thorpe had a perfect grade point average during her high school years. She also was student body president.
North Carolina State University Establishes a Bias Incident Response Team
The new organization encourages members of the community to report incidents of bias and offers support to victims of such incidents. The team does not conduct bias incident investigations, which will still be handed by law enforcement and other university authorities.
Southern University to Award Degrees to Black Students Slain on Campus in 1972
In 1972, police were called to campus of Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to remove Black student protestors from the president's office. During the ensuing melee, two students were shot dead from shotgun blasts. No one was ever charged with the murders.
Bowie State University Scholar Honored With Literary Award
Rion Scott, who teaches English at Bowie State University in Maryland, received the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Award for Debut Fiction at the 2017 PEN Literary Award Ceremony. The award came with a $25,000 prize.
Higher Education Grants or Gifts 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.
Online Articles That May Be of Interest to JBHE Readers
Each week, JBHE will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. Here are this week’s selections.
Recent Books 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. The books included are on a wide variety of subjects and present many different points of view.
South Carolina State University Signs Agreement With Midlands Technical College
Students enrolled in the Bulldog Bridge Program while at Midlands Technical College will receive structured advisement, an array of support services and college engagement activities designed to promote successful transfer.
Two Black Scholars Appointed to Dean Posts at Historically Black Universities
Tony D. Johnson has been named as dean of workforce development and lifelong learning at the Community College of the University of the District of Columbia and Corey D.B. Walker was named dean of the School of Theology at Virginia Union University in Richmond.
Norfolk State University Signs a Partnership Agreement With the Coast Guard
The College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative program at Norfolk State University in Virginia will offer scholarships and other services to college students who are interested in careers in the Coast Guard.
New Duties for Two African American Faculty Members
Berkita Bradford is the new chair of the hospitality management department at Virginia State University and Rosevelt Noble, senior lecturer in sociology at Vanderbilt University, was named director of the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center at the university.
Historians at Bethune-Cookman University Launch Online Encyclopedia on Blacks in Florida
The project will offer students at the university the opportunity to perform real world work as historians and gain valuable experience in digital media. Students will be able to submit articles to the encyclopedia for peer-review by an editorial board.
Ten African Americans Selected for New Administrative Posts in Higher Education
Here is this week’s roundup of African Americans who have been appointed to new administrative positions at colleges and universities throughout the United States.
Five Finalists Announced for Presidency of Lincoln University in Pennsylvania
Lincoln University, the historically Black educational institution in Pennsylvania, has announced a field of five finalists for the position of president of the university. All five candidates will visit campus by April 19 for interviews and public forums.
Leadership Shakeup at Morehouse College in Atlanta
John S. Wilson Jr., who earlier had been informed that his contract would not be renewed past June 30, was removed as president of Morehouse College. William Taggart, a former insurance executive, who has been serving as chief operating officer, was named interim president.
Study Finds Colleges Can Share the Blame for the Racial Gap in Graduation Rates
A new study by researchers at New York University, Florida State University, and Southern Methodist University finds that more than 60 percent of the racial gap in college completion rates may be attributed to factors that occur before college.
The Racial Gap in Educational Attainment in the United States
More than one third, 37.3 percent, of non-Hispanic Whites over the age of 25, have obtained at least a bachelor’s degree. For African American adults, 23.3 percent have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher.
J. Keith Motley to Step Down as Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts-Boston
Dr. Motley's resignation comes at a time when the university is experiencing declining enrollment and has accumulated $30 million in debt. Protesters held a rally in front of the State House on Beacon Hill in Boston in support of Dr. Motley.
The Next Dean of the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego
Joan R.M. Bullock has been serving as associate dean for academic affairs at the College of Law of Florida A&M University in Orlando, Florida. Earlier, in her career, Professor Bullock taught at the law schools of the University of Toledo in Ohio and Georgia State University in Atlanta.
African Americans Making Little Progress in College Sports Administration
The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida recently released its annual report on racial equality in college athletics. The scorecard gave a grade of C+ for racial diversity in college’s sport programs.
