Monthly Archives: August 2017
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.
Bryn Mawr College Struggles With the Racist Legacy of Its Second President
In the wake of recent events at the University of Virginia, Bryn Mawr College said that in printed materials and on its website, it will no longer refer to the Thomas Library or the Thomas Great Hall in the library, named after its second president who expressed racist views.
Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Centers to Be Established on 10 College Campuses
The Association of American Colleges and Universities has announced the establishment of 10 Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Centers on college and university campuses across the country. The goal is to have 150 centers nationwide in the years ahead.
Stillman College Scholar Shares a Screenwriting Award
Linda Royster Beito, associate dean of arts and sciences at Stillman College in Alabama, will share first prize in the Alabama Writers' Conclave 2017 Screenwriting Competition. The screenplay deals with civil rights leader T.R.M. Howard's involvement with the Emmett Till murder case.
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.
Study Finds Black Students More Underrepresented at Top Colleges Than Was the Case in 1980
The study found that in 2015, Blacks made up 6 percent of the entering students at the top schools but 15 percent of all college-age Americans, a gap of 9 percentage points. In 1980 the gap was only 7 percentage points.
Cheyney University Receives a Major Boost in Efforts to Maintain Accreditation
In a special meeting of the board of governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, the board agreed to forgive $30 million in loans to Cheyney on the condition that the university maintain a balanced budget over the next four years.
Black Students Making Significant Progress in Eligibility for California State Universities
A new report by Research Triangle International found that for the California State University System in 2007, the eligibility gap between White and Black students was 13.1 percent. But by 2015 it had declined to 9.8 percent. For the University of California System, the racial eligibility gap dropped from 8.3 percentage points in 2007 to 5.4 points in 2015.
Benjamin Akande Steps Down as President of Westminster College in Missouri
In 2015, the board of trustees of Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, named Benjamin Akande as the educational institution’s 21st president. Now just two years later, Dr. Akande abruptly resigned from the post.
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Study Seeks to End Racial Disparity in Breast Cancer Survival Rates
A new research project at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee seeks to determine if a program aimed at increasing exercise among women who have had breast cancer can contribute to a reduction in the racial disparity in breast cancer survival rates.
The New Director of the Black Film Center/Archive at Indiana University
Terri Francis joined the faculty at Indiana University in 2014. Earlier, she taught for nine years in the department of African American studies and the film and media studies program at Yale University. She is an expert on African American cinema and Jamaican film history.
New Leadership for the Center for Africana Studies at Johns Hopkins University
Katrina Bell McDonald, an associate professor of sociology and Lester Spence, an associate professor of political science, have been named co-directors. Nadia Nurhussein, associate professor of English, has been named associate director and director of undergraduate studies at the Center.
Alvia Wardlaw Honored by the Association of African American Museums
Alvia Wardlaw is a professor of art history and director and curator of the University Museum at Texas Southern University in Houston. In 1996, she became the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in history at the University of Texas at Austin.
Beryl McEwen to Serve as Provost at North Carolina A&T State University
Dr. McEwen has been serving as dean of the College of Business at the university since 2014. Earlier, she was vice provost for strategic planning and institutional effectiveness. Dr. McEwen joined the faculty at the university in 1995.
Black Scholar at the California College of the Arts Returning to Her Roots
After serving on the faculty at the California College of the Arts for nearly a quarter century, Professor Opal Palmer Adisa is returning to her native Jamaica to serve as the director of the Institute for Gender and Development Studies at the University of the West Indies.
The Four Finalists for the Presidency of Alabama State University
This past Thursday the four finalists for the presidency of Alabama State University were on campus to meet with members of the campus community. No timetable has been announced for when the new president will be selected.
Tennessee State University President Outlines Her Vision for the Future
In a recent speech to faculty and staff, Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover outlined her four main goals: increase four-year graduation rates; ensure campus health and safety; improve customer service; and sustain/diversify revenue streams.
Seven Black Faculty Members in New Roles in Academia
They are: Melissa C. Thomas Hunt at Vanderbilt, Charkarra Anderson Lewis at the University of Southern Mississippi, Talitha Washington at Howard, Charmaine Royal at Duke, Tara T. Green at UNC-Greensboro, Alwyn Leiba at Miami Dade College, and Enobong Branch at the University of Massachusetts.
The Rebranding of Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina
The new logo has a depiction of Lane Hall, the oldest building on campus and stands upon the words "Founded 1891." The new tagline "Come to Discover. Leave to Conquer." is consistent with the university's mascot, the Vikings.
Seven African Americans Named to 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.
Central State University Looks to Partner With the City of Xenia, Ohio
The city of Xenia currently provides water and fire/EMS service to the university, via a contract. As a resident business, Central State will not have to pay a premium in surcharges and will have access to additional city services.
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.
College Choice Offers Its Take on the Nation’s Best HBCUs
College Choice.com, which ranks colleges and universities on a wide range of criteria, recently released its rankings of the 50 Best HBCUs. Howard University, Spelman College, Hampton University, Huston-Tillotson University, and Xavier University held the top spots.
Leo Morton Stepping Down as Chancellor of the University of Missouri-Kansas City in October
This past May, Leo E. Morton, chancellor of the University of Missouri-Kansas City, announced that he would step down at the end of the 2017-18 academic year. Now Chancellor Morton has announced that he will leave the university in October.
Claflin University Named to List of “Cutting Edge Music Education Programs”
Claflin University was commended for "its comprehensive coursework, clinical experience and world-renowned faculty for preparing the next generation of professional musicians and educators."
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.
In Memoriam: Franklin D. Cleckley, 1940-2017
Franklin D. Cleckley was the Arthur B. Hodges Professor of Law Emeritus in the College of Law at West Virginia University. He taught at West Virginia University from 1969 until his retirement in 2013.
Cornell University Historian Russell Rickford Wins the Hooks National Book Award
The Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis has announced that Russell J. Rickford is the winner of the 2016 Hooks National Book Award. The award is given to an author of a book that "best advances an understanding of the American civil rights movement and its legacy."
Clemson University’s First African American Dean Has Retired
Frankie O. Felder, senior associate dean at the Clemson University’s graduate school, retired on August 15. Dr. Felder had served as a dean at the graduate school since 1987. She was the first African American dean at Clemson.
Black Scholar to Be Honored by the American Meteorological Society
The award honors Dr. Marshall Shepherd's work in rainfall climatology and its effects on urban areas. He will receive the honor at the society's annual awards banquet on January 10.
New Department of Education Report Provides Demographic Data on the Nation’s Teachers
According to the report, in the 2015–16 school year, there were an estimated 3,827,100 teachers in the nation's public schools. Of these, 6.7 percent were African Americans.
Robert Carr Is the New Provost at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Robert Z. Carr has been serving as a professor and dean of the School of Education and Psychology at Alcorn State University in Mississippi. Earlier in his career, Dr. Carr was dean of the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Langston University in Oklahoma.
Mandatory Free College Entrance Examinations Can Boost Enrollments of Low-Income Students
The data showed that that for every 10 students from low-income families who took a college entrance exam before they were mandatory, there were an additional five students who didn’t take the test but who would score well enough to get into college if they did.
Noble Maseru Named Director of the Center for Health Equity at the University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Noble A-W Maseru served for the past 10 years as health commissioner for the city of Cincinnati. He is also the former health director for the Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion.
