Monthly Archives: January 2018

New Education Department Data on Black Enrollments in Higher Education

The data shows that there were 2,514,568 Black or African American students enrolled in Title IV institutions in the fall of 2016. They made up 12.4 percent of all students enrolled in higher education. Blacks made up 11 percent of all students enrolled in graduate education.

Former Portland State University Official Named to the Oregon Supreme Court

Adrienne C. Nelson has been appointed by Governor Kate Brown to a seat on the Oregon Supreme Court. She is the first African American to serve on an appellate court in the state of Oregon.

Study Finds Widespread Discrimination Against Older Black Adults With Chronic Disease

A new study finds that one of five elderly patients with chronic disease reported that they had experienced discrimination by health care providers. Blacks reported higher rates of discrimination but the racial gap has narrowed.

The New Dean of the School of Nursing and Allied Health at Tuskegee University

Constance Smith Hendricks has been serving as the founding chair of the Division of Health Sciences at Concordia College in Selma, Alabama. Earlier, she served on the faculty at Auburn University in Alabama for 17 years.

Ohio State University Researchers Develop Plan to Help Area Youth of Color

Researchers developed an index to understand youth vulnerability in the areas of education, economics, health and safety to see where the most vulnerable neighborhoods were and who was living in them. The study also looked at where to find help.

Knoxville College Has Been on the Ropes But It Is Still Fighting to Survive

Knoxville College, a historically Black educational institution in Tennessee, has not held classes since 2015. But the college has now filed paperwork with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission with the goal of holding classes this coming fall.

African American Scholar Wins National Book Award in Fiction

Jesmyn Ward is an associate professor of English at Tulane University. This is the second time she was won the National Book Award in fiction. In 2017, she was chosen as a MacArthur Fellow.

A Record Number of Doctoral Degree Awards at Grambling State University

Last month seven students were awarded doctorates in developmental education at Grambling State University in Louisiana. This is the largest number of doctoral degrees awarded in university history. One of the seven students is a grandfather who has been serving as a lecturer in the College of Business at Grambling.

Two Black Scholars Taking on New University Faculty Roles

Dwight N. Hopkins was named the Alexander Campbell Professor at the University of Chicago Divinity School and Van B. Sapp was appointed dean of the School of Business, Management & Technology at Saint Augustine's University in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Winston-Salem State Graduate Is the First to Take Advantage of a Guaranteed Admission Program

Alexis McCrea, who graduated from Winston-Salem State University last spring, is the first student to take advantage of the university's Early Assurance Program that guarantees admission for university graduates to the doctor of physical therapy program if they have met specific requirements.

Three African American Women Scholars Honored With Notable Awards

The honorees are Elizabeth F. Desnoyers-Colas an associate professor at Georgia Southern University, Stacy Hawkins, an associate professor at Rutgers Law School in Camden, New Jersey, and Deborah Deas, the dean of the School of Medicine of the University of California, Riverside.

Shaw University in North Carolina Establishes New Emergency Financial Aid Program

The university will provide the funds for eligible students facing short-term, nonrecurring financial emergencies. The student must explain why if he or she does not receive the emergency aid, it may result in their having to leave school.

Three African Americans in New Administrative Roles in Higher Education

Constance Mallette was appointed vice chancellor for finance and administration at Winston-Salem State University. Rotimi Ariyo is the new director of student activities at Beacon College in Florida, and Harold Tate was appointed vice president for facilities and construction at Tuskegee University in Alabama.

In Memoriam: Joseph T. McMillan Jr., 1944-2017

Before becoming the fourth president of what is now Huston-Tillotson University in 1988, Dr. McMillan served for 18 years as director of the United Church of Christ's ministry in higher education. He served for 12 years as president of the historically Black college in Austin, Texas, before retiring in 2000.

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.

An Increase in Black Transfer Applicants to the University of California System

Each year, there is a large group of students who earned associate's degree's at California community colleges who seek to transfer to four-year bachelor's degree programs at one of the University of California campuses. This year, Black transfer applicants are up by more than 9 percent.

New Diversity Center to Open on the Campus of Cedar Crest College

Cedar Crest college, a liberal arts educational for women in Allentown, Pennsylvania, has announced the establishment of the Center for Diversity and Global Engagement on campus. African Americans make up 9 percent of the undergraduate students at the college.

Lumina Foundation Shifts Course to Promote Racial Justice on College Campuses

In a departure from its usual mission, the Lumnia Foundation has allocated $2.5 million to support racial justice work on college campuses. A series of $100,000 grants will be given to colleges who have made significant efforts to foster educational equality and reduce racism on campus.

In Memoriam: Getahn Ward, 1972-2017

A native of Liberia in western Africa, Ward came to the United States in 1991 and became a U.S. citizen in 2014. He began work as a reporter at The Tennessean in 1998. He also taught journalism classes at his alma mater, Tennessee State University.

In Memoriam: William Wesley Harmon, 1941-2017

From 2005 to 2016, Dr. Harmon served as president of Central College of Houston Community College, which today enrolls about 18,000 students.

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.

University of Chicago Aims to Boost Academic Research in Africa

Africans make up 15 percent of the world's population but produce only 2 percent of the world's research. The University of Chicago's Interdisciplinary Collaborations in Africa Workshop aims to increase the participation of African scholars in academic research.

Study Shows Strong Racial Identity Improves Academic Performance of Young Black Women

A new study led by Sheretta Butler-Barnes, an assistant professor of social work at Washington University in St. Louis, finds that young African American women with strong racial identity are more likely to be academically curious and persistent in school.

The New Leader of Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock

The board of trustees of Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock has named Howard O. Gibson as interim president. The board stated that it hoped to have a permanent new president by July 1. Since 2015, Dr. Gibson has served as the chief academic officer at the college.

The Gender Gap in African American Educational Attainment

Black women now hold a lead over Black men at all degree levels. Black women now hold huge leads in master's and professional degree attainments. In recent years, Black women have also taken the lead in doctoral degrees.

Will the New Tax on University Endowments Hurt African American College Students?

The new tax on endowment investment income will only impact about 35 educational institutions, including most Ivy League universities and other high-ranked educational institutions with the largest endowments. The tax may force cuts in financial aid programs critical to African Americans.

Study Finds a Program in Racial Pride Can Enhance the Academic Success of African American Girls

A new study led by Janine M. Jones, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Washington, finds that African American girls who participate in an after-school program designed to enhance racial identity and pride can experience a positive impact on their academic success.

J. Lee Brown to Lead the College of Business and Economics at Fayetteville State University

J. Lee Brown was appointed interim dean of the College of Business and Economics at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina. He joined the faculty at the university in 2011 and currently serves as an assistant professor and associate dean.

Seven Black Scholars in the Latest Cohort of New Members of the National Academy of Medicine

An analysis of the list of the 70 members of the latest cohort elected into the National Academy of Medicine by JBHE finds that seven, or 10 percent, are Black.

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