Monthly Archives: May 2018
Ten Black Students Selected as Truman Scholars
While the Truman Foundation does not provide data on the racial or ethnic make up of its Truman Scholars, after an analysis by JBHE, it appears that 10 of the 59 Truman Scholars this year are Black.
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.
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.
Oberlin College to Name Its Main Library to Honor Mary Church Terrell
Mary Church Terrell, was born in in 1863, the daughter of former slaves. She graduated from Oberlin College in 1884 and went on to become an educator, author, civil rights leader, and feminist activist.
Princeton University Offers a Walking Tour of Its African American History
Princeton University in New Jersey is developing as series of campus walking tours entitled "Making Visible What Has Been Invisible.” The first of these walking tours is entitled "Stories of African American Life at Princeton."
Black Students Turning Away From CalPoly San Luis Obispo
University officials now say that the publicity surrounding racist incidents this past spring has had a chilling effect on the number of Black students who want to attend the university. Only 0.4 percent of the nearly 55,000 applicants this year were African Americans.
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.
Delaware State University Adds to Its Enrollment Management Team
The HBCU has announced the appointments of three individuals to its enrollment management team: Al Dorsett as director of financial aid, Toshia Williams as director of student accounts, and Kareem McLemore as executive director of admissions.
Morris College in Sumter, South Carolina, Appoints Leroy Staggers as President
Dr. Staggers has worked at Morris College for more than a quarter century. He has served as interim president since June 2017 and earlier was dean of the college. Dr. Staggers will be installed as the permanent president of Morris College on July 1.
New Report Examines Racial Disparities Among Those Who Have Completed College
There have been a great number of studies done on racial disparities in access to - and graduating from - college. But a new report from the Center for American Progress finds that there are large racial disparities that exist even among those who complete college.
Bowie State University in Maryland Names Its Next Provost
DeBrenna LaFa Agbenyiga has been serving as vice provost, dean of the Graduate School, and as a professor of social work at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Earlier, Dr. Agbenyiga was a faculty member and administrator in the College of Social Science at Michigan State University.
Comparing the Unemployment Rates of Native-Born and Foreign-Born Blacks by Educational Level
Native-born Blacks with at least a bachelor's degree had an unemployment rate of 3.1 percent in 2017. This was lower than the rate for foreign-born Blacks with a college degree, which stood at 5 percent.
Lawrence L. Rouse Appointed President of Pitt Community College in Winterville, North Carolina
Since 2005, Dr. Rouse has served as president of James Sprunt Community College in Kenansville, North Carolina. Earlier, he was dean of students at Johnston Community College in Smithfield, North Carolina.
The Racial Gap in Access to Mathematics and Sciences Courses
In the 2015-16 school year, Blacks made up 17 percent of all enrollments in the eighth grade. But Blacks were only 11 percent of all eighth graders enrolled in algebra and only 9 percent of those who passed algebra.
Two African American Women Full Professors Are Retiring From State Universities
Ethel Hill Williams, the Reynolds Professor of public affairs and director of the School of Public Administration at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and Carolyn B. Brooks, professor of microbiology at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, are retiring.
New Roles for a Quartet of African American Scholars
Taking on new roles or assignments are Clay Gloster Jr. at North Carolina A&T State University, Baron Kelly at the University of Louisville, Kalenda Eaton at Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania, and Ronald Adrine at Cleveland State University in Ohio.
Tuskegee University Launches New Degree Program Focusing on Cybersecurity Engineering
The university states that the cybersecurity engineering program will be the first of its kind at a historically Black educational institution. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that in 2016, there were more than 200,000 jobs in the cybersecurity field that were unfilled.
Notable Awards for Three African Americans
The honorees are Derron Wallace, an assistant professor at Brandeis University, Crystal A. George Mwangi, an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts, and Clyde Kennard, the first Black student to seek admission at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Tennessee State University Honors an Alumnus Who Saved Lives
On April 22, James Shaw Jr. was at a Waffle House restaurant in Antioch, Tennessee, when a gunman opened fire. Four people were killed. Authorities said there would have probably been more casualties had Shaw not taken the shooter's rifle and pushed him out the door.
Two Universities Announced the Appointment of African American Deans
Sandra Miles will be the next dean of students and vice provost for student affairs at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Camelia Moses Okpodu was appointed dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans.
Wilberforce University Students Tackle the Problem of Infant Mortality
Students at Wilberforce University established a website entitled Surviving Year One that features podcasts targeting young African Americans to promote awareness of the causes and ways to reduce the infant mortality rate in the Black community.
It Appears There Are No Blacks Among the 84 New Members of the National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences does not publish data on the race or ethnicity of its members. But according to a JBHE analysis of the group of 84 new members from the United States, none are African Americans.
Seven African Americans Who Are Taking on New Administrative Roles at Universities
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.
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.
The First Book by Zora Neale Hurston Has Been Published 87 Years After It Was Written
The book had not been published previously due to the heavily accented dialogue that makes it difficult to read for many people. The manuscript had been tucked away in the archives at Howard University for several decades.
University of Oregon Unveils Plans for Its Black Cultural Center
The $2.2 million center has has been designed to accommodate an array of activities, including studying, student meetings, academic support and even small classes. The center also will showcase cultural pieces and artwork that celebrate Black heritage.
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.
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.
University of Maryland Takes Steps to Enhance Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives
In March the report of the Joint President/Senate Inclusion and Respect Task Force was submitted to the University Senate and Wallace C. Loh, president of the university. Now, President Loh has called on the university to begin implementing the proposed changes.
Tennessee State University to Establish the Dr. Levi Watkins Jr. Memorial Institute
The new initiative to honor Dr. Watkins at Tennessee State will have several components; an endowed scholarship fund for pre-med students, a lecture series on health care and STEM education, and on-campus societies to aid pre-med and STEM students.
Alcorn State University Ranks First Among HBCUs in Student Experience Rankings
Alcorn State University in Mississippi finished with the highest student satisfaction rating of any HBCU in the country. This pushed Alcorn State to seventh overall on the Best HBCUs list compiled by College Consensus.
Commission Examines History of Washington & Lee University and Makes Recommendations
First and foremost, the commission recommended that the name of the university not be changed despite the fact that George Washington was a slave owner and Robert E. Lee was a slave owner and led the Confederate Army during the Civil War.
Many African American Students Receive Pell Grants: But Do They Graduate?
Some 214 institutions have Pell graduation rates lower than 25 percent. Of the more than 60,000 Pell students initially enrolled at these institutions combined, only 9,904 of them (16 percent) graduated within six years.
The United Lutheran Seminary in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Chooses a New Leader
Richard Green will become interim president on June 1. Most recently, Dr. Green served as interim president of Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Earlier, he was interim provost at Saint Cloud State University in Minnesota and Albany State University in Georgia.
Affluent Black Youth Are More Likely to Be Depressed Than Lower-Income Black Youth
A new study by researchers at the University of Michigan found that Black youths between 13 and 17 years of age from affluent families were more likely to suffer from depression that Black youth from lower socioeconomic groups. The reason: Exposure to higher levels of racial discrimination.
Charles Whitaker to Lead the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University
Professor Whitaker holds the Helen Gurley Brown Magazine Chair and is the associate dean of journalism at the Medill School. He joined the faculty at the journalism school in 1993. He will become interim dean on July 1.
