Monthly Archives: August 2018
Johnson C. Smith University Develops a New Minor Degree Program in Data Science
Five new courses will be developed and one existing course will be improved. These classes will teach students about data analysis, ethical problem-solving, and computational thinking.
Four Black Scholars Taking on New Assignments
Taking on new roles are David Green of the North Carolina Central University School of Law, Gymama Slaughter at Old Dominion University, Ayanna Thompson at Arizona State University, and Ingrid Ruffin at the University of Tennessee.
What Are the Most Affordable Historically Black Colleges and Universities?
Annual tuition and fees at one of the more expensive HBCUs - Spelman College - are $28,181. Yet, this is still below the national average for a four-year private college, which stands at $32,410.
Two African American Women at State Universities Receive Notable Honors
Stephanie Adams, dean of engineering at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, received an award from the American Society of Engineering Education and Iris Rosa had the floor at the Indiana University dance studio named in her honor.
Philander Smith College Continues to Boost Enrollments
This year’s enrollment at Philander Smith is projected to be over 1,000 students. This is almost double what the enrollment was in 2014. The United Negro College Fund states that the college is growing twice as fast as any other UNCF member school.
Nine African Americans Who Have Been Appointed to Administrative Posts at Colleges and 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.
Northeastern University Team Digs Into Jim Crow-Era Cold Case Murders
All six victims were murdered by White men who were later not prosecuted for their crimes. Three of the Black men were killed by police officers.
In Memoriam: Paul J. Burgett, 1946-2018
Dr. Burgett held many different positions over his 54 years at the University of Rochester. He became dean of students at the Eastman School of Music in 1981 and dean of students for the entire university seven years later.
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: Michelle R. Howard-Vital, 1953-2018
Dr. Howard-Vital became Cheyney University’s eleventh and first woman president in 2007. She served in that role until 2014.
University of New Mexico Creates an Africana Studies Advisory Team
The group will support administrative efforts that will lead to department status for the Africana studies program and identify and engage funding sources to support the academic, research, and public/community service projects of Africana studies.
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.
Racial Slur Written on a Sign Outside the Center for Black Culture at Duke University
A sign on the outside of the Center for Black Culture at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, was defaced with a racial slur. The sign was immediately covered and will be repainted.
The Noisy Controversy Over Silent Sam
Last week the Silent Sam statue honoring soldiers who fought for the Confederacy on the campus of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill’s was torn down by protestors during a rally. But it appears that the controversy is far from over.
Paula McClain Will Lead the American Political Science Association
Paula D. McClain, dean of the Graduate School at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, has been named the next president of the American Political Science Association. She will serve as president-elect for the 2018-2019 academic year and then as president for the following year.
Study Finds That Historically Black Colleges and Universities Pay More to Issue Bonds
The authors determined that HBCU bond issuance costs were about 20 percent higher than those of non-HBCUs, apparently because the bond underwriters found it more difficult for find buyers for the HBCU bonds. The researchers concluded that this was due to racial discrimination.
The Growing Racial Gap in Home Ownership Rates and its Impact on Higher Education
The Black home ownership rate in the second quarter of 2018 was less than the rate in the second quarter of 1994, nearly a quarter century ago. This impacts the ability of Black families to finance the higher education of their children.
Mark Dean Is the New Leader of the College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee
Professor Dean, who holds three of the nine patents in the earliest development of the personal computer, joined the faculty at the University of Tennessee in 2013. Earlier, he was chief technology officer for the Middle East and Africa for IBM.
Study Finds Young African American Males Feel Less Safe in White Neighborhoods
Researchers gave a large group of Black youths smartphones that tracked their locations for a week and asked the participants to rate how safe they felt (among other questions) five times per day. When they traveled to areas with more Whites, the participants felt less safe.
University of Georgia to Honor Mary Frances Early, Its First African American Graduate
Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes were the first African American students to enroll at the University of Georgia in 1961. But Mary Frances Early was the first African American to earn a degree from the University of Georgia. The university will unveil an official portrait in October.
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.
New Academic Offerings at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina
Winston-Salem State University is offering a new minor degree program in public health within the School of Health Sciences and a new minor degree program in urban studies and sustainability.
Two African American Scholars in New Positions at Colleges
Arianne Bazilio is a new assistant professor of environmental science and chemistry at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, and Ralph F. Murphy II was named the James K. Polk Diversity Faculty Fellow for Business, Legal, and Information Systems at Illinois Central College in East Peoria.
Howard University Makes Great Strides in Gender Diversity in Engineering
At the College of Engineering and Architecture at Howard University, 43 percent of students who earned engineering degrees in 2016 were women. This is more than double the national average. The percentage of women assistant professors in the college increased from 9 percent in 2015 to 39 percent today.
Two Black Scholars Appointed to Dean Positions at Albany State University in Georgia
At historically Black Albany State University in Georgia, Alicia J Jackson was named interim dean of the College of Professional Studies and Zephyrinus C. Okonkwo was appointed interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the university.
Ford Teams Up With Spelman College to Boost Graduation Rates of First-Generation Students
Ford First Gen will enhance Spelman’s student success efforts by pairing a cohort of 50 first-generation, first-year students with 10 rising juniors – also first-generation students – who will serve as peer mentors. Mentors will spend at least 10 hours per week with each of their assigned mentees.
New Administrative Positions for Six African Americans 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.
In Memoriam: P. Sterling Stuckey, 1932-2018
Professor Stuckey was an expert on American slavery and African American history. He taught at Northwestern University before joining the faculty at the University of California, Riverside in 1989.
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.
New Bridge Program at Bowdoin College Honors Alumnus Geoffrey Canada
The Geoffrey Canada Scholars program at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, was designed to transform the Bowdoin experience for students who are the first in their families to go to college, who come from low-income backgrounds, or who are from groups traditionally underrepresented at the college.
In Memoriam: Kofi Atta Annan, 1938-2018
Kofi Annan was a career diplomat from Ghana who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1997 to December 2006. He earned a bachelor's degree at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and master's degree in management at MIT.
Princeton Review’s List of Colleges With Little Race/Class Interaction
Among the Princeton Review's 384 Best Colleges, Providence College in Rhode Island was rated as having the least race/class interaction. African Americans are just 4 percent of the undergraduate student body at Providence College.
Higher Education Grants or Gifts of Interest to African Americans
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.
Western Carolina Students Helping to Establish a Library in Rural Kenya
In September a group of students and faculty members from Western Carolina University will travel to Kenya and deliver about 2,000 books to a new library in a rural village. In addition, the American contingent will work for two weeks to set up the library at the local school.
Indiana University Establishes the Black Philanthropy Circle
The Black Philanthropy Circle will establish programs to improve the recruitment, retention and degree attainment for Black students, faculty and staff on all of Indiana University's campuses.
