Monthly Archives: March 2019
New Website Highlights African American Contributions to World War I Effort in Arkansas
A recently graduated master's degree student and archivist at the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has recently launched a website that highlights the contributions that Black communities in Arkansas made to the World War I effort.
Virginia Tech Reports 13 Percent Increase in Black Applicants
In 2016, Virginia Tech President Tim Sands set a goal to have 40 percent of the student body come from underrepresented groups and first generation students by 2022.
Elizabeth City State University Creates Pipeline Program for Students at the College of Albemarle
The new partnership will create a pathway for community college students to transfer to Elizabeth City State University from the College of Albemarle with ease.
The Stubborn Racial Gap in Degree Attainment Rates in the United States
For Black students who entered postsecondary education in the 2011-112 academic year, 9.5 percent earned an associate's degree and 22.7 percent were awarded a bachelor's degree by the Spring of 2017.
Four Black Scholars With Current Ties to Academia Elected to the National Academy of Engineering
According to an analysis of the new membership list by JBHE, there are six Black scholars among the 86 new members of the National Academy of Engineering. Thus, Blacks make up 7 percent of the new members. A year ago, there were three African Americans among the 83 new members of the Academy.
The Gender Gap in African American Educational Attainment
Black women hold a significant edge over Black men in degree attainments at all levels. Black women hold a huge lead in master’s degrees. In 2018, there were 1,185,000 Black women who held a master’s degree but no higher degree. For Black men, the figure was 708,000.
Kerwin Charles Appointed Dean of the Yale School of Management
Since 2005, Dr. Charles has been on the faculty at the University of Chicago, where he currently serves as the Edwin A. and Betty L. Bergman Distinguished Service Professor at the Harris School of Public Policy.
Major New Report on the Status and Trends Relating to African American Education
Most of the information is contained in other federal reports, but the 228-page report is useful as it collects data on African American educational attainment at all levels in one place.
Kim Lee Hughes to Lead the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development
Dr. Lee Hughes currently serves as an assistant professor in the counseling department in the School of Education at Clark Atlanta University in Georgia. She will begin her term as president of the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development in July.
Three African American Faculty Members Appointed to New Higher Education Posts
Taking on new assignments are Stephanie Miles-Richardson of the Morehouse School of Medicine, Jennifer Hamer at Pennsylvania State University, and Gregory Crichlow at the University of Kansas.
New Bill Aims to Strengthen Partnerships Between HBCUs and the Department of Homeland Security
The new act would require the Department of Homeland Security to issue a goal-based strategy to achieve stronger partnerships with HBCUs and then monitor and report on that strategy.
Two African American Men Honored With Prestigious Awards
The honorees are David L. Shabazz, an assistant professor of journalism at Kentucky State University, and James L. Moore III, professor of urban education, vice provost for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer at Ohio State University.
Florida A&M University Enters Into a Solar Energy Production Partnership
The solar facility on university-owned property will occupy between 600 and 800 acres of property and feature about 270,000 tracking solar panels that will follow the sun's movement throughout the day.
Eight African American Who Are Taking on New Administrative Duties 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.
Tennessee State University Partners With Cannabis Company for Hemp Research
The research partnership aims to create a safe and chemical-free vehicle to obtain the health benefits of the whole-hemp plant with possible applications for a wide variety of uses from food and beverages to topical creams.
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 Debate Over Confederate Monuments Spreads to the University of Mississpppi
On March 5, the Associate Student Body Senate at the University of Mississippi voted unanimously on a resolution asking university administrators to move a Confederate soldier monument from its prominent spot on campus to a Confederate cemetery.
Racist Video of College of Charleston Students Circulated Online
The U.S. Census Bureau says that Blacks make up more than 27 percent of South Carolina's population. But, African Americans make up just 8 percent of the undergraduate student body at the state-operated College of Charleston.
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.
Sharp Drop in Black Enrollments at Public Colleges and Universities in Illinois
The number of African-American students enrolled at public colleges and universities in Illinois has fallen nearly 25.9 percent during the five-year period from 2013 to 2017. In contrast, enrollments are up for all other underrepresented groups.
Race-Related Arson on the Campus of the University of La Verne in California
A photo was posted on social media of university students who were protesting against racism. The caption read, "Every single one in this photo will get what' coming to them." The next day, a burning backpack was found in one student's car.
In Memoriam: Jean Fairfax, 1920-2019
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Fairfax served as dean of women at what is now Kentucky State University in Frankfort and at Tuskegee University in Alabama.
Two African American Women Announce They Are Leaving Their Posts
Jacqueline Royster, dean of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Peggy Bradford, president of Shawnee Community College in Ullin, Illinois, have announced they are leaving their posts this coming summer.
Helen Benjamin Selected to Lead Santa Barbara City College in California
In 1991, Dr. Benjamin was hired by the Contra Costa Community College District, where she served in a variety of positions for the next 27 years, until her retirement in 2016. The last 11 years of her career were spent serving as chancellor of the Contra Costa Community College District.
The Racial Gap in Educational Attainment in the United States
Well more than one third, 38.8 percent, of non-Hispanic Whites over the age of 25, have obtained at least a bachelor’s degree. For African American adults, 25.2 percent have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Why Are Black Students More Likely Than Whites to Leave STEM Majors in College?
The authors note that Black students in STEM classrooms "are subjected to specific stereotypes about their presumed inferior cognitive and mathematical ability" and in these classrooms "students must essentially prove that they deserve to stay."
Clarence Lang Named Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Pennsylvania State University
Currently, Dr. Lang serves as the interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Kansas, where he's been a faculty member since 2011. He will assume his new duties on July 1, 2019.
African Americans Making Little Progress in College Sports Administration and Coaching
According to a recent report from the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at the University of Central Florida, Blacks are 45 percent of the football players in Division I but only 6.9 percent of the head football coaches. This was down from 7.7 percent in the prior year.
Roger W. Davis Appointed President of the Community College of Beaver County
Dr. Davis has served as interim president since May 2018 and his appointment makes him the college's youngest-ever president. Dr. Davis first joined the college in July 2016 as the executive vice president and provost.
University of Tennessee Students Post Racist Photo on Social Media
The photo included four university students, two of whom had donned charcoal face masks.
Delaware State University Appoints Four African Americans to New Administrative Posts
Cleon L. Cauley Sr. was appointed general counsel and LaKresha Roberts Moultrie was named assistant general counsel. Clytrice Watson is the new interim associate provost and Tamara Stoner was promoted to chief of staff in the Office of the President.
Alabama State University Establishes Partnership with Trenholm State Community College
In addition to offering a pathway for community college students to transfer to a four-year degree program at Alabama State University, this partnership establishes a reverse transfer agreement which allows credits earned at ASU to be easily transferred back to Trenholm in order for students to finish their associate's degrees.
Two Black Women Scholars Taking on New Duties at State Universities
Malynda J. Prie was appointed to an endowed chair and named director of the John R. Gaines Center for Humanities at the University of Kentucky and associate professor Nefertiti Walker was appointed associate dean in the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Spelman College Partners With Webster University to Provide Study Abroad Opportunities for Students
The program creates partnerships between Webster University and U.S. colleges and universities to provide students access to Webster's academic programs at international campuses on four continents. One of these four campuses is in Ghana.
A Half Dozen African Americans Who Have Been Appointed to New Administrative Posts
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.
