Monthly Archives: July 2019
In Memoriam: Wright Lassiter Jr., 1934-2019
Dr. Lassiter was appointed chancellor of Dallas County Community College District in 2007. He was the first African American to hold the position. Earlier in his career, Dr. Lassiter served for 20 years as president of El Centro College in Dallas.
Suzanne Walsh Named President of Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina
Currently, Walsh serves as the founder and manager of Discerning SEWlutions, a consulting firm in Seattle. Earlier in her career she held various leadership roles with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Lumina Foundation for Education, the Heinz Endowments, and Cuyahoga Community College.
New Report Examines the Racial Makeup of Private Schools in the United States
Black students accounted for 9.3 percent of all private school students in the United States. This is a far lower percentage than the Black percentage of all students in the nation's public school systems. African Americans accounted for 18.5 percent of students at schools that served special education students.
Feleccia Moore-Davis Selected to Lead the Meramec Campus of St. Louis Community College
Most recently, Dr. Moore-Davis served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Tallahassee Community College in Florida. She previously worked at CyFair campus of Lone Star College in Houston as dean and vice president for instruction.
Study Finds Lack of Black Tenured Faculty at All Levels of Higher Education
The results of the study, led by a dean at the University of Kentucky, found that only 4.05 percent of tenured faculty at doctoral level institutions are Black. In fact, racial diversity among tenured faculty continues to lag across all levels of higher education.
Copiah-Lincoln Community College Chooses Sandra Barnes to Head its Natchez Campus
Dr. Barnes currently serves as the chair and professor in the department of chemistry and physics at Alcorn State University in Mississippi. She has also served in other capacities at Alcorn State including research assistant professor for the Center for Biotechnology and Genomics.
Census Bureau Offers New Data on Population and Age for African Americans
The statistics show that between 2010 and 2018, the median age of the U.S. population increased by one year from 37.2 to 38.2. The median age of African Americans increased by 1.4 years, a larger increase than for the population as a whole.
Six African American Scholars Who Have Been Assigned New Roles in Academia
Taking on new assignments are Nefertiti Walker at the University of Massachusetts, Desmond U. Patton at Columbia University, Lolita Buckner Inniss at Southern Methodist University, Linda White at LeMoyne-Owen College, Jean Beaman at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Wayne Brewer at Texas Woman's University.
Cheyney University States That Its Budget Is Balanced, a Key Step to Retain Accreditation
The balanced budget is crucial to Cheyney's future. If the university can show a balanced budget for the next three years, the state of Pennsylvania will forgive $30 million of the school's $43 million in debt owed to the state's higher education system.
Four Black Women Who Have Been Appointed to Positions as Deans
The new deans are Allyson L. Watson at Florida A&M University, Stephanie G. Adams at the University of Texas at Dallas, Alicia Golston at Rhodes College in Memphis, and Kristina Odejimi at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine.
Delaware State University Partners With Two Universities in China
An agreement with Beihua University in Jilin, China, will establish a joint English Language Institute to prepare Chinese students to study in the United States. Also, an agreement with Northeast Normal School will create a joint educational doctorate program.
Eight African Americans Who Have Been Selected for New Administrative Positions in Academia
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.
Two Historically Black Universities Partner to Provide Pathway Program for Pharmacy Students
Through this agreement, participating students will begin their studies in pharmaceutical sciences at Elizabeth City State University. After completing three years of courses, students will then transfer to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore where they will finish their bachelor's of science in pharmaceutical sciences.
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.
Georgia Senator’s Bill Would Place Three HBCUs Into a New University System
The three historically Black state universities that are part of the plan are Savannah State University, Fort Valley State University, and Albany State University. They would be placed into a new university system called Georgia A&M University.
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 Kentucky Alumnus Establishes Scholarship Fund for African Students
Esias Bedingar, a native French speaker, came to the University of Kentucky in 2014. He knew no English, but he went on to complete the English as a Second Language program in just one semester. He graduated in May 2018 with a bachelor's degree in public health.
UNCF and Partners Establish Loan Forgiveness Program for Black Students
The program will provide $1,000,000 in financial aid debt relief over three years to current students or graduates of HBCUs and other four-year accredited universities.
In Memoriam: Tchet Dereic Dorman, 1965-2019
Dr. Dorman most recently served as a senior consultant for the American Cancer Society. Earlier in his career, Dr. Dorman was director of student support services at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Alabama A&M University Partners With J.F. Drake State Community and Technical College
Alabama A&M University and J.F. Drake State Community and Technical College have signed a memorandum of understanding that will allow students to begin their academic careers at Drake State to earn course credit as they prepare to transfer to AAMU.
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.
HBCUs Exceed Expectations When it Comes to Black Enrollment and Graduation Rates
For an example, in Florida, HBCUs represent just 4 percent of the state's four-year college and universities, but enroll 9 percent of all Black undergraduates and award 18 percent of bachelor's degrees to Black graduates.
George T. French, Jr. Will Be the Fifth President of Clark Atlanta University
Dr. French has served as president of historically Black Miles College in Fairfield, Alabama, since 2006. In 2015, he co-founded the Higher Education Leader Foundation to help prepare highly skilled talent for positions of leadership at HBCUs.
Report Reveals Underrepresentation of Students from Minority Serving Institutions in Study Abroad
The report offers insight into the challenges facing students who want to study abroad including barriers of cost, culture, and curriculum.
Kenesha Starling is the First African American Editor-in-Chief of the South Texas Law Review
Starling, the first Black editor-in-chief in of the law review in the 96-year history of the law school, is currently completing her final year of law school at South Texas. During her time in law school, she has had to balance a full-time job at a federal agency, her educational pursuits, and motherhood.
Level of Education Impacts How Often People Discuss Racial Issues
College-educated Blacks and Whites are more likely to discuss relations than their less-educated peers. But for college-educated adults, Blacks are more likely than Whites to say they talk at least sometimes about race relations by a margin of 79 percent to 59 percent.
Matthew Wesley Williams Selected to Lead the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta
Currently, Williams serves as vice president of strategic initiatives for the Forum for Theological Exploration in Decatur, Georgia. He holds a master of divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center.
In Memoriam: Adelaide Cromwell, 1919-2019
Dr. Cromwell first joined the Boston University faculty in 1951. Two years later, she co-founded the university's African Studies Center. In 1969, she founded the university's African American studies program, the country's second such program and the first to offer a graduate degree in the subject.
