Monthly Archives: April 2021
Central State University in Ohio Offers Students Tuition Breaks and New Scholarship Assistance
All new and returning students who are in good academic standing with the university will receive a 10 percent tuition reduction and a 30 percent reduction of housing fees for the fall 2021 and spring 2022 semesters. Students with high grade point averages will receive additional bonuses.
A Quartet of Black Faculty Members Taking on New Assignments in Higher Education
Taking on new assignments are Tracey Osbourne of the University of California, Merced, Alan Tita at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Dave D. Weatherspoon at Michigan State University, and Felicia Griffin-Fennell at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Target to Provide Scholarships for 1,000 Black Students at HBCUs Through the UNCF
Target, the retail giant, will make higher education more affordable this fall for 1,000 first-year Black students at more than a dozen public and private historically Black colleges and universities through need-based scholarships of up to $5,000.
William Jackson of the University of California, Davis Honored by the National Science Board
The National Science Board recognized Dr. Jackson, a distinguished researcher and emeritus professor of chemistry at the University of California, Davis, as both a leader in the field of chemistry and a mentor and advocate for increasing minority participation in science.
Elizabeth City State University Closes Campus Due to Ongoing Protests Over Nearby Police Shooting
As a result of the ongoing protests after the killing of Andrew Brown Jr. by sheriff's deputies on April 21, the city's mayor has declared a state of emergency. The university closed residence halls and told students to pack their things as if they were not to return to campus for the remainder of the semester.
Four African Americans Who Are Taking on New Administrative Positions at Universities
Hired to new administrative positions are Jamillah Moore at San Francisco State University, Gourjoine M. Wade at Grambling State University in Louisiana, Marcy Muldrow Sanders at Florida A&M University, and Terrance Dixon at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Three African Americans Scholars Who Have Been Appointed to Endowed Professorhips
Deana Lawson was named to an endowed chair in the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University. Darren Lenard Hutchinson is the inaugural John Lewis Chair for Civil Rights and Social Justice at the Emory University School of Law and Sanyu Mojola was appointed the Maurice P. During Professor of Demographic Studies at Princeton University.
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.
Saint Louis University to Elevate African American Studies to Departmental Status
In the 1970s, Saint Louis University began offering its first African-American studies classes. Now a half-century later, the African American studies program will finally become an academic department.
Higher Education Grants or Gifts of Interest to African Americans in Higher Education
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 South Florida Debuts New Online Archive on African American History in Florida
The curated collection pulls from decades-old acquisitions and includes unaltered photographs, newspaper archives, and personal narratives. The goal is to continue to build the portal into a larger collection that will help students, educators, researchers, and the general public learn about Black experiences in Florida.
Three African American Men Who Are Stepping Down From Their University Posts
Willie Fleming, chief diversity officer at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, is retiring. Cecil Hicks, Jr., of the University of Nebraska-Omaha, and Edward J. Lewis III, of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts are taking positions outside of higher education.
Black Faculty Are Vastly Underrepresented at Southern Colleges and Universities
The Southern Regional Education Board has released new data that shows only 9.2 percent of full- and part-time faculty members are Black at public four-year institutions in the 16-state region. Nearly 18 percent of all undergraduate students at these educational institutions are African Americans.
Erika Cameron Will Be the Next Provost at Palo Alto University in California
Dr. Cameron comes to Palo Alto University from the University of San Diego where she is an associate professor in the School of Leadership and Education Sciences. She has served in progressive administrative and leadership capacities since 2009.
Study Finds That Black Women Faculty Perceive Unfairness in Workloads and Recognition
The study found that women of color are more likely to be asked to do service, especially around diversity issues. And they perceive that their departments are less likely to credit their important work through departmental rewards systems than White men.
Howard University to Close Its Classics Department
Howard University in Washington, D.C. has announced that it will disband its department of classics. The department has been part of the university since its founding in 1867. It is the only department of classics at a historically Black college or university.
New Survey of IT Professionals Documents Perceptions of Racism in the High-Tech Sector
Dice, the leading database for technology professionals, managing over 9 million profiles in the United States, recently released a new survey that examines perceptions of racism and discrimination in the high-tech industry by employees who work in the field.
Former President of Disneyland to Lead the Business School at Santa Clara University
Grier has been serving as dean of the School of Business at Virginia Commonwealth University. He joined VCU in 2010 after a successful 29-year career with Walt Disney Company. He will become dean of the School of Business at Santa Clara University this coming summer.
Three Black Scholars Taking on New Faculty Assignments
Dionne Danns, a professor of education, was named to an endowed chair at Indiana University. Eric Mvukiyehe has been appointed assistant professor of political science at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and Ashia Wilson recently joined the department of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT.
New HBCU Executive Leadership Institute Founded at Clark Atlanta University
the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute at Clark Atlanta University aims to serve as an incubator for recruiting and developing the future presidents of the more than 100 historically Black colleges and universities in the United States.
Colleges and Universities Announced the Appointments of Four Black Administrators
Taking on new administrative duties are Timothy L. Millner at Howard University in Washington, D.C., Slandie Dieujuste at Springfield College in Massachusetts, Randale L. Richmond at Kent State Univerity in Ohio, and Daisy Desrosiers at Kenyon Collge in Gambier, Ohio.
North Carolina A&T State University Wins the Honda Campus All Star Challenage
The winning team was coached by Professor Byron Turman and includes team captain Malkam Hawkins, Frances Kendrick, Mitchell Wilson, and Samara Daniels, a junior majoring in criminal justice.
Vanderbilt University’s Steven Townsend Honored by the American Chemical Society
Dr. Townsend received the 2021 David Y. Gin Young Investigator Award from the American Chemical Society. The award recognizes "outstanding contributions to research in carbohydrate chemistry by scientists in the first seven years of their independent career."
Coppin State University to Launch an Accelerated Path to a Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree
Prospective students who are interested in pursuing a doctoral degree for the role of a family nurse practitioner can combine the graduate and doctoral coursework over a three-year period into one seamless terminal degree.
Five African Americans Who Have Been Hired to Diversity Positions in Higher Education
The five African Americans in new diversity roles are Anita Fernander at Florida Atlantic University, Patrick Dudley at Stanford University, Andrea Abrams at Cenre College in Danville, Kentucky, Amber Benton at Michigan State University and Gretchen Cook-Anderson at IES Abroad.
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.
Purdue University Looks to Boost its Commitment to African American Students
The Equity Task Force at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, has defined concrete goals and plans to invest more than $75 million into the support of Black students and programs over the course of the next five years. Among the goals are to double the number of Black undergraduate students at the university.
Higher Education Grants or Gifts of Interest to African Americans in Higher Education
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: Karl Von Binns Sr., 1951-2021
Dr. Binns taught in the department of hospitality and tourism management at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore for more than 22 years. He was the first African American to play varsity basketball at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
University of Pennsylvania Has Announced Plans for Its 1,300 Piece Morton Collection of Crania
The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology has announced its action plan regarding the repatriation or reburial of ancestors, including the remains of enslaved individuals and Black Philadelphians. Today, the Morton Collection consists of over 1,300 crania that range in date from ancient Egyptian times to the 19th century.
Diversity Efforts More Likely to Be Supported When They Are Seen to Benefit White Students
A new study by scholars in the department of psychology at Princeton University in New Jersey finds that the rationale for greater diversity in higher education often reflects the views of Whites but not necessarily those of Blacks.
The Next Chancellor of the Indianapolis Campus of Ivy Tech Community College
Dr. Lorenzo Esters currently serves as vice president for Advancement and Member Engagement with the Association of American Colleges and Universities, a higher education association representing more than 1,200 two- and four-year institutions located in 50 states, the District of Columbia, three U.S. territories, and 25 countries.
Pew Research Center Report Documents Racial Gap in STEM Degree Attainment and Employment
Black students earned 7 percent of STEM bachelor’s degrees as of 2018, the most recent year data is available. This is below their share of all bachelor’s degrees (10 percent) or their share of the adult population (12 percent). Black adults are also underrepresented among those earning advanced degrees in STEM.
Morris Brown College in Atlanta Granted Accreditation Candidacy
In 2002, Morris Brown College lost its accreditation due to an unstable financial position. The college filed for and later re-emerged from bankruptcy. Enrollments slowed to a trickle. Now with the announcement that it is a candidate for accreditation, students at Morris Brown will now once again be eligible for federal financial aid programs including Pell grants.
