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.

The goals of the task force are split into three categories that will measure success in making Purdue a better place for Black students, faculty, and staff: Representation, Experience, and Success.

Among the representation goals of the initiative are to double the number of Black undergraduate students at the university. This will be accomplished by launching new scholarship programs, expanding recruiting, adding summer research programs, and forging partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities. No timetable was given for when the university hopes to reach this goal. In the fall of 2019, Blacks were 3 percent of the 35,000-member undergraduate student body at Purdue University.

To improve the experience of Black students at Purdue, the university plans to invest in mentoring and programs to create better ties between Black students and alumni. The university is also looking to strengthen networking and professional development programs for Black faculty and staff.

Under the success category, the university also aims to boost retention and graduation rates for Black students, improve the placement of Black students post-graduation, and improve retention and promotion of Black faculty and staff.<

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants 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: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs