The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education
Kimo Ah Yun Named First Black President of Marquette University
“My top priority is ensuring we continue to provide a transformational education for our students so that our graduates are problem-solvers and agents of change,” said Dr. Ah Yun, the first Black president of Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Darrin Martin Appointed President of Bluefield State University in West Virginia
“Bluefield State is uniquely positioned to expand opportunities for its students and strengthen its impact in the region. I look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, and the community to build on the university’s successes," said Dr. Darrin Martin.
NCA&T Chancellor Emeritus Harold Martin Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Martin served as chancellor of North Carolina A&T State University from 2009 to 2023. Throughout his long tenure, the university experienced substantial growth in enrollment, and is now the largest HBCU in the country.
Research & Studies
Study Finds Steep Decline in Black First-Year Enrollment at Highly Selective Universities
Among highly selective institutions, Black first-year student enrollment dropped by a staggering 16.9 percent this year, the sharpest drop of any major racial group. This was the first admissions cycle since the Supreme Court ended the use of race-sensitive admissions at colleges and universities.
Scholars From Sub-Saharan African Nations Teaching at U.S. Colleges and Universities
There were 3,213 scholars from sub-Saharan African nations teaching at U.S. colleges and universities in the 2022-22 academic year. This was up more than 44 percent after nearly a 50 percent increase in the prior year.
The Number of African American Doctorates Reaches an All-Time High
Some 2,725 African Americans earned doctorates from U.S. universities in 2023. This is the highest number ever recorded. African Americans earned 4.7 percent of all doctorates awarded by U.S. universities in 2023 and 7.7 percent of all doctorates awarded to U.S. citizens or permanent residents of this country.
Huge Surge in American Students Studying Abroad in Sub-Saharan Africa
According to the latest Open Doors report from the Institute on International Education, there were 9,163 Americans studying in sub-Saharan Africa in the 2022-23 academic year, up 98.6 percent from the previous year. Nearly 39 percent of these students attended universities in the Republic of South Africa.
Young Black Women Are Significantly Outpacing Black Men in Educational Attainment
The race-gender gap in degree attainment among Black Americans is surging. Today, Black women are 14 percentage points more likely to hold an undergraduate degree than their male peers.
Statistic of the Week
26%
Percentage of Black men in the United States ages 25-34 who hold a bachelor's degree
38%
Percentage of Black women in the United States ages 25-34 who hold a bachelor's degree
Source: Pew Research Center (see JBHE post)
Quote of the Week
“We are less interested in what somebody looks like or what their sex is, and we are far more interested in whether they’re going to execute the president’s agenda.”