Monthly Archives: May 2016
In Memoriam: Jesse Edward Nash Jr., 1926-2016
A native of Buffalo, Nash joined the faculty at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, in 1965 and taught sociology and anthropology there for 33 years before his retirement in 1998. He also lectured in the School of Graduate Education of the University at Buffafo.
Online Articles That May Be of Interest to JBHE Readers
From time to time, The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. Here are this week’s selections.
University of Cincinnati Program Aims to Increase Diversity in America’s Orchestras
Only 4 percent of the members of America's professional orchestra musicians are Black or Latino, according to the League of American Orchestras. A new fellows program at the University of Cincinnati, in conjunction with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, seeks to increase diversity in the field.
Harvard University Honors Its First African American Graduate
Harvard University recently unveiled a portrait of Richard Theodore Greener that will hang in Annenberg Hall along with other luminaries of Harvard's past. Prior to 2005, only two of the university's approximately 750 portraits were of people of color.
Higher Education Grants of Interest to African Americans
Here is this week’s news of grants to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
Black Americans in the 2016 Class of Truman Scholars
This year, 54 Truman scholars were selected from 775 candidates nominated by 305 colleges and universities. Of this year’s 54 Truman Scholars, it appears that nine, or 16.7 percent, are Black Americans.
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 Oregon Responds to Black Student Protestor Demands
The University of Oregon has agreed to take action based on demands presented by student protestors in demonstrations held on campus in recent months. The university has agree to boost recruitment efforts, establish a Black residential community, and bring prominent Black scholars to campus.
The New Class of Carnegie African Diaspora Fellows
Fifty-nine African-born scholars currently teaching at colleges and universities in the United States or Canada, will return to Africa this summer as Carnegie African Diaspora Fellows. Ten currently teach at historically Black colleges and universities.
Yale University Names a Residential College in Honor of Pauli Murray
Yale is keeping the name of slavery proponent John Calhoun for one of its residential colleges but a new college will be named for Pauli Murray, the civil rights pioneer who earned a doctorate at Yale Law School in 1965.
University of New Hampshire Film Explores African American History in the State
The Center for the Humanities at the University of New Hampshire has produced a film that explores the university's and the state of New Hampshire's history regarding slavery and racial segregation.
Anthony L. Jenkins Appointed President of West Virginia State University
West Virginia State University is a historically Black university but today only 10 percent of the 2,800-member undergraduate student body is Black. Dr. Jenkins has been serving as senior associate vice president at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
New Report Examines Teacher Diversity in U.S. Schools
The percentage of African Americans in the elementary and secondary school teacher force actually declined from the 1987-88 school year to the 2011-12 school year at a time when the nation's schools became increasingly populated by students of color.
Stanford’s Jennifer Eberhardt Elected to the National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences does not publish data on the race or ethnicity of its members. But according to a JBHE analysis of the group of 84 new members, it appears that only one of the new members is an African American.
Racial Differences in School Safety and Discipline
Clearly, schools where students feel safe, are not bullied, and are not subjected daily to intimidation, violence, and drugs are schools that will be more conducive to learning and preparing students for college.
The Next Dean of Students at the University of Colorado-Boulder
Akirah J. Bradley was appointed dean of students and associate vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She has been serving as assistant dean of students at the University of California, Berkeley.
Using Technology to Shrink the Literacy Gap
A new study by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University, and Georgia State University, finds that tablet computers loaded with literary applications and issued to students in low-income areas can produce dramatic results without any instruction whatsoever.
The Campus of Morgan State University Designated as a “National Treasure”
The National Trust for Historic Preservation and Morgan State University will develop a preservation plan that stewards the many historic buildings on campus, while planning wisely for the university’s future.
New Duties for Two African American Faculty Members
Marla Frederick, professor of African and African American studies and the study of religion, was named a Harvard College Professor and Nicole T. Jenkins was named the executive associate dean in the College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky.
Dillard University Suspends Admissions to Its Bachelor’s Degree Nursing Programs
The university will conduct a full internal assessment of the nursing program on all aspects of the program including curriculum, staffing, and support programs with the goal of boosting the performance of graduates on the nursing licensure examination.
Third Sister From Same Family Named Valedictorian at Dillard University
Stephanie Akpapuna from Lagos, Nigeria, is the third member of her family to be named valedictorian at Dillard University in New Orleans. She will continue her education in the master of fine arts degree program in stage and production management at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
Harris-Stowe State University to Offer Its First Graduate Degree Programs
The first three planned graduate degree programs are in literacy and mathematics education, cybersecurity, and an MBA in health care administration.
Four African Americans Appointed to Administrative Posts in Higher Education
Appointed to new administrative positions are Judy Jackson at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Aramis Watson at the University of Kansas, Cameron J. Hall at Augustana College in Illinois and Dale R. Hendricks at the University of Massachusetts.
Raised Fists by Black Women at West Point Deemed Not to Be a Political Protest
A group of 16 Black women students set to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point came under criticism by posting a photograph of the group with raised fists.
Online Articles That May Be of Interest to JBHE Readers
From time to time, The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. Here are this week’s selections.
Professor Anita Hill to Be Honored With the $10,000 Spendlove Prize
Professor Hill will be honored on October 24 by the University of California, Merced, 25 years after she testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, alleging sexual harassment by Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas.
Old Dominion University Honors Its First African American Rector
The board of visitors of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, has voted to name the university's new residence hall after Hugo A. Owens, who led the university's board of visitors from 1992 to 1993.
Higher Education Grants of Interest to African Americans
Here is this week’s news of grants 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.
Choreographer Bill T. Jones to Receive the International Humanities Medal
The award, administered by Washington University in St. Louis, recognizes the lifetime work of a noted scholar, writer, or artist who has made a significant and sustained contribution to the world of letters or arts. The award comes with a $25,000 prize.
In Memoriam: James Bell, 1925-2016
After teaching at several HBCUs, James Bell joined the faculty at Cal Poly Pomona in 1968. Four years later, he was the first African American to be appointed a vice president in the California State University System.
Oklahoma City Public Schools Agree to Address Racial Unbalance in School Discipline
A U.S. Department of Education investigation found that Black students received in-school and out-of-school suspensions, were referred to law enforcement, and were arrested for school-related incidents at statistically significant higher rates compared to their enrollment in the district.
Paine College Names Samuel Sullivan as Its President, But Not for Long
Samuel Sullivan was named acting president of Paine College in September 2014. A month later he was fired but then rehired as interim president after student and faculty protests. Now he has been named president, but only for a term of one year.
Study Finds Large Racial Disparity in Student Loan Debt
Research conducted at Center for Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis found that low-to-moderate income Black students and graduates accrue on average $7,721 more student debt than their White counterparts.
Linda Scott Named Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Dr. Scott has been serving as the associate dean for academic affairs, associate professor of health systems science, and director of graduate studies at the School of Nursing of the University of Illinois at Chicago.
A Teacher Intervention Program Can Help to Reduce School Suspensions
Black students are suspended and expelled from our nation's public schools at a rate three times greater than White students. But a Stanford University study finds that an intervention program for teachers can significantly reduce school suspensions.
