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.
Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, has received a $999,934 STEM Leadership, Equity, and Advancement of Faculty grant from the National Science Foundation to reduce bias associated with gender and issues related to race, ethnicity, county of origin, sexual orientation, and disability. Additionally, the project will support the development of inclusive leadership skills and professional advancement of women STEM faculty, and to implement long-term changes across the university to support those goals.
The Miller F. Whittaker Library at South Carolina State University has received a $249,376 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program. The grant will support initiatives aimed at lowering the cost of textbooks and course materials for students, and enhancing the university’s library as an educational resource. Additionally, the funds will be used to sponsor a summit that will train academic librarians on Open Educational Resources.
The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, has received a $1 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support research into slavery at the college and Highland, the home of former President James Monroe that the college owns and operates. Throughout the project, the school will create an oral history of descendants of slaves at Highland and William and Mary. Additionally, parts of the project will be incorporated into an upcoming campus memorial to honor African Americans enslaved by the college.
