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.
The University of California, Santa Cruz received two grants from the university system for programs to increase faculty diversity. In a pilot program funded by the grants, search committees for faculty positions will first review and assess candidates’ statements on contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion before determining whether to evaluate the rest of the application materials. The funding will also be used to help advertise searches, support recruitment, support diversity/inclusion efforts of the recruited faculty, and supplement faculty startup packages.
Historically Black Virginia Union University in Richmond will participate in a $1,400,000 grant program to restore and preserve buildings in the region. Among the projects that will be part of the grant program will be a project to redevelop the historic Industrial Hall building on the Virginia Union campus into a Center for African American History and Culture. The building was originally constructed in 1899.
The City University of New York received a $500,000 grant from the city government to create a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Incubator that will develop strategies to transform CUNY’s campuses into spaces that are national models of equity. The incubator will be developed by the Center for Ethnic, Racial and Religious Understanding at Queens College. Its recommendations, strategies and practices will be piloted on five CUNY senior and community college campuses by the end of 2020, with the goal of expanding the work university-wide.
A group of six educational institutions in Georgia will share a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation for programs to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups who graduate with degrees in the STEM fields. Students selected for the program will receive a stipend, mentoring, research and internship opportunities, invitations to research conferences to present their work, and preparation for the Graduate Research Examination. Participating institutions are Georgia Southwestern State University, Columbus State University, Valdosta State University, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Columbus Technical College, and South Georgia Technical College.
