The Institute for Capacity Building at the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) has partnered with Wiley University in Marshall, Texas, and Clark Atlanta University on a coordinated effort to enhance leadership continuity, executive preparedness, and governance effectiveness at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
“Leadership transitions across higher education are happening more frequently and with greater complexity,” said Aja Johnson, senior program manager for executive leadership at the UNCF Institute for Capacity Building. “These partnerships represent a deliberate investment in ensuring HBCU leaders are not only prepared to assume leadership roles, but supported through structured development, shared learning, and governance practices that promote institutional stability and long-term success.”
With support from UNCF, scholars from Wiley’s Higher Education and Leadership Foundation (HELF) will launch a structured leadership development pipeline for HBCU leaders seeking to enter executive roles at HBCUs, including presidencies. Participants in HELF’s program will join an alumni community of practice and contribute to leadership toolkits, governance frameworks, and institutional case studies designed to enhance decision-making skills.
“This partnership with UNCF represents a strategic investment in strengthening the leadership systems that sustain HBCUs,” said Herman J. Felton, Jr., president and CEO of Wiley University and co-founder of HELF. “By formalizing executive-level spaces for shared learning, we are helping rethink succession planning, strengthen governance practices, and improve leadership retention across the sector.”
UNCF will also collaborate with Clark Atlanta University’s HBCU Executive Leadership Institute (ELI) to launch a leadership stability pilot engaging five newly appointed HBCU presidents and their board chairs. The program will include leadership assessments, executive coaching, and competency-based professional development tailored to institutional leadership needs.
“ELI’s work to train, support and advocate for HBCU leaders has been strengthened through UNCF’s investment,” said Phyllis Worthy Dawkins, executive director of ELI and former president of Bennett College. “Grounded in proven competencies and best practices, this partnership advances our shared commitment to leadership excellence and governance effectiveness across the HBCU sector.”
The initial participants of ELI’s pilot program are Elizabeth City State University’s Chancellor S. Keith Hargrove and Board Chair Justin Wardell, Florida A&M University’s Marva Johnson and Vice Chair Michael White, Jarvis Christian University’s President Glenell Lee-Pruitt and Board Chair LaKetia Blair, Philander Smith University’s President Maurice Gipson and Vice Chair Lisa A. Menzies-Earvin, and Stillman College’s Yolanda Page and Board Chair Joe Hampton.
