FedEx Strengthens Its Partnerships With HBCUs
The company has announced a multi-year commitment to offer relief support to help students, faculty, and staff at four HBCUs who have suffered adverse economic impact due to COVID-19. The company has also launched a Student Ambassador program to train and mentor students at HBCUs.
The Center for Applied Data Science and Analytics Launched at Howard University
The center, funded by a grant from mastercard, will offer a master’s degree in applied data science and a thought leadership series on racial equity and inclusive growth. It will also conduct research examining how data science can contribute to minimizing racial bias in credit approval processes.
Stillman College in Alabama Creates a Pathway for Graduates to Attend Law School
Under the agreement, Stillman College, a 761-student historically Black institution in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and the Southern Illinois University Carbondale School of Law will engage in collaborative academic activities that promote a path for Stillman College students to enroll in the law school and earn their law degree.
Morehouse School of Medicine Forms Partnership With Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, and the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta have announced a new partnership to create an early commitment program and a pre-medical linkage program. African Americans make up 34 percent of the student body at the women's college.
Once Again, a Large Group of HBCUs Subjected to Bomb Threats
Once again, multiple HBCUs received bomb threats on January 31 and February 1. Unlike the January 4 incidents when most students had not returned from winter break, the campuses were forced to halt classes and other activities due to the threats.
New Initiative Will Help Preserve the Photographic History of HBCUs
Getty Images has made grants of $500,000 to four historically Black universities to digitally archive their photographic collections. Over 100,000 archival and contemporary photos will be converted to digital format in the coming months.
Howard University Establishes the Housing, Urban and Economic Development Research Center
The center’s goal is to achieve an equitable and inclusionary society where currently underserved populations come to be properly served and inequities in housing, health, education, economic well-being, and community development are overcome through research and policy implementation.
The Three Finalists to Lead the Southern University System
Southern University has announced a list of three finalists for chancellor of the flagship campus in Baton Rouge and president of the Southern University System. They are Laurence Alexander chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Walter Kimbrough president of Dillard University, and Dennis Shields, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
Morehouse College Launches the Black Men’s Research Institute
The institute, in partnership with Morehouse’s Africana studies and history department, will serve as a launchpad for the exploration of the first Black masculinities studies minor at a historically Black college or university, along with an online certificate program. The institute also plans to launch an annual symposium.
North Carolina Central University Launches a New Health Communications Program
The new program will focus on four key areas: improving health literacy, identifying and testing innovative approaches to improve communication, supporting research on health communications, and creating opportunities for students to share their passion for health equity and to have an impact on their communities.
Prairie View A&M University Partners With Shell for a Soil Research Project
The PVAMU-Shell Nature-Based Solutions Research Program is aimed at effective carbon dioxide utilization and carbon capture by employing innovative renewable energy and environmental sustainability methods.
National Endowment for the Humanities Funds Research Projects at HBCUs
The National Endowment for the Humanities has announced $24.7 million in grants for 208 humanities projects across the country. Several of these grants were awarded to faculty at historically Black colleges and universities.
Gene Wade to Lead the Propel Center, a Hub for HBCU Innovation and Learning
Gene Wade most recently served as founder and CEO of Honors Pathway in Oakland, California, a social venture that enables low-income students to attend their first year of college at no cost while receiving over 500 hours of in-person coaching and mentoring.
Spelman College Announces a New Initiative to Prepare Students for the Workplace
The partnership with the nonprofit organization Braven will offer all Spelman sophomores a two-part career-accelerating experience. Students will take online courses on the Braven platform and then have access to mentorships in their chosen field.
Three HBCU Medical Schools Participate in Effort to Boost Diversity in Artificial Intelligence Research
Historically Black Meharry Medical College, the Morehouse School of Medicine, and Howard University have joined the Coordinating Center for the Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Researcher Diversity (AIM-AHEAD) program.
Several HBCUs Are Delaying Their Spring Semesters Due to COVID
As the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus spreads across the world, once again the pandemic is causing disruptions in American higher education. Several of the nation's historically Black colleges and universities are revising the start of their spring semesters.
Michigan’s Only HBCU Receives Authorization to Reopen
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed legislation authorizing the former Lewis College of Business, which closed in 2013, to reopen as the Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design as an accredited educational corporation authorized by the State of Michigan.
Large Group of HBCUs Receive Bomb Threats on the Same Day
On the afternoon and evening of January 4, at least seven historically Black colleges and universities received bomb threats, forcing the educational institutions to institute lockdown, evacuations, and police sweeps of campus buildings and facilities.
Fifteen HBCUs Receive Grants From the Propel Center
The Propel Center aims to provide HBCU students with virtual and physical pathways for propelling their leadership development, entrepreneurial endeavors, and community impact. Fifteen HBCUs have received grants totaling $3 million for programs in agri-tech and the arts.
Huntsman Savile Row Establishes Scholarship Program at Morehouse College
The scholarship provides financial support to Morehouse students and gives them access to signature professional development opportunities. In addition, Huntsman Scholars also participate in mentoring activities and coaching sessions with company executives.
HBCU Students Produce Fashion Collection Through Urban Outfitters Internship Program
Students from Clark Atlanta University, Howard University, and North Carolina A&T State University participated in the 10-week summer internship program that designed a 24-piece apparel and lifestyle collection celebrating the culture and community of their respective schools.
The National Center for Entrepreneurship to Be Established at Howard University
The PNC Foundation, the charitable arm of the PNC Financial Services Group, is funding the center that will support expanded opportunities for Black entrepreneurship with enhanced educational, leadership, and capacity-building resources and programs nationwide.
New STEM Scholarship Program for HBCUs Created by Penn National Gaming
Penn National Gaming, a company that operates more than 40 casinos, racetracks, and other hospitality venues, is dedicating more than $4 million over five years to at least three HBCUs in states where Penn National operates.
Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation to Sponsor HBCU Scholarship Program
The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation has announced a scholarship program that will benefit 12 historically Black colleges and universities. Spelman College and Morehouse College in Atlanta have been announced as two participating institutions.
Morris Brown College Can Once Again Participate in Federal Financial Aid Programs
In April, Morris Brown College in Atlanta announced that it has received accreditation candidacy by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools. The college had lost accreditation in 2002. As a result of the new accreditation status, the college has been approved to once again participate in federal financial aid programs.
Students at Edward Waters University Will Soon Be Able to Major in Forensic Science
The new forensic science degree program will enroll its first students in the fall of 2022. It will train graduates to enter the workforce as criminalists, crime scene investigators, and forensic DNA analysts in crime laboratories at the federal, state, and local levels.
Voorhees College in South Carolina Earns Approval for Its First Graduate Program
The master of education in teaching and learning degree has two concentration options: education systems improvement or PK-12 education. The 12-month degree program is designed to prepare educators in a range of education settings to leverage deliberative teaching strategies and educational practices.
University of Maryland Eastern Shore to Cooperate with Danubius University in Romania
The agreement calls for the establishment of exchange programs for undergraduates and graduate students as well as faculty, and collaborations on research. The universities will also explore the possibility of joint degree programs and sharing technological expertise.
North Carolina Central University Partners With Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington
The partnership provides a seamless transition for community college students receiving an associate's degree in applied science degree to gain guaranteed admittance to North Carolina Central University. This will reduce the total cost of obtaining a bachelor's degree for students who complete their first two years at community college.
Bowie State University’s College of Education to Expand Online Graduate Degree Offerings
The doctorate degree program in educational leadership is designed for educators who are already serving in leadership roles in K-12, higher education, and district-level leadership. There will also be a new master’s degree program in culturally responsive teacher leadership to promote equity, access, and inclusivity in teaching.
Virginia Union University to Debut Two New Schools and a Workforce Development Program
“There is an increase in the desire for affordability and greater interest in two-year programs and skills training,” said Hakim J. Lucas, president of Virginia Union University.
Benedict College to Offer a New Master’s Degree Program in Sports Management
The college currently offers a bachelor's degree in sport management which is the second most populous undergraduate program on campus with an average enrollment of 250 students per semester. Beginning in January, students can enroll in a two-semester, master's degree program.
Alaska Air Teams Up With University of Maryland Eastern Shore to Diversity Pilot Ranks
A 2020 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report says 3.4 percent of airline pilots and flight engineers were Black. Alaska Air's partnership with the aviation program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore will offset the high cost of commercial airline flight training.
Florida Memorial University Cuts 18 Academic Programs, Reduces Salaries
This past July, historically Black Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens was placed on "probation for good cause" by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The university has now taken a number of steps to comply with the accreditor's concerns.
Xavier University of Louisiana Establishes a 3+3 Year Degree Program to a Juris Doctorate
Xavier University students will have the opportunity to be directly admitted into the CWRU Law School after completing three years of undergraduate study. Once admitted, the CWRU Law School JD program can be completed in three years.
Howard University Expands its Partnership With Alto Pharmacy
Under the new agreement, Alto Pharmacy will sponsor five scholarships for pharmacy students in each of the next three years. This expands on the paid internship program Alto Pharmacy has had with Howard University.
