Bond Measure to Provide a Financial Windfall for HBCUs in North Carolina
Voters in North Carolina passed a referendum authorizing the issuing of $2 billion in bonds to support the state-operated colleges and universities, water and sewer systems, agriculture, state parks, public safety programs, and National Guard.
Cheyney University Signs Agreement With Delaware County Community College
Historically Black Cheyney University of Pennsylvania has seen a 50 percent drop in enrollments since 2009. The new agreement opens up new avenues for the university to increase the size of its student body.
A Haunting Tour of the Southern University Campus
A journalism professor at Louisiana State University recently toured the campus of nearby Southern University, a historically Black educational institution in Baton Rouge. He was shocked by what he found.
New Master’s Degree Program at Lincoln University Will Focus on HBCU Leadership
The program, scheduled to begin this fall, will educate master's degree students in higher education leadership with an emphasis on understanding the nuances and issues involved in the administration of HBCUs.
Florida A&M University Crowned Champion of the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge
Teams from 48 historically Black colleges and universities or predominantly Black institutions participated in the 27th annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge. For the eighth time, the champion was Florida A&M University.
Winston-Salem State University Reports Encouraging Admissions Data
The university reports a surge in applicants and a 34 percent increase in the number of first-year students who have indicated their intent to enroll this coming. The number of transfer students is also on the rise.
Bowie State University Announces a New Concentration in Entrepreneurship
The concentration will teach students how to develop a startup, run a small business, navigate the venture financing process and bring an entrepreneur’s perspective to large organizations, while building on a foundation of concepts of marketing, accounting, finance and management.
HBCU Law School Establishes the Intellectual Property Law Institute
Students at the Intellectual Property Law Institute at North Carolina Central University School of Law in Durham will gain practical legal experience by helping review suspect patents at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Morehouse School of Medicine to Create a Heart Disease Registry for African Americans
The new registry will import data directly from electronic health records enabling researchers to track trends and develop effective treatments for African American cardiovascular disease patients.
Spelman College Establishes a Curatorial Studies Program
A recent survey found that only 4 percent of museum professionals are African Americans. This new program, said to be the first of its kind at a historically Black college or university, seeks to address the diversity gap in museum leadership.
Central State University in Ohio to Become More Affordable to Out-of-State Students
For the current academic year, out-of-state tuition was just under $14,000. For students from Ohio, tuition was $6,246. Under the new tuition formula, the out-of-state surcharge will be reduced by 76 percent for most students entering this coming fall.
Ranking the Best HBCUs: Did Money and Essence Get It Right?
The magazines Money and Essence recently collaborated on a project to determine the best historically Black colleges and universities. But any ratings initiative depends on the criteria selected to choose "the best."
New Student Center Planned on the Campus of North Carolina Central University
A new 100,230-square-foot student center for North Carolina Central University in Durham has been approved by the board of governors of the University of North Carolina. The existing student center was constructed 50 years ago and is the oldest in the university system.
Howard University Issues Tuition Rebates to Students Who Graduated Within Four Years
Howard University, the historically Black research university in Washington, D.C., has issued a 50 percent rebate on the last semester's tuition for students who completed their degrees in the traditional four-year time frame.
Student-Run Record Label Established at Bethune-Cookman University
HBCU Records recently signed two university students to be the first artists associated with the new label. Both have recorded songs and have produced music videos for the new record company.
Fayetteville State University Team Wins the Inaugural Swarmathon Robotics Competition
Students from 12 colleges and universities from across the nation were invited to the contest to develop software codes to operate innovative types of small robots called “swarmies.” NASA plans to use swarmies to locate resources when astronauts land on Mars.
Thirty Black Colleges and Universities Receive Career Pathways Grants
The United Negro College Fund has announced the awarding of 30 grants to history Black or predominantly Black colleges and universities. The Career Pathways grant program was made possible by funding from the Lilly Foundation.
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.
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.
Mississippi Valley State University to Offer New Master’s Degree in Convergent Journalism
Convergent journalism includes text, audio, and visual communication that can be accessed by consumers on demand. Mississippi Valley State says there are only nine other similar programs nationwide that will be offered this fall.
Former Faculty Team Up to Help Florida A&M Achieve Institutional Excellence
The new group, called the FAMU Forward Think Tank, will focus on designing ways to further institutional excellence at the university and enhance outreach and engagement with all stakeholders in the community.
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.
Expected Huge Increase in First-Year Enrollments at Fayetteville State University
As of the beginning of May, 630 students have made a deposit indicating that they attend to enroll this fall at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina. This is up from 493 in last year's entering class. This is an increase of 30 percent.
University of Maryland Eastern Shore to Offer a New Master’s Degree Program in Cybersecurity
To be accepted into the new master's degree program in cybersecurity, students need a bachelor’s degree in a related technology field or have experience in cybersecurity in the workforce.
Morehouse School of Medicine Awards a Record Number of Degrees
This spring, the Morehouse School of Medicine awarded 118 degrees, the largest number in its history. Among the degrees conferred at spring commencement were 57 medical doctorates and 10 Ph.D.s in biomedical sciences.
Tennessee State University Gives Major Tuition Discount to Some Out-of-State Students
Under the 250-Mile Radius Rate undergraduates taking 15 credit hours will pay $5,903 per year in tuition, a reduction of 43 percent from the current out-of-state tuition charge. The new rate plan also applies for graduate students.
Bethune-Cookman University Approves Construction of a New Student Center
The four-story, 110,000-square-foot building will consist of a two-story podium containing student services, food services, state-of-the-art wellness facilities, and common areas. The top two stories will be student residential space.
Texas Southern University Teams Up With Verizon for STEM Summer Program
The Verizon Minority Male Makers Program @ Texas Southern University is designed to introduce male middle school students from underrepresented groups to the high-tech skills and concepts that will lead them to better career opportunities.
The New Albany State University Reorganizes Its Academic Structure
The merger of historically Black Albany State University and Darton State College is expected to be completed by the end of the calendar year. But the Darton name will not fade into history. The Darton College of Health Professions will be one of the five colleges of the new combined institution.
Tougaloo College in Mississippi to Offer a New Pre-Law Program
Students in the program will be required to take 18 credit hours to qualify for the pre-law minor. Required courses include two semesters of constitutional law, legal research, legal writing, the legal environment of business, and the logic and effective thinking.
Tuskegee University Graduates Are the Stars of a New Reality Show on Animal Planet
The television cable network Animal Planet recently debuted a new reality program that follows the professional and family life of three graduates of the College of Veterinary Medicine at historically Black Tuskegee University in Alabama.
Hampton University Students to Conduct Research for NASA Satellite Program
Hampton University, the historically Black educational institution in Virginia, is partnering with three other universities in Virginia that will develop and fly a group of small satellites that will take measurement of Earth's atmosphere.
Shaw University in Raleigh Reports a Record Number of Applicants
Applications are up 74 percent from last year. The university also reports that at this time, the number of confirmed new students is up 145 percent from a year ago.
Dillard University Partners With the U.S. Army Research Laboratory
The Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory will provide funding and other resources for student research during the summer months, as well during the regular academic year.
Claflin University to Debut a Bachelor’s Degree Program in Nursing
The new program will be offered only to registered nurses who have obtained an associate's degree in nursing. Claflin states that it will be the only historically Black college or university in South Carolina to offer a bachelor's degree in nursing.
Barber-Scotia College’s Campus Is Leased by a New University
Historically Black Barber-Scotia College in Concord, North Carolina, has struggled since losing its accreditation in 2004. No classes were held this past semester. Now, the college has leased most of its campus to a new university, which is headed by a woman who immigrated from Ghana.
