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Dr. Bennett will end his service as chancellor of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on January 12 - some six months before his contract was set to expire. He began his role in July 2023, following nearly 10 years as president of the University of Southern Mississippi.

Dr. Smith has led North Carolina A&T State University's Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics on an interim basis since July 2025. She has taught at the university for the past six years and directs the HBCU's master of accountancy degree program.

“We cannot, and must not, attach race-based conditions when allocating taxpayer funding,” says U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “This is another concrete step from the Trump Administration to put a stop to DEI in government and ensure taxpayer dollars support programs that advance merit and fairness in all aspects of Americans lives.”

“I am deeply honored to continue serving this great institution and its incredible students,” said Dr. Abdullah. “Virginia State University’s mission is powerful — to transform lives and communities through education, opportunity, and excellence.”

Dr. LaVergne currently serves as associate vice president for academic affairs and undergraduate studies at Alabama A&M University. He has an extensive background in agricultural education, including service as vice president for land-grant engagement and dean of the College of Agriculture, Environmental, and Human Sciences at Lincoln University of Missouri.

Hudson has worked for Purdue University Northwest for the past six years, overseeing initiatives that advance student success, cross-campus partnerships, and holistic care.

Beginning January 1, Dr. McMeans will serve as interim president of Southern University in Louisiana. For the past six years, he has served as chancellor of the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center and dean of the university's College of Agricultural, Family, and Consumer Sciences.

Ernest McNealey has stepped down as president of Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina, effective December 15. The HBCU's board of trustees has selected Stanley Pritchett, Sr., former president of Morris Brown College, to serve as Allen's interim president.

Dr. Chambers has led the Michigan State University Honors College on an interim basis since the Spring 2024 semester. He has held several leadership roles at the university, including associate dean of the Honors College and director of the African American and African studies program.

At the end of December, Martin University will pause its operations indefinitely due to low student enrollment and significant financial challenges.

Professor Matthews has taught creative writing and poetry at Bryn Mawr College since 2017. As a poet and educator, she centers her work on the intersections of language, economics, race, and social policy.

At historically Black Texas Southern University, Aisha Moultry has been named interim dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and Cheree Daniels has been named interim dean of the College of Transdisciplinary Studies.

“I am inspired by the [MGH Institute for Health Professions'] mission to educate health professionals and researchers who will drive innovation in the delivery of equitable and interprofessional care,” said Dr. Jones. “This mission aligns deeply with my own purpose, which is to bring together people, ideas, and systems for the greater good, because the greater good is stronger than any individual part.”

Dr. Allen-Handy, professor of urban education at Drexel University, is slated to become dean of Hofstra University's School of Education on January 1. She is a leading scholar on the social foundations and social contexts of education.

Roscoe Jones, Jr., the first Black dean of the Drake University Law School, has been tapped to serve as co-chair of the national board of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. He has also been appointed to the Association of American Law Schools Deans Steering Committee.

Dennis Shields, president of the Southern University System and chancellor of Southern University and A&M College, has been dismissed from his post. He will join the HBCU's law school faculty after a sabbatical.

Professor Smith was honored for her newest poetry collection, The Intentions of Thunder. She currently teaches creating writing in the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University.

“This is an exceptional opportunity to collaborate with students and colleagues to build something new within such a storied institution, and I look forward to supporting and challenging undergraduates to maximize their learning across their varied experiences inside and outside of the classroom,” said Dr. McKnight, who will begin his new role on June 1, 2026.

In addition to his corporate background, Dr. Finley has extensive administrative experience with historically Black universities. Most recently, he has been serving as chief operating officer at Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis. Earlier, he was an assistant vice president at Prairie View A&M University in Texas.

A full professor of mathematics and statistics at Pomona College in California, Dr. Goins is slated to become the Mathematical Association of America's first Black president in its 110-year history.