The University of Pennsylvania’s Major Effort to Boost Faculty Diversity
Since the year 2000, the percentage of all faculty at Penn who were racial or ethnic minorities increased from 12.8 percent to 20.5 percent. But President Amy Gutmann says, "We still have more work to do."
New Data Shows a Drop in African American Enrollments in Higher Education
The U.S. Department of Education reports that in the fall of 2012 there were 2,864,723 African Americans enrolled in degree-granting institutions in the United States, down more than 3 percent from a year earlier.
African American Graduate School Enrollments Hold Steady
Overall African American enrollments in higher education dropped by 3.4 percent from 2011 to 2012. But it appears that in graduate schools, African Americans are holding steady.
The Racial Gap in College Graduation Rates
At publicly operated colleges and universities, 39.7 percent of Blacks earned their bachelor's degrees within six years from the same institution at which they enrolled in 2006 compared to 60.2 percent of Whites.
Michael Drake Appointed President of Ohio State University
When he takes office in June, Dr. Drake will be the first African American to be president of Ohio State. Currently, Dr. Drake is chancellor of the University of California, Irvine.
Simmons College of Kentucky Receives Accreditation
Founded by former slaves in 1879, what is now known as Simmons College of Kentucky has received accreditation for the first time from the Association for Biblical Higher Education.
Alfred Rankins Named President of Alcorn State University
A former associate professor of plant and soil science, he has been serving as deputy commissioner for academic and student affairs for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning.
A Bump in the Road for the Effort to Reinstate Race-Sensitive Admissions in California
This year, an effort was mounted in the state legislature to give voters an opportunity to reverse a ban on race-sensitive admissions. But after opposition from Asian Americans, the measure was pulled from consideration.
Supreme Court Upholds Voter-Approved Michigan Ban on Race-Sensitive Admissions
As a result of the Supreme Court's ruling the ban on raced-based affirmative action admissions in Michigan will remain in effect. Justice Stephen Breyer joined the Court's five-member conservative wing in the decision.
Terrell Lamont Strayhorn: The Youngest Full Professor at Ohio State University
Dr. Strayhorn was promoted to full professor in the department of educational studies in the College of Education and Human Ecology at Ohio State University. The appointment makes him the youngest full professor at the university.
A New Leader for the Howard University School of Law
Danielle R. Holley-Walker was appointed dean of the School of Law at Howard University in Washington. D.C. She has been serving as associate dean and a professor of law at the University of South Carolina Law School.
The New Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology at Pepperdine University
Helen Easterling Williams is the former dean of the School of Education and professor of doctoral studies at Azusa Pacific University in California. From 1997 to 2006, Dr. Williams held several leadership posts at the University of Delaware.
Joyce Ester Named President of Normandale Community College in Minnesota
Dr. Ester was president of Kennedy-King College, one of the seven campuses of the City Colleges of Chicago. Before becoming president of Kennedy-King in 2011, she was associate vice president for student services at Bakersfield College in California.
Washington and Lee University Addresses Its Past Ties to Slavery and the Confederacy
Kenneth P. Ruscio, president of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, has issued a response to student demands that the university take actions to address its past.
The New President of the Houston Campus of the Chamberlain College of Nursing
Dr. Vivian Lilly was academic dean at the San Antonio, Texas, campus of the Galen College of Nursing. Earlier in her career she taught nursing at the University of Texas at Arlington and Dallas Baptist University.
The New Provost at Lincoln University in Missouri
Said L. Sewell III is the new provost and vice president for academic affairs at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri. He was assistant provost for academic affairs at Kent State University in Ohio.
Hampton University’s Rodney Smith to Lead the College of the Bahamas
Rodney D. Smith has been chosen as the next president of the College of the Bahamas. Dr. Smith has been serving as vice president for administrative services at Hampton University in Virginia.
The New Chief Academic Officer at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Joseph Martin Stevenson is the new vice president for academic affairs and chief academic officer at the private graduate school devoted exclusively to the study of psychology and the behavioral sciences. He is the author or co-author of 13 books.
Norman Francis Announces He Will Retire From the Presidency of Xavier University
An icon of American higher education, Norman C. Francis is the longest-tenured serving university president in the United States with nearly 47 years as head of the nation's only HBCU affiliated with the Catholic Church.
U.S. News Names Its Choices for the Best HBCUs
As was the case last year, Spelman College in Atlanta was ranked as the nation's best HBCU. Howard University in Washington, D.C., and Morehouse College in Atlanta held the second and third spots.
Algeania Warren Freeman Named President of Wilberforce University in Ohio
Dr. Freeman previously served as president of Martin University in Indianapolis and Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina. She has a difficult job ahead as Wilberforce has until December to show why its accreditation should not be revoked.
President of Virginia State University to Step Down
After meeting in a three-hour closed-door session with the Virginia State University board of visitors, university president Keith T. Miller announced that he will step down on December 31.
Hampton University Provost to Lead Virginia State University
When she takes office in January, Dr. Pamala Valleria Wilson Hammond will the first woman president in the 133-year history of the Virginia State University. She has served as provost at Hampton University since 2009.
Duke Scholar Wins Grawemeyer Award in Religion
Willie James Jennings is an associate professor of theology and Black church studies at Duke University Divinity School. The Grawemeyer Award includes a $100,000 prize.
Howard College of Dentistry Dean Leo Rouse Announces His Retirement
Dr. Rouse will continue as dean of the Howard University College of Dentistry for the remainder of the current academic year and then take a one semester sabbatical before retiring next December.
Helen Giles-Gee Leaves Presidency of the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
Dr. Giles-Gee became the 22nd president of the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia in July 2012. She was the first woman and the first African American president in the nearly 200-year history of the university.
Loren Blanchard Named Executive Vice Chancellor for the California State University System
Dr. Blanchard has been serving as provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at Xavier University in New Orleans. He is the first person to serve as provost at Xavier. Dr Blanchard will take on his new role in July.
Norman Francis Receives the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Council on Education
Norman C. Francis has been president of Xavier University of Louisiana since 1968. He is the longest-tenured university president in the United States. For his service he will be honored in March by the American Council on Education.
Ronald L. Jackson II Chosen to Lead the National Communications Association
Dr. Jackson is a professor of communication at the University of Cincinnati. He was elected second vice president of the National Communications Association and will be elevated to president in 2017.
The Next President of Tiffin University in Ohio
Curtis B. Charles currently serves as senior associate vice chancellor for institutional transformation at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina. He will begin his duties as Tiffin University president on July 1.
The First African American President of Hamline University
Fayneese Miller currently serves as dean of the College of Education and Social Services and professor of leadership and developmental sciences at the University of Vermont. Previously, she taught for 20 years at Brown University.
Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran, President of Kalamazoo College, to Retire
Dr. Wilson-Oyelaran has served as the 17th president of the college since July 2005. A native of Los Angeles, Dr. Wilson-Oyelaran taught at the University of Ife in Nigeria for 14 years before returning to the U.S. in 1988.
LeRoy Pernell Stepping Down as Dean of the College of Law at Florida A&M...
Professor Pernell became dean in 2008. Previously he served for 10 years as dean of the College of Law at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. He will now return to his full-time faculty position at the FAMU law school.
Alecia A. DeCoudreaux Is Stepping Down as President of Mills College in June 2016
Alecia A. DeCoudreaux, president of Mills College in Oakland, California, has announced that she will step down in June 2016. She became president of the women's college on July 1, 2011 after a long career in the legal department of Eli Lilly and Company.
Xavier University of Louisiana Names Its Next President
Since 2012, C. Reynold Verret has served as provost and chief academic officer at Savannah State University in Georgia. On July 1, he will replace Norman C. Francis who has led Xavier University since 1968.
The New Dean of the College of Education at East Tennessee State University
Terrence Hicks has been serving on the faculty at the Whitlowe R. Green College of Education at Prairie View A&M University in Texas. From 2004 to 2012, Dr. Hicks was on the faculty at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina.
