Michael Drake to Chair the Board of Directors of the Association of American Universities
Michael V. Drake is the 15th president of Ohio State University and the first African American to hold that post. He will serve as vice chair of the board of directors of the association for one year and then become chair in 2017.
Carolyn Meyers Announces Her Resignation as President of Jackson State University
A year ago, Carolyn Meyers, president of Jackson State University, had her contract extended for another four years. Now, she has resigned after it was revealed that the university's financial situation has deteriorated.
Two African Americans Appointed to Terms as Deans
Luke Powery was appointed to a second five-year term as dean of the Duke Chapel on the campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and Cornelia Sewell-Allen is the new dean of student life at East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania.
University Researchers Make a Breakthrough in Finding a Cure for Sickle Cell Disease
Scientists have used gene editing to fix the mutated gene responsible for the disease in stem cells from the blood of affected patients. In tests with mice, the genetically engineered stem cells remained for at least four months after transplantation.
Government Reports Decline in Death Rates for Breast Cancer: But Racial Disparities Persist
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released new data showing a decline in death rates for breast cancer from 2010 to 2014. But the data showed that the decline in death rates was faster for White women than for Black women. This was particularly true for older Black women.
Michael Tidwell to Be the Next President of the University of Texas at Tyler
Michael V. Tidwell has been named the sole finalist to become president of the University of Texas at Tyler. Under state law, the board must wait 21 days after the announcement to make the appointment official. Tidwell is dean of the College of Business at Eastern Michigan University.
Hardin Coleman Will Step Down as Dean of Boston University’s School of Education
Dr. Coleman will take a one-year sabbatical and then return to Boston University as a full-time faculty member in master's degree programs in family therapy and school counseling and as director of the Center for Character & Social Responsibility.
A Deep Racial Divide Over National Anthem Protests
A new survey conducted by Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, has found a wide racial disparity among adult Americans on their support of professional and collegiate athletes who have conducted protests during the playing of the national anthem prior to the start of athletic competitions.
Bernadette Gray-Little to Step Down as Chancellor of the University of Kansas
Bernadette Gray-Little, the 17th chancellor of the University of Kansas, announced that she will step down at the end of the current academic year. When she was named chancellor in 2009, Dr. Gray-Little became the first woman and the first African American in history to hold the position.
In Memoriam: Gloria Naylor, 1950-2016
Naylor, who taught creative writing at several universities, was best known for her her 1982 novel The Women of Brewster Place, for which she won the National Book Award for the best first novel.
The Persisting Large Racial Gap in SAT Score Results
The College Board recently released data on the scores of the SAT college entrance examination for the high school graduating class of 2016. The average combined score on the three SAT sections for Blacks was 1270. This is 302 points below the average combined score for Whites, which stood at 1572.
LaVerne Harmon Named the Next President of Wilmington University in Delaware
LaVerne Harmon is currently executive vice president at Wilmington University. When she takes office on July 1, she will become the first African American women to serve as president of a university in the state of Delaware.
The Racial Poverty Gap and Its Impact on Higher Education
The lack of money for higher education is of particular concern to the African American community. Large numbers of young Black Americans who come from low-income families don’t even bother to consider pursuing higher education because of the cost.
David H. Swinton Announces He Will Step Down as President of Benedict College
Dr. Swinton will have served as president of the historically Black educational institution in Columbia, South Carolina, for 23 years, the longest-serving president in the college's history. Upon his retirement in June 2017, he will hold the title of president emeritus of Benedict College.
Large Racial Gaps Remain in Graduate School Enrollments in Some STEM Fields
Blacks made up nearly 18 percent of new graduate enrollments in public administration and 12 percent in education, business, and social and behavioral sciences. But Blacks were just 3.2 percent of all new graduate enrollments in the physical sciences.
Mickey Burnim to Step Down From Presidency of Bowie State University
Mickey L. Burnim, president of Bowie State University, the historically Black educational institution in Maryland, announced that he will step down at the end of the current academic year on June 30, 2017. When he retires, he will have led the university for nearly 11 years.
Incomes Rise But the Stubborn Racial Income Gap Persists
The persisting and large income gap between Blacks and Whites in the United States has major implications on access to quality higher education. Whites are three times as likely as Blacks to come from high-income households that do not have to worry about affording the costs of higher education.
U.S. News Names Its Choices for the Best Black Colleges and Universities
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 Hampton University in Virginia held the second and third spots this year as they did a year ago.
Paine College Loses Accreditation, But Court Injunction Maintains Status Quo
Without accreditation, students at Paine College will be ineligible for federal financial aid programs. Currently, about 95 percent of Paine College students participate in federal financial aid programs.
University of Kentucky Decides to Unveil Controversial Mural It Had Covered Up
The mural, painted in the 1930s by artist Ann Rice O'Hanlon, had been criticized for its portrayal of African Americans and American Indians in scenes depicting the history of the city of Lexington, home to the university. One image shows slaves picking cotton.
A Change in Leadership at Florida A&M University
President Elmira Mangum, whose contract was set to expire on March 31, has agreed to leave her post immediately. She will be replaced by Larry Robinson, who has previously served as interim president of the university. An environmental scientist, Dr. Robinson is the former provost and vice president for academic affairs at Florida A&M.
The New Chancellor of the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center
Bobby R. Phills, former dean and director of land grant programs at Florida A&M University, was named chancellor of the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center and dean of the university's College of Agriculture.
University of Oregon Strips Name of KKK Leader From a Campus Residence Hall
The dormitory was originally named to honor Frederic S. Dunn, a former professor of Latin at the University of Oregon, who retired in 1935. During the 1920s, Professor Dunn served as the Exalted Cyclops of the Eugene chapter of the Ku Klux Klan.
Jamillah Moore Is the New President of Cañada College in Redwood City, California
Dr. Moore was selected from among 47 applicants for the job as president of Cañada College. She had been serving as interim vice chancellor of educational services and planning for the San Mateo County Community College District.
Universities Take Steps to Remove Symbols That Many African Americans Found Offensive
The University of Texas removed an inscription from a wall that paid tribute to those who fought for the Confederacy and Cornell University renamed its 3,500-acre Cornell Plantations to the Cornell Botanic Gardens.
A Major Crisis in College Readiness for Black Students
Some 34 percent of Whites who took the ACT test were deemed college ready in all four areas of English, mathematics, reading, and science. For Blacks, only 6 percent of all test takers were deemed college ready in all four areas.
Renee Middleton Appointed to a Third, Five-Year Term as Dean at Ohio University
Renee Middleton was appointed to a new, five-year term as dean of the Patton College of Education at Ohio University in Athens. She has served in this post since 2006.
A Leadership Crisis at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee
Recently the board of trustees voted by a 7-5 margin not to renew the president's contract when it expires in April. The board created a task force to determine the future of leadership at the university. It did not rule out extending the president's contract and it did not rule out letting her go.
The New Director of the School of Music at the University of Maryland
Jason Geary has been serving as an associate professor and associate dean for graduate studies, equity, and inclusion for the School of Music, Theatre & Dance at the University of Michigan. He has been on the faculty at the University of Michigan for the past 12 years.
A Trio of African Americans Appointed to Positions as Deans
The new deans are Amanda Bryant-Friedrich at the College of Graduate Studies of the University of Toledo in Ohio, Cheryl Easley at the College of Health Sciences at Alabama State University, and James D. Anderson at the College of Education of the University of Illinois.
Vanderbilt Paying $1.2 Million to Remove the Word “Confederate” From a Campus Building
Confederate Memorial Hall opened in 1935 and originally was used as a dormitory for women studying to be teachers. Its construction was partially financed by a donation from the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
Tracking African American Progress in Higher Education
A new 188-page report from the U.S. Department of Education offers a wide-ranging summary of most of the important educational statistics on enrollment, financial aid, graduation rates, degree attainments etc. as they pertain to race all in one place.
Spelman College in Atlanta To Decide Whether to Admit Transgender Students
Spelman College, the historically Black liberal arts educational institution for women in Atlanta, has announced that it will convene a task force that will make recommendations on whether the college should admit transgender students.
A Change in Leadership at Bennett College in North Carolina
Rosalind Fuse-Hall has stepped down as president of Bennett College, the historically Black educational institution for women in Greensboro, North Carolina. Phyllis Worthy Dawkins, provost and vice president for academic affairs, is serving as interim president.
The New Provost at Savannah State University in Georgia
Clarissa Myrick-Harris has been serving as associate provost for pedagogical and curricular initiatives at Morehouse College in Atlanta. She also served as a professor of African American studies at Morehouse.
Albany State University Announces Significant Staff Reductions
Art Dunning, president of historically Black Albany State University in Georgia, announced that Albany State University is eliminating 80 staff positions due to declining enrollments and a subsequent reduction in state funding.
