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.
The Tenth President of Grambling State University in Louisiana
Richard J. Gallot, Jr. is a former Louisiana state senator and state representative. He served three terms in the House and one term in the Senate. He did not seek reelection in 2015.
The Next Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Young has been serving as the Charles Howard Candler Professor of English and Creative Writing at Emory University in Atlanta. He also served as curator of the Raymond Danowski Poetry Library and curator of literary collections at the newly named Rose Library at Emory.
W. Franklin Evans Takes the Reins at Voorhees College in South Carolina
Dr. Evans is the former provost and chief academic officer at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, where he also served as interim president. Earlier in his career, he was vice president of academic affairs at Virginia Union University in Richmond.
The New President of Arkansas Baptist College
Dr. Jones has been serving as a visiting professor of political science in the department of social and behavioral sciences at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Earlier he was the founder and executive director of the Social Justice Institute at Philander Smith College in Little Rock.
Denise Whisenhunt Is the New Leader of San Diego City College
Denise Whisenhunt has been serving as vice president for student services. She is expected to serve as interim president for up to a year. The college enrolls about 17,000 students. African Americans make up 12 percent of the student body.
The First Black Leader of the Alabama Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
Billy C. Hawkins, president of Talladega College in Alabama, has been chosen to chair the board of directors of the Alabama Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. He is the first African American to chair the association's board.
Robert J. Jones Named Chancellor of the Urbana Campus of the University of Illinois
Dr. Jones will also serve as a vice president for the three-campus University of Illinois system and as a tenured professor in the department of crop science in the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences. He has been serving as president of the University at Albany.
Wilberforce University in Ohio Names Its Next President
The oldest private historically Black college and university in the nation has named Herman J. Felton Jr. as the educational institution's 21st president. He has been serving as senior vice president and chief operating officer at Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina.
Gloria Pryor James Is the New Provost at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas
Dr. James is the former provost and vice president for academic affairs at Virginia Union University in Richmond. She has also served as dean for undergraduate studies, professor of communication and executive assistant to the president of Clark Atlanta University in Georgia.
The Next President of Wayne Community College in Goldsboro, North Carolina
Thomas A. Walker Jr. has been serving since 2014 as president of the Grand Island campus of Central Community College in Nebraska. He holds a master's degree and an educational doctorate from the University of Memphis.
The Higher Education Connections of the First African American Librarian of Congress
Carla Hayden, a former assistant professor of library science at the University of Pittsburgh, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the 14th Librarian of Congress. She is the first African American and the first woman to hold the position.
A Check-Up on Black Enrollments in U.S. Medical Schools
New data from the Association of American Medical Colleges show that during the 2015-16 academic year, 5,505 Black students were enrolled in U.S. medical schools. Three historically Black schools had the highest number of Black enrollees. Four medical schools had no Black students.
Alabama A&M University Extends Contract of President Andrew Hugine Jr.
The board of trustees of Alabama A&M University in Huntsville has approved a contract extension through July 15, 2020 for Andrew Hugine Jr., president of the university. Dr. Hugine became the eleventh president of the university in 2009.
JoAnne Epps Named Provost at Temple University in Philadelphia
Professor Epps joined the Temple faculty in 1985. She was named associate dean of academic affairs at the law school in 1989. She was promoted to full professor in 1994. Since 2008, she has served as dean of the university's Beasley School of Law.
James Ammons Changes His Mind on Becoming Provost at Delaware State University
In May, it was announced that James H. Ammons would be the next provost and vice president for academic affairs at Delaware State University in Dover. Now Dr. Ammons has decided to stay put as a professor of political science at Florida A&M University.
A Change in Leadership at the White House HBCU Initiative
Ivory Toldson, executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities has resigned and will return to the faculty at Howard University. Kim Hunter Reed will now lead the office. She was a deputy undersecretary of education and former chief of staff for the Louisiana Board of Regents.
The New President of South Carolina State University
James E. Clark was named the 12th president of South Carolina State University. Clark, a successful businessman, has been a member of the board of trustees of South Carolina State University for the past year. He has also been chair of the University of South Carolina Research Foundation for the past three years.
Willie Larkin Steps Down as President of Grambling State University
After just less than one year in office as the ninth president of Grambling State University in Louisiana, Willie D. Larkin has resigned his post. While President Larkin resigned, his comments appear to show that he was being forced out of his position.
Haywood B. Joiner Jr. to Lead Louisiana State University-Alexandria
Dr. Joiner, who will become interim chancellor in late August, is chair of the department of allied health at the university. He has also been serving as interim chair of the department of business administration at the Alexandria campus.
South Carolina State University Removed From Accreditation Probation
In 2014 the Southern Commission on Colleges and Schools placed South Carolina State University on accreditation probation. Now with the university's finances in better shape, the university has been taken off the probation list.
Donald E. Palm Named Provost at Virginia State University
Dr. Palm has been serving as a tenured professor in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and associate provost for undergraduate education at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. He will begin his new job on August 1.
