11/17 News: HBCUs

Merger Proposal In Mississippi: Threat To HBCUs?

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour yesterday proposed combining the state's three public black colleges into one of the institutions, Jackson State University (hat tip: BlackElectorate.com). While Barbour said that campuses would continue to exist at what are now Alcorn State University and Mississippi Valley State University, the proposal marks the most dramatic state challenge in recent years to the continuation of some public black colleges -- and the move comes in the state whose higher education system was the subject of the 1992 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that governs college desegregation. His plan in total would turn eight universities, which includes historically white colleges, in the state system into five.

Supporters of black colleges who aren't employed by the State of Mississippi expressed outrage over the idea of merging black colleges. "This is obviously a slap at black colleges. I think this would be another act of discriminating against black colleges," said Julius L. Chambers, a civil rights lawyer who is president emeritus of a historically black institution, North Carolina Central University. Mr. Chambers said that mergers of black educational institutions in the South have not historically gone well for black students and educators. "What happens to the faculty at black colleges" when programs are consolidated? he asked. If the consolidations result in smaller branch campuses where Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley are now full institutions, "how do you ensure that the same number of minority students end up in college? Why aren't they asking questions about minority enrollments?"

United Negro College Fund Helps Black Colleges Go Green

America's historically black colleges and universities are going green with a little help from the United Negro College Fund. The organization announced Thursday that it will be helping HBCUs green their buildings after receiving a $1.8 million grant from The Kresge Foundation. UNCF and its three partner organizations, The American Indian Higher Education Consortium, The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and The Thurgood Marshall College Fund, will help about 450 minority-serving institutions to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions with this grant. By reducing the greenhouse gas impact, UNCF and its partners hope to make the buildings greener, more user-friendly and less expensive.