Innovative Educators: Creating Tests that Assess Higher Order Thinking Skills

 

http://www.innovativeeducators.org/product_p/637.htm

Wednesday, October 13 / 3:00-4:30pm EDT
$345.00

Best Practices in College Teaching: Designing Effective Rubrics: October 13

Creating Tests That Assess Higher Order Thinking Skills: October 13

Best Practices in College Teaching: Creating an Active Learning Environment: October 19

Teach Students HOW to Learn: Metacognition is the Key!: October 20

A New Strategy in Learning Community Development: How Collaboration and Integration Save Time and Money: October 27

Supplemental Instruction: Improving Student Engagement, Performance and Course Completion: October 28

The 10 Traits of Great Teachers: How to Tap into Student Motivation and Maximize Retention: November 9

3 webinars for $750 ~ 6 webinars for $1395 ~ 7 webinars for $1500

Overview

This presentation will begin with Bloom’s Taxonomy and look at writing test questions that will assess more than knowledge and comprehension. Different types of questions will be covered. Advantages and disadvantages of each type of question type will also be presented.

Participants will receive a detailed copy of the PowerPoint that will include instructions for all activities presented in the webinar. Attendees will also participate in a follow-up discussion group to develop test items using the guideline presented in the workshop. In addition participants will analyze questions developed by other instructors and have their test items analyzed.

Objectives

Upon completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Write different types of questions that will assess more than knowledge and comprehension on the Bloom’s Taxonomy Scale.

Analyze test items to determine if these test items assess higher order thinking skills.

Develop rubrics for essay test items that will provide a more objective assessment for grading.

Who should attend?

Faculty

Department Chairs

Deans of Instruction

Graduate Teaching Assistants

Education Majors

Who is the speaker?

Dr. Jennifer Hurd began her college teaching career at Arkansas State University-Beebe. At this community college she designed the Developmental Reading Program and taught Developmental English. Jennifer was instrumental in creating the Freshman Seminar Course at ASU-Beebe, and she wrote the Freshman Seminar text. She served on the Developmental Education committee appointed by the Arkansas Legislature to develop the cut-off scores and requirements for the Developmental Education program in Arkansas. The work of this committee produced the law that controls Developmental Education in Arkansas. Prior to joining Houghton Mifflin and now Cengage Learning, she worked at Harding University with the TRIO Student Support Services Program as the Academic Coordinator. In this role she coordinated a peer-tutoring program, taught a study skills course, and served as the Accommodations Coordinator. In the role of Accommodations Coordinator she wrote individual action plans for students with disabilities and coordinated their accommodations with the instructors. She also developed a learning community program and a peer-mentoring program called CAPS (Coaches and Players). In both of these positions Jennifer was a leader in curriculum development and project management.

While working at Harding, Jennifer was asked to be a part of the team to develop questions for the Accuplacer test for English and reading. She was one of only two reading professors on the team. She understands the test and knows the parameters used to create it.

An active member of several professional organizations, Jennifer is President of the Association for the Tutoring Profession. Jennifer served as president of the Arkansas Association for Developmental Education, conference chair for the 1996 NADE conference. Jennifer is the Past President of the Arkansas Tutoring Association.

Jennifer is Program Manager for College Survival at Cengage Learning. She coordinates two national conferences a year and presents College Survival training workshops for clients across the country.

Jennifer earned her Ed.D. at Memphis State University in Curriculum and Instruction (Reading). She earned her B.A. in Elementary Education and her M.Ed. in Reading at Harding University. She is also qualified to teach English, reading, research, education, and study skills. She is the author of Campus Companion, an orientation text to help students transition to a college campus. Her depth of knowledge and experience serves her well in her capacity as a College Survival Program Manager.

Innovative Educators: Creating Tests that Assess Higher Order Thinking Skills

HUD.gov: HUD AWARDS $7.4 MILLION TO 10 HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2010/HUDNo.10-196

September 16, 2010
WASHINGTON – U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded $7.4 million to 10 historically black colleges and universities to help revitalize neighborhoods promote affordable housing and stimulate economic development in their communities. The funding announced today is provided through HUD's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Program http://www.oup.org/programs/aboutHBCU.asp . Donovan made the announcement to the Congressional Black Caucus' Annual Legislative Conference in Washington.


"All across this country, historically black colleges and universities are cultivating young minds and helping to revitalize local communities," said Donovan. "I'm proud that HUD can be an important partner to assist these institutions of higher education in their efforts to strengthen our nation's communities.


The following Historically Black Colleges and Universities were awarded funding (see attached for a description of these projects):


Alabama
Tuskegee University
$800,000


Arkansas
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
$800,000


Louisiana
Southern University and A&M College
$800,000


North Carolina
Fayetteville State University
$499,602


North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
$800,000


St. Augustine's College
$498,682


Winston-Salem State University
$800,000


Oklahoma
Langston University
$800,000


South Carolina
Benedict College
$800,000


Voorhees College
$800,000


Total: $7,398,284


To qualify for funding under HUD's HBCU grant program, institutions must meet the definition of a Historically Black College and University as determined by the Department of Education. HUD's grants will help these institutions undertake a wide variety of activities, particularly those that benefit low-income persons. These activities may include:
* Acquiring property;
* Demolishing blighted structures;
* Rehabilitating homes, including cleaning up lead-based paint hazards and making modifications that improve accessibility;
* Improving public facilities;
* Providing downpayment and closing cost assistance to low- and moderate-income homebuyers;
* Offering assistance to small businesses, including minority-owned enterprises;
* Assisting community-based development organizations to carry out neighborhood revitalization; and
* Supporting public services such as job training, child care, fair housing, and housing counseling.


The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program is one of several initiatives administered by HUD's Office of University Partnerships (OUP). Established in 1994, OUP is a catalyst for partnering colleges and universities with their communities in an effort to address pressing local problems. For more information about HUD's partnership with institutions of higher education, visit HUD's website < http://www.oup.org/> .


HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to sustaining homeownership; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development and enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov < http://www.hud.gov/ > and espanol.hud.gov < http://espanol.hud.gov  > .


Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Program Summaries
ALABAMA
Tuskegee University – $800,000
Tuskegee University intends to use its Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) grant for: clearance and site preparation of six vacant lots adjacent to the Tuskegee University campus in the Old Montgomery Road/Franklin Road (OMR/FR) Corridor to support the development of the new university/community housing complex; assistance to eight business and property owners with exterior façade and landscaping improvements, as well as business counseling and technical assistance; short-term training program to prepare a minimum of 20 individuals for immediate employment in the field of energy conservation repair, weatherization, and construction; monthly training on entrepreneurial development, personal finance education, and homeownership counseling; and continuation of the Revolving Loan Program to increase micro loans by 50 percent. Contact: Danette Hall, 334-727-8233.


ARKANSAS
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff – $800,000
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) intends to use its Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) grant for its Community Revitalization Initiative Phase IV. The primary mission of this phase is to continue the university's efforts to improve the neighborhood that surrounds UAPB—known as University Park—and to assist the City of Pine Bluff by engaging the resources of the university through the Economic Research and Development Center in collaboration and partnership with identified community-based organizations. The project goals are to: partner with Targeting Our People's Priorities with Service (TOPPS, Inc.) and Family Community Development Corporation (CDC) to carry out job/employment training and placement to youth, young adults, disadvantaged, and low- and moderate-income persons; utilize funds to support the Jefferson County CDC in rehabilitating single-family owner-occupied homes; and provide technical assistance and training to a minimum of five residential and building trade firms interested in participating in the University Park Neighborhood Housing Rehabilitation Program. Contact: Henry Golatt, 870-575-8030.

LOUISIANA
Southern University and A&M College – $800,000
Southern University and A&M College intends to use its Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) grant to implement the following activities through its Southern University-Community Economic Security and Sustainability (SU-CESS) project: provide homeownership and counseling assistance for low- to moderate-income (LMI) persons through construction of affordable homes, first-time homebuyer training, mortgage buy down assistance, and referrals to matched savings accounts; implement an economic development plan to assist locally owned businesses through matching funds for operations, marketing, and/or building improvements to businesses providing services to LMI residents; and planning and capacity building for community-based development organizations (CBDOs) through training, mini-grants, and development of an integrated vision and strategic plan. Contact: Alma Thorton, 225-771-4249.

NORTH CAROLINA
Fayetteville State University – $499,602
Fayetteville State University (FSU) intends to use its Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) grant to facilitate the long-term transformation of the southern Murchison Road Corridor of Fayetteville, North Carolina, through activities that will strengthen the adjacent community in order to lure economic investment and promote both economic and environmental sustainability. To ensure that future development is part of a holistic plan and is in the best interest of the area, FSU will lead the community in seeking a neighborhood conservation overlay district that protects the residential nature of the neighborhood, promotes controlled growth of a viable mix of businesses that will provide jobs, products, and services that residents currently have to leave their neighborhood to access, and is pedestrian-friendly, and creates linkages to greenways and parks in neighboring communities. Simultaneously, FSU plans to create a redevelopment master plan for an existing blighted area with a large vacant school. As FSU leads this planning process, it will conduct a community asset mapping project to identify resources and assets currently available at the neighborhood level to address the challenges faced by residents in an area of Fayetteville hardest hit by poverty, crime, arrest, and incarceration and prisoner reentry. Contact: Emily Dickens, 910-672-2101.


North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University – $800,000
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCA&TSU) intends to use its Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) grant to implement four Community Development Block Grant eligible activities. The first activity; “Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Program” consists of three subtasks designed to: perform energy audits for low- to moderate-income (LMI) homeowners in the target area; conduct weatherization activities in the target area; and educate LMI persons on energy conservation and minor home repairs. The second activity, “Workforce Development for Sustainable Careers in Green Construction,” will: recruit and train LMI persons to perform weatherization and maintenance tasks; provide education and training on green construction practices; provide energy audit and weatherization certification training; and provide job placement assistance. The third activity, “BEST Center Facility and Program Enhancement,” will: provide direct assistance and specialized training to small and minority-owned businesses; and stabilize small and minority-owned businesses by implementing a concentrated technical assistance program and other resources offered to entrepreneurs and small businesses through the BEST Center. By collaborating with the Interdisciplinary Center for Entrepreneurship and E-Business, this activity will also provide service learning opportunities for student entrepreneurs. The fourth activity will address human service needs through a partnership with a grassroots, community-based organization by: providing a sub-award to Joseph's House Inc., an organization that offers transitional housing for homeless high school students and young adult males; increasing the capacity of a grassroots organization assisting an underserved population; and creating employment opportunities for disadvantaged and hard to place males in the target area through education, job readiness and skill development. Contact: Celestine Ntuen, 336-334-7995.


Saint Augustine's College – $498,682
Saint Augustine's College intends to use its Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) grant for its East College Park Redevelopment project. The major activities of this project will include: providing homeowner training and supportive services to low- to moderate-income participants, assisting them with supportive childcare and transportation services to enable participation in the training, assisting them to set up IDA accounts and matching their contributions to these accounts, and providing mentoring/tutoring to neighborhood children to increase opportunities for educational success; increasing the capacity of community organizations through awareness building, leadership training, and development of a neighborhood leadership council; and redeveloping the neighborhood by buying 10 deteriorated properties and redeveloping them with energy-efficient, affordable, Wi-Fi equipped, universally designed homes, and selling them to low- to moderate-income homebuyers who have successfully completed the college's homebuyer institute. Additionally, the neighborhood will be provided with wireless network service to increase access to internet services. Contact: Tammalyn Thomas-Golden, 919-516-4500.


Winston-Salem State University – $800,000
Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) intends to use its Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) grant to expand activities started by the S. G. Atkins Community Development Corporation (SGACDC), an outreach arm of the university established in 1998 to be a catalyst for revitalization in the neighborhoods surrounding the campus. WSSU seeks this funding to support three SGACDC activities: 1) continue the green renovation of The Enterprise Center (formerly the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club since 1950) that will house a business incubator for 20 small businesses; provide large spaces for training, community meetings, and recreation; provide affordable office space for nonprofit organizations with complementary missions; and feature a rooftop solar photovoltaic system; 2) provide funds for the MicroEnterprise Loan Program to extend business loans to The Enterprise Center business incubator clients; and 3) administer an energy efficiency program to create a “Green Zone” where residents decrease energy consumption and increase usage of renewable energy sources. Green education will include continuing education for energy auditors, weatherization contractors, and solar energy installers. The Enterprise Center will be a green hub for community economic development and educational opportunities that are supported by several collaborators. Contacts: Valerie Howard, 336-750-2413.


OKLAHOMA
Langston University – $800,000
Langston University (LU) intends to use its Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) grant to implement a “Sustainable Intra-Partnership” initiative. The university intends to conduct three activities: construct a Farmer's Fresh Food Market in the town of Langston City, Oklahoma; conduct Phase II of T.G. Green Park Softball Field Revitalization in the town of Langston City to provide lighting; and provide capacity building support to the Business Resource Incubator and Center. Contact: Linda Tillman, 405-962-1632.


SOUTH CAROLINA
Benedict College – $800,000
Benedict College intends to use its Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) grant to expand its comprehensive community development efforts to include distressed communities in the seven-county Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area to include Richland, Lexington, Fairfield, Newberry, Saluda, Calhoun, and Kershaw Counties. The aforementioned area has a high concentration of poverty and unemployment as documented by regional and state data sources. There are significant rates of crime, substandard housing, and unemployment within the target area. These conditions combine to reduce housing values, increase unemployment rates, and discourage business investment which reduces individual wealth and the quality of life for local residents. The proposed program is entitled COP II (Community Opportunities Program). Benedict is implementing three activities that directly address the identified needs of this area: provide assistance to a community-based development organization (CBDO) to carry out an economic development activity to expand a microenterprise loan program to these seven distressed counties; conduct a special economic development activity to provide technical assistance to small and minority businesses located within these seven counties; and conduct a public service activity to provide housing counseling, job readiness training, and placement assistance for low- to moderate-income persons. Contact: David Swinton, 803-705-4390.


Voorhees College – $800,000
Voorhees College intends to use its Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) grant for its community empowerment program and rental housing development, housing rehabilitation, and homeownership project; and its microenterprise program. The primary goal of these proposed projects is to expand Voorhees College's role and effectiveness in addressing community development needs in Denmark and surrounding areas. The objectives of the proposed project are to promote community empowerment to enable residents to facilitate change; improve the quality of life through expansion of affordable rental opportunities, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation, and promotion of homeownership; and microenterprise development. Contact: Willie Owens, 803-793-2046.

HUD.gov: HUD AWARDS $7.4 MILLION TO 10 HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

The Chronicle of Higher Education: Why I Work at a Historically Black College

http://chronicle.com/article/Why-I-Work-at-a-Historically/124427/ 

September 24, 2010 Jon Krause for The Chronicle

Why would an academic choose to work at a historically black college or university when he or she might gain higher status and more money at a more prestigious, better endowed, predominantly white institution? Are there values and goals that trump status and money? Four academics respond.


M. Christopher Brown II, executive vice president and provost at Fisk University:


After years of undergraduate study in my discipline­—education—and graduate study in the subfield of higher education, I joined the ranks of the novitiate as a tenure-track professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Time passed; I published articles, received extramural grants, and ultimately was awarded tenure. Following the well-worn path of my mentors, I expanded my research portfolio and pursued progressively increasing administrative responsibilities on the main campus of Pennsylvania State University. As a result, I garnered the coveted promotion to the rank of full professor. Further, I was granted the crowning jewel—an appointment as dean of the College of Education at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. To be a dean—primus inter pares—means to be entrusted by your colleagues as the academic leader of your own community of scholars.


There I was, not yet 40, a full professor and dean. The possibilities were boundless. In fact, I was poised for the path often restricted and barricaded to African-Americans and other people of color—I could be a provost, maybe even president of a research institution. Logic suggested that I steady my hand and stay the course.


Three years ago, I found myself on stage at the university commencement, shaking the hands of hundreds of students who were graduating from my college with bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. However, I did not know any of their names. My college was the No. 3 producer of graduates campuswide, but I lacked any personal knowledge about its graduates except what had been proffered to me by my assessment coordinator or development director.


I confronted the question of what I wanted as my academic legacy. During my tenure as dean, the College of Education doubled extramural grants, catapulted in the national rankings, increased the number of its tenure-line faculty members, captured a record number of refereed journal editorships, and even launched a capital campaign with real money and sizable pledges. But I had limited information about the academic success and development of our students.


When I was a faculty member, I had my own advisees and students. I knew their names, their ambitions, and I helped them achieve their goals. But the sheer size and administrative structure of the research university had separated me from the very reason I became a professor: the students. I realized that I didn't want to be a faceless cog in the academic hierarchy—I wanted students to remember me and value my contribution to their lives.


Until that moment, I had never understood why attorneys and corporate executives would leave their lucrative careers to join the ranks of nonprofit organizations or pursue second careers as social advocates and community workers. I realized that sometimes the popularity, lucrative compensation, and high status of those atop the institutional hierarchy in American higher education fail to satisfy an inner call to promote the betterment of society through touching individual lives.


So two years ago I accepted my current appointment at Fisk University. After nearly two decades of employment at large, predominantly white, research universities, I chose to return to my native South, where I was born and earned both my bachelor's and master's degrees, to serve on the staff of one of the nation's leading historically black colleges and universities. Fisk, a small yet distinguished liberal-arts college, is affectionately called the "black Harvard" by its alumni, foundations, and local citizens.


Each day that I arrive on the campus to work on Fisk's historic and hallowed grounds, I know that I am making a difference, whether in the career goals of a student or the aspirations of a family or community. I am proud to say that at last year's commencement, I knew the names, stories, and even the postgraduation plans of nearly all of the graduates whose hands I was privileged to shake. Like Robert Frost's poetic close, "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."


Paula E. Faulkner, assistant professor of agriscience education at North Carolina A&T State University:


My decision to teach at a historically black college and university was effortless.


I am the product of a historically black college and university myself—as it happens, the university where I now teach. My professors provided me with a wealth of information and experiences that gave me the knowledge I needed for my future, but most important of all, they supported me. They helped me develop into the person I am today.


After working as a secondary-school teacher, I decided to return to school to prepare to work with postsecondary students. That career change required a doctoral degree. During my doctoral program, I was encouraged to seek employment at large, predominantly white institutions. The advantages, my mentors explained, would be endless. I would receive a great salary, be able to conduct research, have the funds and time to travel, and generally have more opportunities that I might not have at a historically black college or university.


But I always knew in my heart I wanted to work at my alma mater. Here I am able to share my personal experiences as a former student, as well as my professional experiences as a faculty member. Here I can receive additional support from some of my former professors and from administrative staff members who know me. And I'm perfectly positioned to connect my students with graduate educational opportunities, internships, and jobs.


Most parents want to provide their children with a better life than their own, and I believe the same is true of faculty members at historically black colleges and universities. I want to educate my students to be well prepared in all aspects of their college experience, both academically and in extracurricular activities. Our administrators, professors, instructors, and administrative staff members work tirelessly to prepare students to be globally ready for the future.


Many of us would not be who we are today if former professors hadn't made the same decision we made—to teach at a historically black college or university. I am so proud and honored to be here.


I find the following quote from Ambrose Caliver inspiring. He was the first African-American research specialist hired by the U.S. Office of Education, in the newly created position of "senior specialist in the education of Negroes." Seventy-five years ago, he wrote: "In the hands of the Negro teachers rests the destiny of the race." Those words are still relevant today, and they are why I have made the personal and professional choice to be exactly where I am.


Alton Thompson, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Delaware State University:


My decision to accept a position at a historically black university was simple, straightforward, and deliberate.


I was nurtured and received a quality education at a historically black university, North Carolina Central University (which recently celebrated its centennial). And I have worked at two other historically black institutions: Norfolk State University for a year, and North Carolina A&T State University for 25 years, amounting to 26 of my 28 professional years in higher education. Finally, for 27 of those years, I have worked at land-grant universities—North Carolina State University, a prestigious, majority institution (two years), and North Carolina A&T State.


The position at Delaware State was attractive because it was both an HBCU and a land-grant university. It would allow me to stay connected to my roots, to give back and contribute to the advancement of historically black institutions while continuing my focus, passion, and expertise on the tripartite land-grant mission of learning, discovery, and engagement—or, put more simply, improving lives and enhancing economic development. My move from North Carolina A&T was not based on a lack of joy or satisfaction with my job as a dean. I simply wanted an opportunity to help shape institutional direction and culture at a higher administrative level in a new leadership environment. The position as provost was perfect.


Issues facing historically black colleges and universities are daunting, but the opportunities are unprecedented. I believe these institutions have the greatest potential for changing and advancing society. The intentional integration of learning, discovery, and engagement into programs that make a difference is the key to realizing those opportunities. Some of the most talented faculties in this nation are at historically black colleges and universities.


My institution has big goals, and I want to be a part of them. I want to help find realistic ways of supporting extracurricular innovation, research and development, and new programs in response to societal and global changes. This moment in history is an opportunity for us to transcend our historically black university status while not for one moment forgetting our proud legacy.


Doreen Bowen Hilton, professor of psychology and assistant dean of the Graduate School at Fayetteville State University:


I received my undergraduate degree from Johnson C. Smith University, a historically black institution. My experiences there helped to reinforce my beliefs about my abilities, career choices, and life goals. Faculty and staff members, as well as administrators, were committed to me as an individual and to my success, which was tremendously empowering for me.


That commitment extended well beyond the classroom. I was given opportunities to enhance my interpersonal, organizational, and leadership skills and to serve my community. One of my professors, Dr. Boyd Gatheright, was a brilliant mathematician. I worked with him as a work-study student, and although I did not believe that I was very strong in math, he encouraged me to tutor other students. After observing my tutoring sessions with several students, he suggested that I consider a career teaching math. That experience was such a confidence-builder for me.


My relationship with Dr. Gatheright changed at that point; he became my mentor. We talked about his career, graduate school, and research and about goals that I might set for myself. I was determined to learn as many life lessons from him as I could. I was not "just a student" in his eyes; he truly was interested in my success. With his encouragement, not only did I continue tutoring students in mathematics, but I also tutored students in psychology.


It is clear to me now that many of the most important lessons I learned at Johnson C. Smith occurred as I observed faculty and staff members carry out their duties. In addition to Dr. Gatheright, many of my mentors were also African-American and had life experiences similar to mine. Although most did not earn lucrative salaries, they wore multiple hats and enjoyed their work. Many of them worked long hours, even on weekends, because of their commitment to the students and the university. Because of them, when I moved on to graduate school, I felt prepared and confident.


I believe in the mission of historically black institutions. I am energized and fulfilled by seeing students—many of whom society has predicted will fail—not only come to college but also flourish and attain their goals. To play a role in such success stories is what I choose to commit my career to. The experiences I've had at historically black institutions have contributed to my success, and I feel a sense of responsibility and pride in helping to make those experiences available to students.

The Chronicle of Higher Education: Why I Work at a Historically Black College

The Philadelphia Tribune: HBCU to launch 24/7 network in 2011

September 23, 2010 By Kimberly C. Roberts

http://www.phillytrib.com/tribune/entertainment/50-tventertainment/14695-hbcu-to-launch-247-network-in-2011.html 

C3 Media, LLC recently announced that the HBCU Network, a “24/7,” 365 days a year sports, “edutainment” and lifestyle network dedicated to the 105 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) across the United States, will launch in 2011.


Designed to fill a void in the cable industry, the channel will be the official destination of the four major HBCU Conferences (MEAC, SWAC, SIAC, CIAA), featuring Division I and Division II Black College sporting events. In addition, the network will offer a full complement of education and entertainment (edutainment) as well as lifestyle programming. Built on the solid foundation of the 143-year old HBCU brand, it will focus on a “previously unexplored” aspect of African-American life of significant cultural importance to global community.


According to a written statement, the new channel brings a different business model to the cable industry by reinvesting in the African-American community it serves. The HBCU Network will provide a 20 percent equity position to the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, offering direct financial benefit and long-term sustainability.


“The idea and vision behind the creation of the HBCU Network is to preserve and celebrate the African-American colleges and universities while also providing opportunities for their growth and further prosperity,” said CEO Curtis Symonds. “At the same time, we are passionate and excited about building a strong media brand and network from the ground up.”


Based in Atlanta, the HBCU Network is owned and operated by C3 Media, LLC, a holding company that includes an executive team with more than 75 years of cable industry experience.


“We are excited at the opportunity to bring an unexplored side of the African-American experience to television,” said Candace Walker, executive vice president, HBCU Net Programming. “Our goal is to engage our audience with quality programming that promotes the rich history and legacy of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities while giving voice to a young and diverse urban population. HBCU Net is well-positioned to educate, motivate and inspire with a clear focus on African-American heritage and legacy.”


HBCU Network’s primary audience will consist of African Americans 15-24 years of age and include the HBCU student population, Panhellenic organizations, Theological seminaries and the multicultural and general market student population at non-traditional universities and colleges. The network will also target HBCU faculty, alumni and sports fans: along with the broader African American 25 – 49-plus population.

The Philadelphia Tribune: HBCU to launch 24/7 network in 2011