SOUTHERN EDUCATION FOUNDATION BRINGS TOGETHER BLACK COLLEGE PRESIDENTS TO ADDRESS THE ROLE OF HBCUs IN THE NATIONAL COLLEGE COMPLETION AGENDA
Atlanta, Ga., June 23, 2011--Today the Southern Education Foundation (SEF), the nation's oldest education nonprofit working for over 144 years to improve education at all levels, is gathering a select group of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) presidents for a candid discussion about the collective impact of HBCUs and how these institutions contribute to the national college completion agenda. Prior to holding its 2011 HBCU Governance and Institutional Effectiveness Seminar--a convening with more than 100 HBCU presidents and trustees to discuss academic program innovations, fundraising, and governance--SEF, along with its higher education experts, is hosting the HBCU leaders to discuss the many pressures facing HBCUs such as greater competition for students, an increasingly difficult fiscal environment, and reoccurring questions of relevance.
"Although President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan set an admirable goal to restore the United States to its role as the global leader in education by the year 2020, we now must begin to craft a vision of how HBCUs will contribute in the future," said SEF President and CEO Kent McGuire, Ph.D. "Thriving in a highly competitive higher education market place will require a dynamic policy environment to mitigate some of the burdens facing HBCUs, which will help to ensure positive student outcomes and, thus, increase degree completion rates at these institutions."
"The higher education landscape today is challenging for all institutions, HBCUs must be progressively innovative and creative in order to sustain their contributions to degree productivity for minority students," said James T. Minor, Ph.D., senior program officer and director of higher education programs at SEF. "Our goal for today's discussion is to improve understanding about the role and importance of HBCUs in the national degree completion agenda. This is great opportunity to advance the conversation about the common challenges and opportunities in this sector of higher education. We hope this will be the first of many such discussions."
The HBCU presidents speaking at today's meeting include Carlton Brown, Ed.D., president, Clark Atlanta University; Beverly Hogan, Ph.D., president, Tougaloo College; Walter Kimbrough, Ph.D., president, Philander Smith College; Charlie Nelms, Ph.D., chancellor; North Carolina Central University; Mary Evans Sias, Ph.D., president, Kentucky State University; and David Wilson, Ed.D., president, Morgan State University. On hand also to give additional remarks will be White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities Executive Director John S. Wilson, Jr.
"The conversation about HBCUs today is indeed important. However, the conversation should be shifted from the question of the relevancy of HBCUs to how can we strengthen our HBCUs. The story of our HBCUs is an American story. In addition to academic development, we offer hope and opportunity. We educate those with academic prowess and academic promise, producing outstanding leaders and responsible citizens who sustain America's democracy," said Hogan. "While our HBCUs are not monolithic, a common thread among the majority of HBCUs is preparing our students for lives of meaning by instilling in them a compelling stimulus called confidence. Our students believe they can succeed and they generally do, contributing to our nation's global competitiveness and national security."
"President Obama's 2020 goal, along with similar ones by major foundations, face major challenges due to an increasingly diverse nation plus a growing achievement gap," said Kimbrough. "With almost 20 percent of all Black students in four-year institutions attending an HBCU, this sector is critical in closing the gap and producing a more qualified American workforce. In fact, these goals will not be accomplished without HBCUs."
"One approach to help ensure the United States' return to world domination in education should be the strengthening of HBCUs," said Nelms. "I could not have said it better than President Obama on the occasion of the 30th National HBCU Week last year, 'HBCUs are important engines of economic growth and community service and will continue to play a vital role in helping America achieve our goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.'"
Today's discussion with the HBCU presidents will be held at 2 PM ET inside the Ritz Carlton Atlanta, 181 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, GA 30303. The meeting is open to the public. Attendees, including members of the media, can also participate via telephone by calling 800-210-9006 (US/CAN) and using access code 9321010.
Note: Onsite media check-in will begin at 1:30 PM. To schedule media interviews, please contact Tia T. Gordon at (202) 906-0149 or tgordon@ttgpartners.com. For questions on the day of the event or during the call, please contact Tiffany Young at (240) 350-2024 or tyoung@ttgpartners.com.
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SEF is the nation's oldest education nonprofit and has for over 144 years made outsized contributions to improving education at all levels, from pre-kindergarten through higher education. In a more diverse and global society, SEF maintains a prime focus on the South as the poorest and least educated region of the United States, but also works to improve education systems and opportunity nationally. SEF, as a public charity, aims to advance creative solutions that ensure fairness and excellence in education for all. Research, policy analysis, advocacy, and service programs are the primary means through which SEF pursues its mission.
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HBCU PRESIDENTS: WHAT AMERICA NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE ROLE OF HBCUs IN
THE NATIONAL COLLEGE COMPLETION AGENDA
Please join the Southern Education Foundation (SEF)--which on June 23-25 will be convening more than 100 HBCU presidents and trustees for its 2011 HBCU Governance and Institutional Effectiveness Seminar--along with its higher education experts and a select group of HBCU presidents for an honest and candid media briefing to discuss the collective impact of HBCUs and how these institutions contribute to the national college completion agenda. HBCU presidents will also address how they are handling greater competition for students, an increasingly difficult fiscal environment, and reoccurring questions of relevance.
Who: Carlton Brown, Ed.D.
President
Clark Atlanta University
Beverly Hogan, Ph.D.
President
Tougaloo College
Walter Kimbrough, Ph.D.
President
Philander Smith College
Charlie Nelms, Ph.D.
Chancellor
North Carolina Central University
Mary Evans Sias, Ph.D.
President
Kentucky State University
David Wilson, Ed.D.
President
Morgan State University
John S. Wilson, Jr.
Executive Director
White Initiative on HBCUs
Kent McGuire, Ph.D.
President and CEO
SEF
James T. Minor, Ph.D.
Senior Program Officer/Director of Higher Education Programs
SEF
When: Thursday, June 23, 2011 at 2:00 PM ET
What: Media Briefing with HBCU Presidents
Light snacks and refreshments will be served.
Where: The Ritz Carlton Atlanta in the Caucus Room
181 Peachtree Street, N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30303
Telephone: 800-210-9006 (US/CAN); Access Number: 9321010
Attendees can participate in this unprecedented media briefing in one of two ways: (1) In person at the Ritz Carlton in Atlanta, Ga., or (2) via telephone.
If you are planning to attend the briefing in either format listed above, please RSVP and indicate your attendance preference to Tiffany Young at tyoung@ttgpartners.com. Space is limited; early registration is encouraged.
Note: Onsite media check-in will begin at 1:30 PM. To schedule media interviews, please contact Tia T. Gordon at (202) 906-0149 or tgordon@ttgpartners.com. For questions on the day of the event or during the call, please contact Tiffany Young at (240) 350-2024 or tyoung@ttgpartners.com.
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