Black Issues in Higher Education articles from February 2003

Black Issues in Higher Education archives from February 2003

Remembering The Souls. (Editor's Note).(Editorial)
February 13, 2003... It wasn't difficult coming up with a theme for our annual Black History Month edition. Because the 100th anniversary of the publication of W.E.B. Du Bois' classic essay collection, The Souls of Black Folk, has generated a groundswell of...

Correction and clarification. (Letters).(Correction Notice)
February 13, 2003... The Jan. 2 profile of Dr. Shawnta Friday incorrectly stated the course that Friday teaches and the title of a fellowship. Friday teaches management courses and recently returned from a year's leave on a McKnight Junior Faculty Development...

Educators, activists criticize Bush's position on affirmative action. (Washington Update).(George W. Bush)
February 13, 2003... Political fallout continues from the Bush administration's recent stance on the University of Michigan affirmative action case, as groups representing African Americans and Hispanics strongly criticized the White House decision to oppose the...

Bush nominates Reynolds again for civil rights post. (Washington Update).(George W. Bush renominates Gerald Reynolds)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2003... With Republicans now controlling the U.S. Senate, the Bush administration is renominating an African American conservative to be assistant education secretary for civil rights. The White House on Jan. 9 again nominated Gerald Reynolds to...

Bush budget will have small increase for HBCUs. (Washington Update).(Historically Black Colleges and Universities)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2003... President Bush will propose a 5 percent increase for historically Black and Hispanic-serving colleges in his 2004 budget plan in February. The White House made the announcement on the weekend of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, noting...

Budget impasse continues with new threat of cuts. (Washington Update).(2003 federal education budget)
February 13, 2003... The four-month stalemate on a 2003 federal education budget could leave many higher education programs at risk of across-the-board budget cuts. Many programs would face an immediate 2.9 percent across-the-board spending cut if a plan from...

Nation's public schools have become resegregated, study finds. (Noteworthy News).
February 13, 2003... CAMBRIDGE, MASS. Public schools are slipping back into racial segregation, according to a study by The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University. Released last month on the eve of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, the nationwide...

Universities, students show support for Morris Brown College. (Noteworthy News).(accreditation revoked)
February 13, 2003... ATLANTA The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has received approximately 60 letters asking its board members to give Morris Brown College more time to fix its problems, says the association's executive director, Dr. James T....

Julian Bond helps dedicate Auburn diversity center. (Noteworthy News).(civil rights activist)(Center for Diversity and Race Relations)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2003... AUBURN, ALA. An overflow crowd greeted Julian Bond last month at Auburn University in Alabama. Bond, a prominent civil rights activist and chairman of the NAACP, was the featured speaker during the dedication of the university's new Center...

Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund extends reach to high school students. (Noteworthy News).(redesign and create new high schools)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2003... NEW YORK The Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund (TMSF), an advocate for public Black colleges and universities, is extending its reach to high school students with a $4.9 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The grant,...

Researchers to study Natchez's role in Underground Railroad. (Noteworthy News).(Mississippi sites)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2003... NATCHEZ, MISS. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has enlisted researchers from an Alabama college to conduct a document search to determine what sites in Natchez were linked to the Underground Railroad. Such sites are likely "because...

College freshmen spent less time studying and more time surfing the net, UCLA study reveals. (Noteworthy News).(University of California, Los Angeles annual survey)
February 13, 2003... LOS ANGELES Freshmen are spending less time studying or doing homework and more time using the Internet in the year prior to entering college, according to the results of UCLA's annual survey of the nation's students entering undergraduate...

Virginia tech professor's books challenge Appalachian myths. (noteworthy news).(concerning slavery)
February 13, 2003... BLACKSBURG, VA. According to conventional wisdom, residents of Appalachia had few slaves, and the slaves who did live in the region received better treatment than their counterparts in the Deep South. Virginia Tech sociologist Dr. Wilma...

Students disciplined in Mississippi graffiti incident. (noteworthy news).(Brief Article)
February 13, 2003... OXFORD, Miss. Three University of Mississippi students have been placed on probation and ordered to perform community service and write research papers for their role in a racial graffiti incident in a campus residence hall last November...

Advocates call for increased awareness of financial aid. (noteworthy news).
February 13, 2003... RESTON, VA. With the rising cost of college tuition making national news, financial aid initiatives and studies are taking center stage. Lower-income families, who most need information about financial aid for college, have the least...

Experts call for new higher education research agenda. (noteworthy news).
February 13, 2003... PALO ALTO, CALIF. Although more people than ever have access to American institutions of higher learning, a new report says research is needed to examine what educational programs are offered at colleges and what students actually learn....

Financial Aid study to focus on graduate students. (noteworthy news).(2003 Survey of Graduate Aid Policies, Practices and Procedures)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2003... WASHINGTON The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) and Access Group Inc. announced the launch of the 2003 Survey of Graduate Aid Policies, Practices and Procedures (SOGAPPP), a research project designed to...

Johnson C. Smith receives largest gift in school's history. (noteworthy news).(Brief Article)
February 13, 2003... CHARLOTTE, N.C. Johnson C. Smith University received more than $3.9 million last month from the Duke Endowment, a private foundation established in 1924 by industrialist and philanthropist James B. Duke. The grant, which is provided...

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Foundation marks progress. (noteworthy news).(Brief Article)
February 13, 2003... WASHINGTON The Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation Inc. recently announced the progress of the memorial slated to be built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. "Building a memorial on the National Mall is a...

A timeless legacy: celebrating 100 years of W.E.B. Du Bois' the souls of Black Folk. (A Salute To Black History Month).
February 13, 2003... Here's a little known fact worth savoring on the centennial of the publication of The Souls of Black Folk: Its author, the restlessly brilliant and relentlessly controversial Dr. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, was at Tuskegee University when...

A tribute to Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950). (A Salute To Black History Month).
February 13, 2003... Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson is one of the most important but largely overlooked figures in American history. He challenged conventional wisdom, questioned authority and sought equity. As a result of Woodson's scholarly contributions and activism,...

Keeping a legacy from crumbling. (A Salute To Black History Month).
February 13, 2003... WASHINGTON In 2001, the National Trust for Historic Preservation placed the former home of the late Dr. Carter G. Woodson on its annual list of the most endangered historic places in the United States--an ironic fate for a place connected...

A month of celebrations: a look at how colleges and universities are celebrating Black History Month. (A Salute To Black History Month).(Calendar)
February 13, 2003... * ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY, NORMAL Black History Month Theme: "The Souls of Black Folk: Centennial Reflections." 17th Annual "Celebrating Black History Thru Jazz" Reception featuring Pianist/Composer Randy Weston; Benjamin Banneker...

Revisiting, revising 20th-century African American history.(Book Review)
February 13, 2003... Black Pilgrimage to Islam By Robert Dannin Photographs by Jolie Stahl Oxford University Press, 2002, 368 pp. $35.00, ISBN 0-19-514734-0 The post-Sept. 11 political environment has given questions about Islam's role and presence in America a...

Paving the way into technology transfer. (Tech Talk).
February 13, 2003... As a graduate student in computer science, Monica Williams is intent on having a career that gets her into the senior management ranks of the companies for which she will work. In the spring of 2001, near the end of her first year of...

Hispanic Association teams up with gateway computers. (tech briefs).(Brief Article)
February 13, 2003... SAN ANTONIO The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) recently teamed up with computer manufacturer Gateway Inc. to provide a discounted PC and rebate program to HACU's 300 member institutions. HACU member institutions...

College, corporate coalition develop career Web site. (tech briefs).(Brief Article)
February 13, 2003... BETHLEHEM, PA. A coalition of college career center directors and corporate human resource executives have unveiled a Web-based, national college recruiting system intended to link colleges, students and employers. The project, NACElink, a...

West Virginia University tests biometric security system. (tech briefs).(Brief Article)
February 13, 2003... MORGANTOWN, W.VA. West Virginia University is testing a biometric hand geometry reader at one of its residence halls and the university recreation center. The reader allows students to gain entry with a simple hand scan. The testing may...

Data recovery firms to the rescue. (Personal Computing).
February 13, 2003... What's the worst thing that could happen to your computer? It could crash, destroy your data, and--if the computer plays a key role in your business--force you into bankruptcy. The above may sound unrealistically bleak and sensationalistic,...

The art and science of college admissions. (Speaking Of Education).
February 13, 2003... President George W. Bush says he thinks the University of Michigan's affirmative action plan is "divisive" and a "de facto quota system" because it admits students solely on the basis of race. Either President Bush is woefully misinformed or he...

Tuskegee University. (On The Move).(Ashford Vinette)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2003... VINETTE ASHFORD is the new associate vice president/chief information officer at Tuskegee University. Previously, Ashford was the worldwide business transformation leader, Global Services, for the IBM Corp. She earned a bachelor's in history...

Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. (On the Move).(GEORGE H. BUCHANAN)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2003... GEORGE H. BUCHANAN is the new university counsel for Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. He formerly was the university counsel at the State University of New York. Buchanan earned a bachelor's in European history from Purdue University, a...

National Association of University Women. (On the Move).(DR. LENORE GALL)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2003... DR. LENORE GALL, dean of students and academic services at New York City College of Technology, has been elected president of the National Association of University Women. Gall earned her bachelor's and master's in counselor education from New...

Elizabeth City State University (On the Move).(DR. CAROLYN R. MAHONEY)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2003... DR. CAROLYN R. MAHONEY has been named vice chancellor for academic affairs at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina. She has been interim vice chancellor since September. Mahoney earned a bachelor's in mathematics from Siena College...

Winston-Salem State University. (On the Move).(Jonathane E. Marlin)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2003... JONATHAN E. MARLIN has been named executive assistant to the chancellor at Winston-Salem State University. Previously, he was president of the Greensboro, N.C.-based business consulting firm, Emman-Martin Corp. Martin earned a bachelor's from...

Elizabeth City State University (On the Move).(DR. Camellia M. Okpodu)(Brief Article)
February 13, 2003... DR. CAMELLIA M. OKPODU is the first Marshall A. Rauch Distinguished Professor in biology at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina. Okpodu teaches ethics in biotechnology. Okpodu earned a bachelor's in biochemistry and a doctorate in...

Grants & awards. (On the Move).
February 13, 2003... Central State University's (Ohio) Department of Manufacturing Engineering has received $23,000 from the Boeing Co. to fund scholarships. Miami-Dade Community College received a $13.2 million grant from the U.S. Office of Refugee...

Events.(Calendar)
February 13, 2003... FEBRUARY/MARCH Feb. 20-22 Southern Conference on African American Studies Inc. "African American Legends and Legacies" Charleston, S.C. E-mail: SCAASI6@aol.com Feb. 26-March 1 Pennsylvania Black Conference on Higher...

It's time to be honest about our nation's past. (Last Word).(African American history)
February 13, 2003... As many commentators have observed in the 15 months since the horrific events of Sept. 11, 2001, voices critical of the American government often have been condemned or silenced. For example, on various campuses, professors report that they...

The affirmative action watch begins. (Editor's Note).(Editorial)
February 27, 2003... Access and equity--two underlying themes present in the majority of articles in Black Issues In Higher Education. That's what we're all about. So the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court could very well deliver a landmark ruling that could change...

AIDS: a global challenge. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
February 27, 2003... The feature article "AIDS: A Predator in Paradise" (see Black Issues, Jan. 30), authored by B. Denise Hawkins, is excellent. I am very pleased that the editors of Black Issues chose to devote space to an in-depth essay on the horrendous impact...

Diversity efforts at UGA. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
February 27, 2003... The Black Issues in Higher Education Jan. 30 story on the University of Georgia presents a distorted hinge of the university's quest for a diverse student body. The same report that the story uses to convey a negative view of the university's...

Bush budget has controversy, but few gains: many student aid programs face funding freeze. (Washington Update).(George W. Bush)
February 27, 2003... The Bush administration is proposing a funding freeze for many student aid programs next year while cutting a variety of K-12 initiatives, including several projects to promote school reform. The top Pell grant for needy students would...

Senate approves HBCU preservation bill. (Washington Update).(historically Black colleges and universities)(Brief Article)
February 27, 2003... Historically Black colleges and universities could get new funds to promote historic preservation under legislation the U.S. Senate approved in late January. The plan from Sens. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn. and Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., would...

Minorities shy from international studies, careers: scholars say lack of data makes it harder to understand why. (Noteworthy News).
February 27, 2003... DURHAM, N.C. The demand today for employees who speak foreign languages and are internationally savvy is greater than ever. But few minorities enroll in college international programs, and few choose careers that involve global work. Two...

MSNBC's `Hardball' comes to North Carolina Central University: HBCU serves as backdrop, as presidential contender faces tough questions. (Noteworthy News).(John Edwards)
February 27, 2003... DURHAM, N.C. North Carolina Central University basked in the national limelight earlier this month when political talk show host Chris Matthews brought his MSNBC's "Hardball College Tour" to the campus. The live broadcast featured...

Old south, new south clash on Vanderbilt's Campus: decision to change building's name lands university in legal battle. (Noteworthy News).(Confederate Memorial Hall)
February 27, 2003... NASHVILLE, TENN. Vanderbilt University is ensnarled in a legal battle over its decision to remove the word "Confederate" from a campus building that was partially built by descendants of the Confederate Army. Vanderbilt Chancellor...

University of Colorado relives shuttle tragedy. (Noteworthy News).(Obituary)
February 27, 2003... BOULDER, COLO. As the University of Colorado at Boulder mourned the death of graduate Dr. Kalpana Chawla on the space shuttle Columbia earlier this month, the university community could not help but remember another esteemed alumnus,...

N.Y. College of Dentistry, Tuskegee University sign historic agreement. (Noteworthy News).(Brief Article)
February 27, 2003... NEW YORK New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD) and Tuskegee University have entered into an historic agreement to conduct a combined B.A.-D.D.S. program. This marks the first time that Tuskegee University has collaborated on a...

Program seeks to improve student attainment at minority-serving schools. (Noteworthy News).(Building Engagement and Attainment of Minority Students)
February 27, 2003... WASHINGTON Two higher education groups have come together to launch a five-year initiative to improve retention, achievement and institutional effectiveness at minority-serving institutions. The project, Building Engagement and...

Publisher gives $4 million to Howard; Communications School to get new name. (noteworthy news).(John H. Johnson donates to Howard University)(Brief Article)
February 27, 2003... WASHINGTON Howard University's School of Communications soon will have a new name thanks to a $4 million contribution from John H. Johnson, publisher and chairman of Johnson Publishing Company, the publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines. In...

Colleges' success in International Education draws national recognition. (noteworthy news).(Andrew Heiskell Awards for Innovation in International Education)
February 27, 2003... NEW YORK Colleges and universities that have been successful in encouraging international study and increasing participation in the international elements of teaching and learning were recognized last month by the Institute of...

Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate selects partner departments. (noteworthy news).
February 27, 2003... MENLO PARK, CALIF. The Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate (CID), a multi-year research and action project aimed at improving doctoral education at American universities, announced the selection of 32 partner departments in chemistry,...

Mentors are key to getting black students to college, study says. (noteworthy news).
February 27, 2003... IOWA CITY, IOWA A strong relationship with a teacher, counselor, or administrator in high school can help propel students to college or other postsecondary education, according to a new report from ACT. Research shows that African American...

Morgan studies efforts to initiate black students toward science. (noteworthy news).(Morgan State University)(Brief Article)
February 27, 2003... BALTIMORE New research conducted at Morgan State University challenges the effectiveness of current educational "intervention" efforts used to steer Black students into science and science-related careers. Typically, intervention programs...

Taking sides: legal scholars may be divided on the possible outcome of the University of Michigan's affirmative action cases, but they all agree it will be historic. (Ruling On Affirmitive Action).
February 27, 2003... As lawyers on both sides make their final preparations for the approaching April 1 deadline to present oral arguments to the U.S. Supreme Court in the University of Michigan's two affirmative action cases, legal scholars say it's anyone's guess...

Educators explore best practices Black Student achievement.
February 27, 2003... CLEMSON, S.C. As academicians anxiously await the outcome of the University of Michigan case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court and what will be a precedent setting decision for higher education admissions procedures, more than 200...

Living in a post-affirmative action world; ruling against Michigan could boost minority achievement, says one scholar. But others are not so optimistic. (Ruling On Affirmative Action).(University of Michigan)
February 27, 2003... Even though the U.S. Supreme Court has yet to role on the constitutionality of the University of Michigan's undergraduate and law school admissions plans, Americans already are living in a post-affirmative action world, opines futurist and...

Replacing race-conscious admissions policies: are percentage plans the wave of the future? (Faculty Club).
February 27, 2003... When President George W. Bush denounced the University of Michigan for maintaining a "quota" system for undergraduate and law admissions that was "divisive, unfair and impossible to square with the Constitution," he clearly signaled his desire...

Do state academic merit scholarships discriminate against African Americans? (BI Forum).
February 27, 2003... One of the biggest concerns for many families is how they are going to pay their children's college expenses. In the academic year 2002-2003, the average cost of attendance at four-year public colleges and universities was more than $9,100,...

Venturing into computational humanities: new field seeks to bring advanced computing to humanities, social science research. (Tech Talk).
February 27, 2003... It's natural to expect that a significant degree of contemporary scientific discoveries stem from the application of high-performance computing and supercomputers to complex problems. Given that high-performance computing has exclusively been...

Grambling online joins army education program. (tech briefs).(Grambling State University)
February 27, 2003... GRAMBLING, LA. Grambling State University's Distance Learning program, also known as Grambling Online, is joining the consortium of higher education institutions which offer courses through eArmyU, a virtual university program for U.S....

Certiport donates Microsoft certification exams to UNCF. (tech briefs).(United Negro College Fund)
February 27, 2003... SALT LAKE CITY Certiport Inc., the worldwide administrator of the Microsoft Office Specialist program, has announced an in-kind gift of Microsoft Office Specialist certification exams to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) valued at...

MIT group launches Web site for young inventors. (tech briefs).(http://web.mit.edu/invent/)(Brief Article)
February 27, 2003... CAMBRIDGE, MASS. The Lemelson-MIT Program, a leading force for invention and innovation among American youth, has launched a redesigned Web site, , providing educators, invention buffs and students a powerful online invention resource. In...

Fighting surf wars. (Personal Computing).(internet advertising)
February 27, 2003... The metaphor comparing the business world to a battle-ground is often overused. But it's not trite to say that a fierce struggle is raging between Web advertisers frying to capture your attention and Web consumers who want to surf unfettered....

Southern Illinois University. (On The Move).(Alexander Peter C.)(Brief Article)
February 27, 2003... PETER C. ALEXANDER is the new dean of the school of law at Southern Illinois University. Previously, Alexander was a professor of law at Pennsylvania State University's Dickinson School of Law. He earned a bachelor's in political science from...

Lancaster Theological Seminary. (On The Move).(Larry T. Evans)(Brief Article)
February 27, 2003... DR. LARRY T. EVANS is the new dean of students at Lancaster Theological Seminary (Pa.). Evans will continue as an associate professor and as director of the seminary's field education program at Lancaster. Evans earned a bachelor's from...

University of Florida Levin College of Law. (On The Move).(Lewis L. Hutchison Jr.)(Brief Article)
February 27, 2003... LEWIS L. HUTCHISON JR. has been named director of admissions for the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Hutchinson served four years with the United States Air Force. He earned a bachelor's in accountancy from New Mexico State...

Taylor University in Indiana. (On The Move).(LAVERNE NEWSON)(Brief Article)
February 27, 2003... LAVERNE NEWSON has been appointed director of American Ethnic Student Programs at Taylor University in Indiana. Previously, she was a senior consultant for the College Survival program with Houghton Mifflin Co. Newson earned a bachelor's from...

Lincoln University. (On The Move).(SHIRLEY SILVA-PAIGE )(Brief Article)
February 27, 2003... SHIRLEY SILVA-PAIGE is the new director of financial aid at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Previously, she was director of financial aid at Hesser College in New Hampshire. Silva-Paige earned an associate's degree in business from Hesser...

Camden County College. (On The Move).(THERESA L. SMITH)(Brief Article)
February 27, 2003... THERESA L. SMITH has been appointed assistant dean of enrollment and student services at Camden County College in New Jersey. Most recently, she was the coordinator of the Educational Opportunity Fund program for the Camden City campus. Smith...

Grants & awards.
February 27, 2003... Arizona State University's College of Business will receive a $50 million gift from Wm. Polk Carey, chairman of New York City-based investment firm W.P. Carey & Co. LLC and grandson of John Samuel Armstrong, the legislative founder of Arizona...

Events.
February 27, 2003... MARCH March 14-17 American Association for Higher Education's Learning to Change Conference "Good Work in Challenging Times" Washington Hilton and Towers Washington Phone: (202) 293-6440, x768 E-mail: msutton@aahe.org...

Freedom of inquiry requires diversity. (Last Word).(affirmative action)
February 27, 2003... One of the last political stories of 2002 was the fall of Mississippian Trent Lott from his role as majority leader of the U.S. Senate, a result of ill-chosen comments at Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday celebration. Many lessons can be drawn...