Dr. Kiki Baker Barnes Becomes First Black Female Commissioner of Gulf Coast Athletic Conference

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Dr. Kiki Baker Barnes has departed from Dillard University to serve HBCUs in a larger capacity, making history. Get the full story from Clyde Verdin at Crescent City Sports below.

Baker Barnes Accepts Historic Appointment as the First Black Female Commissioner of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. She Will Transition from Athletic Director Role at Dillard University After 16 Years of Transformative Leadership

Dr. Kiki Baker Barnes has been appointed commissioner of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC)—making history as the first Black woman appointed to this position. Founded in 1981, the GCAC is a conference that competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and is a league entirely comprised of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) from Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

Barnes said, “I am honored to have earned the trust and confidence of my colleagues for the purpose of leading the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference into the future. My commitment is to bring creative vision, excellence, direction, and strong partnerships that will advance the conference and the competitive landscape for our student-athletes. As I embrace this new opportunity, I am especially grateful to my colleagues, staff, and student-athletes at Dillard University for our collective work in rising from adversity to winning championships and becoming a national model of student-athlete success.”

Since 2006, Barnes has served as athletic director at Dillard University where she facilitated the return of the university’s athletic program, transformed the program into a national model of student-athlete success and community service, established new sports teams, and oversaw the founding of the university’s first endowed athletic scholarship. Throughout this time, she served as the only intercollegiate female athletic director in Louisiana.

“During Women’s History Month, it is fitting that we celebrate Dr. Kiki Baker Barnes. She made history as the first female and Black president of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and as the first Black woman commissioner in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics,” said Dr. Roderick L. Smothers, Sr., Philander Smith College President and Chairman of the GCAC Council of Presidents. “Now, as she assumes the helm of the GCAC full-time and permanently, I have the utmost faith that, as Commissioner, she will impeccably steer the conference to new heights and remain a trailblazer in collegiate sports.”

In 2019, the GCAC Council of Presidents appointed Barnes to serve as interim commissioner of GCAC—a position she has since held while simultaneously serving as athletic director at Dillard. During her stint as interim commissioner, Barnes has overseen the return of championships in a host of sports, while growing the conference through new members. This summer, the league will stand at eight teams, expanding back into Alabama with the addition of Oakwood University, into Texas for the first time with Wiley College and the return of athletics to Southern University at New Orleans. Barnes will officially assume the permanent commissioner role, becoming the third in the league’s history, following her transition from Dillard University at the end of the academic year.

St. Augustine’s Crew Aims to Brings Women’s Rowing to HBCUs

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St. Augustine’s University is establishing a crew team, and it may have resounding effects for other HBCUs. Get the story from John Flynn at Row2K.

Ask any new rower why she joined the sport, and you get the typical range of responses-and perhaps a jolt of memory about your own novice year-as they talk about wanting to be on a team, seeking out a challenge, or just trying something new. 

When you ask Mikahya Hill, a junior on the brand-new rowing squad at St Augustine’s University, she will quickly tell you she joined the team at this historically Black school because it also offered a chance to be part of a movement. She said of the team started by Dr. Mark Janas: 

“What made me want to join was the fact that this was the first HBCU rowing team and he was dedicating it to women. I wanted to be a part of that type of movement and change a predominantly male white sport [with] a little bit of melanin magic, to have black girls doing it.” 

Where it all began: in the Virtual Sports Lab

Hill’s sense of that bigger picture reveals the kind of energy which infuses SAU Crew, a club program in its first semester. Hill and her five teammates are already looking ahead to becoming a team that not only competes against other schools, but also serves a model for other HBCUs. 

“I want to do this so we can inspire other black girls at other schools who want to be rowers and do crew,” says Hill. 

To date the only HBCU to sponsor a rowing team has been Howard, which started a program in Washington, DC, in the 1960s. The origins of the Howard team were profiled in a 1964 Sports Illustrated article, and that Howard Crew program came back to the rowing world’s attention in 2020 via social media thanks to posts like this one from Rowers for BLM. The athletes at SAU believe they are the first team since Howard to get underway at an HBCU – and they’ve done their research.

According to Hill, Dr. Janas showed the team the film “A Most Beautiful Thing” and then also suggested they learn more about rowing through what they could find on the Internet. 

“We started looking into Howard and what they had going on, and [Dr. Janas] put us on a little assignment. He said, ‘I’m not sure if we’re the first female team that’s at HBCUs, so I want you to research it and see if you can find anything.’ And we didn’t find anything: Just Howard, and that was about as far as rowing at HBCUs went.” 

Thanks to Janas and the enthusiasm of the women at SAU now determined to be that first HBCU women’s program, rowing is coming back into the HBCU space, and it all started as an outgrowth of Janas’s work as a professor in St. Augustine’s School of Business, Management, & Technology.

The team with Dr. Janas: Breanna Dorway, Mikahya Hill, Jordyn Burton, Mark Janas, Destiny Vance, and Andrea Taylor (seated)

The team with Dr. Janas: Breanna Dorway, Mikahya Hill, Jordyn Burton, Mark Janas, Destiny Vance, and Andrea Taylor (seated)

Janas got the ball rolling for this new sport just before the pandemic when, as an avid biker himself, he approached the school about starting a cycling team in 2019. That team would combine traditional races with virtual events, providing real-world experiential learning to tie in with the university’s Sports IT and Esports Management majors (a synergy of sport and schoolwork that you can read more about here). 

With COVID, the new SAU Cycling Team pivoted to competing virtually, and Janas started looking for other sports with online racing and the potential to eventually become in-person teams. Fortunately for SAU Crew, he had done enough cross-training on ergometers to know rowing would be a good fit for this model as well. 

“We’ve had rowing in mind since the inception of our virtual sports program and suite that opened in early 2021,” said Janas. “‘Virtual sports’ in our definition are distinct from ‘esports’ in that they are real sports that require the equivalent or similar skill and fitness as the ‘real sport’ counterpart, but they can be done virtually….eg, SIM golf, SIM motorsports, virtual cycling, and virtual rowing. From the outset, through the generosity of Concept2, our lab is equipped with three smart rowers that can connect to a variety virtual rowing software programs.” 

Janas has the same aspiration for SAU Crew as he did for the cycling team, which made the jump to “real sport” competition in 2021 and became the first HBCU team in the sport. 

“The success we’ve had with the cycling team made it a little easier for us to sell rowing to the powers that be,” he said. “Rowing, like cycling, hasn’t traditionally been part of the HBCU experience, and we want to change that. ” 

The story of the Howard team, thanks to the athletes’ research, has also been helpful, said Janas: “Howard is one of the elite HBCUs in the country, and we’ve definitely used their story to help the cause.” 

There have been challenges, of course. Janas has found that, “relative to cycling, rowing is much smaller community, so we’ve had to dig a little deeper to find some of the expertise we needed. If we wanted to take the team to the next step, we need dedicated and experienced rowing coaches.” 

He found coaching support through NC State’s club team. An email to the team’s general email account put him in touch with Kees Koopman, who quickly became “the force behind the NCSU-SAU partnership,” according to Janas. Kees Koopman demonstrating on the ergKees Koopman demonstrating on the erg

“We were fortunate enough to make contact with the rowing coaches from North Carolina State University here in Raleigh, North Carolina. They have offered their time and expertise to help the team get started. In particular, they are coordinating and coaching the live water sessions throughout March and April, and they have helped work out the logistics related to equipment and lake time. Essentially, we are operating under their umbrella this year. Realistically we couldn’t do it without them. 

“Hopefully, what we’re doing [with NC State] might inspire other Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) with crew teams to partner with local HBCUs to get their clubs started.” 

Janas also made contact with the American Collegiate Rowing Association (ACRA) to seek help and guidance in starting as a club team: 

The ACRA coaches, says Janas, “have since been tremendously helpful, providing us with information about the basic landscape of collegiate rowing and competition. They’ve referred us to various coaches who are willing to help and provided access to other resources.” Koopman introducing the rowers to the shell

Koopman introducing the rowers to the shell

Cam Brown, president of the ACRA, welcomed the news of the SAU team when Janas approached him: 

“ACRA is proud to do whatever we can to support the growth of our sport and [to] encourage St. Augustine’s and other HBCU’s to join our organization. We have been working with Dr. Janas and St. Augustine’s for over a year to help them where we can with contacts, resources, information and equipment when possible – and it is exciting to see the progress they have made and see the sport continue to grow into areas that are underrepresented.” 

Both Brown and Janas hope to see SAU crews competing at the ACRA Championship in the near future, which would be another HBCU first. 

When we interviewed the team, they were still a week away from their first on-the -water session with Coach Koopman and NCSU and, for senior Jordyn Burton, that was going to be an exciting moment in this process: 

“I’m ready to get on the live water,” she said. 

Teammate Andrea Taylor agreed, adding that she “wants to see how it is going to be different from the machine.” Getting a feel for the oar on the dockGetting a feel for the oar on the dock

One difference, of course, will be learning to row together in the boat, which Hill knows–from her research and the Olympic rowing she has watched online–is “going to be tough,” at least at first. 

“I know it’s not going to be easy, doing that, especially for a long period of time. So I’m looking to see how we can accomplish that and stay in sync.” 

For Taylor, a junior, getting on the water offers the chance to get right down to racing: 

“I’m very curious on my competition. I’m a very competitive person, so I want to see how everybody else seems, compared to us. We’re new at this; we’re just starting and learning. So compared to others that have been at this for a while, I want to see how we compare to others.” 

Hill sees those races as a chance for her and the team to get better at rowing: “I would like to see the other competition to see how we can improve on what we’re doing from what they do.” 

Burton, a senior who has already blazed a trail as part of the SAU Cycling team, sees competing on the water as the way the program will grow: 

“I’m most looking forward to how we’re going to do in competition because that’s going to set a name for us and set the tone for what St Aug is about. And I know that once we do that, it is going to change the culture and is going to give us more notice, like last year when cycling started [here].” 

“I know that once there’s an HBCU women’s rowing team that’s playing, that’s gonna make the next generation believe, ‘Oh, that’s not a sport we can try instead of just being pushed into basketball and track and football’–letting them know there’s another sport that they could do.” On the live water, and ready to goOn the live water, and ready to go

The work of building this team is just getting started, according to Janas. 

“In the short-term our plan is to solidify the program infrastructure, build some rowing fitness, learn as much as we can about the sport, and start to get some time on the water. Any competition we can find or create will be gravy. Ultimately, we hope to be able to field a full team of men and women, own our own equipment, inspire other HBCU teams to get started, and of course, win some championships!” 

Janas plans to use the same playbook that got SAU Cycling off to a successful start, where they generated interest and support though videos (like this multimedia website that connected the new effort to historical Black role models in the cycling, like Major Taylor, a professional superstar in the sport in the early 20th century. 

While Janas works to grow and expand the support structure for the new team, the athletes just want to do what rowers do: 

“We’re just eager to get on the water already,” said Hill, “to get things up and running and to get more dedicated people on the team who really want to make a name for ourselves.” 

All reports we received from this past weekend – the team’s official first days on that “live water” – were encouraging, so the team is already taking steps towards the racing they are looking forward to. First strokes for a new crewFirst strokes for a new crew

If you would like to support their efforts, check out SAU Crew’s virtual 5k erg fundraiser, which will run throughout the month of April, and you can also follow the team on Instagram: @SAUCrewTeam.

AAMU Alumna And Former U.S. Army Sergeant Becomes First Black Woman To Lead NOLA Public Schools

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Dr. Avis Williams, an Alabama A&M University alumna, former U.S. Army sergeant, teacher, principal, assistant principal, and superintendent has made history. Get the full story from Brad Fisher at the Selma Sun below.

The Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) unanimously voted today to offer the NOLA Public Schools’ (NOLA-PS) superintendency to Selma City School Superintendent Dr. Avis Williams, both systems announced today.

“The board’s choice is historic: It marks the first time in the 181 years of public education in New Orleans that a woman was chosen to serve as the permanent superintendent for the District,” the release from OPSB states.

“I am so grateful to our board of education and the Selma community,” Williams said in a statement released by Selma City Schools Wednesday evening. “The last five years have been incredible in so many ways. We have made much progress and that is a direct reflection of the Teamwork, Joy and Integrity that informed our work. I know that, with the support of the community, our district is poised to continue moving forward while keeping Students First and striving for educational Equity for all scholars. Over the coming months, I look forward to supporting Team Selma to continue the journey towards Excellence.”

Selma School Board President Johnny Moss said, “Dr. Williams has been an integral part of the success and culture change in the Selma City Schools over the last five years. The New Orleans Public Schools System is gaining an outstanding, energetic leader, and she will always be a part of Team Selma!”

The news release from OPSB reads as follows:

The Board and Dr. Williams will now enter contract negotiations. After a successful agreement, she will be formally appointed to the top position during a future board meeting.

“This is an historic moment for our school system and for our city, and the board is excited to extend the superintendency to Dr. Avis Williams. As the 1st African American woman appointed to lead our District in its more than 180-year history, her breadth of experience as a sergeant in U.S. Army, a teacher, principal, assistant principal, principal, and superintendent will help take our students’ education to the next level,” said OPSB President Olin Parker. “Dr. Williams is committed to working with our schools to increase academic achievement, expand access to mental health services for students, and engage deeply with all community members. I am certain of her commitment to ensuring that our graduation rates continue to rise and the doors of success continue to open for our scholars through college, well-paying jobs, and beyond.”

Dr. Williams is an award-winning, proven instructional leader with experience in innovative practices and strategic planning who has demonstrated an ability to increase student achievement in high poverty schools and improve community support as a teacher, principal, and superintendent of schools.

“I am honored, humbled, and thrilled by this new opportunity with OPSB. I look forward to working with the community to do important work for Every Child at Every School, Every Day. I can’t wait to get started,” said Dr. Avis Williams. “My thanks to the OPSB for their trust & confidence. I’m excited to listen — to teachers, students, families, and the NOLA community — and translate what I learn into meaningful actions that I hope will touch lives and open doors for all of our scholars in the future.”

In her current role as Superintendent of Selma City Schools in Alabama, Dr. Williams has successfully increased the district’s State Report Card by 8 points, from 68 to 76, the equivalent of raising it by a full letter grade. She also increased the graduation rate by 6%, reading scores by 6%, math by 8%, and achieved the distinction as the only district in the state to earn the Pathway, Tier I and Tier II Performance Excellence Awards through the Alabama Performance Excellence Program (Baldrige Framework).

Advocacy and community engagement have been hallmarks of Dr. Williams’ service as the leader of Selma City Schools. She has written weekly articles in local publications, spoken to dozens of churches, civic groups, and other community partners to discuss issues impacting education, as well as addressed state legislators to help improve children’s education. Prior to her superintendency in Selma, Dr. Williams served as the Assistant Superintendent of Tuscaloosa City Schools where she helped increase the graduation rate from 89 to 91% and developed a District Instructional Framework, which led to a 25-point increase in early literacy proficiency. In addition, she helped implement a $170M capital project.

Dr. Williams started her professional career serving as a sergeant in the United States Army before becoming a teacher and physical education coach in Huntsville, Ala.; an English teacher and assistant principal in Salisbury, N.C.; a principal in Huntsville, an adjunct education college professor in Murfreesboro, Tenn., and the Executive Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction in Greensboro, N.C. These roles have afforded Dr. Williams the unique privilege of serving as an elementary, middle, and high school principal, as well as a college professor – giving her a full perspective of what it takes to lead at all levels.

An avid writer, Dr. Williams is the author of a children’s chapter book and has authored numerous pieces for state and national education publications. Her joy comes from spending time with her daughter, Bree, running, writing, and being a “dog mom” to her standard poodles, CoCo and Butterscotch. Never forgetting her roots, Dr. Williams enjoys giving back to her community while working with families in need.

A graduate of Leadership Alabama Class XXIX, she is a member of the Rotary Club of Selma, president of the ASCD board of directors, Teach for America advisory board, School Superintendents of Alabama District 2 president, Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., Alabama Alliance of Black School Educators (AL ABSE) and the Selma Chapter of the Links, Inc. Dr. Williams has created and delivered dozens of professional development and motivational sessions at national conferences and to churches, student groups, educators and leaders across the U.S. Her areas of expertise include educating children in poverty, culture transformation, strategic planning, instructional leadership and providing educational equity.

Dr. Williams is a member of Cohort 6 of Future Chiefs for Change. Her awards include the Marbury Technology Innovation Award by the Alabama Department of Education in 2011 as a principal and in 2019 as superintendent; the 2020 Alabama Alliance of Black School Educators (ABSE) Superintendent of the Year; the Dr. Ulysess Byas Superintendent of the Year; a 2019 finalist for Alabama State Superintendent of the Year; and one of two 2022 superintendent finalists for the School Superintendents’ Association’s (AASA) Women in School Leadership Award. The University of Alabama selected her for the 2021 Harold L. Bishop Alumni Award of Leaders, and the National School Public Relations Association identified her as one of the 2022 Superintendents to Watch for her dynamic leadership with strong communication at its core.

With a heart to serve, Dr. Avis Williams is an optimistic, strategic, visionary leader determined to provide a high quality education to all scholars in her charge. She lives by her core values: Excellence, Equity, and Joy.

Tennessee State To Become First HBCU To Play Notre Dame In 2023

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HBCUs are continuing to be trailblazers on and off the fiel, and it was announced Tuesday that the Tennessee State University Tigers will be trailblazing on a field different from their own. For the very first time, TSU will be playing The University of Notre Dame. Get the full story from staff at The Associated Press below.

Notre Dame will make history in its 2023 home opener by playing Tennessee State on Sept. 2, marking the first time the Irish have faced a Historically Black College or University.

It also will be Notre Dame’s first game against a team that competes in the Football Championship Subdivision.

School officials made the announcement Tuesday and credited second-year Tigers coach Eddie George, the 1995 Heisman Trophy winner at Ohio State, and Tennessee State athletic director Mikki Allen with creating the vision to schedule the game that NBC will televise nationally.

“We’re excited to bring a pair of great academic institutions that are steeped in tradition together in 2023,” Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said in a statement. “I’m thrilled we’re able to bring the Tigers and the Irish together for a weekend that will feature programs with over 20 combined national titles, the Aristocrat of Bands and the Band of the Fighting Irish.”

Tennessee State has won more than 550 games and lists former NFL stars Richard Dent, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Claude Humphrey and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie among its alumni.

The Tigers won the 1973 Division II national championship and 12 Black College national championships since 1946 but haven’t reached the FCS playoffs since 2013.

“TSU and Notre Dame are two iconic programs that have helped shape today’s college athletics landscape,” Allen said. “We are setting the foundation for long-term success under Coach George’s leadership. The goal is that TSU will be a destination program for the next generation of student-athletes to come.”

Notre Dame opens the 2023 season against Navy on Aug. 26 in Dublin, Ireland.

Clark Atlanta University Alumna Asia Thomas Becomes First Black Woman To Own A Subway

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A Clark Atlanta University alumna with big dreams has made history with her very own Subway franchise! Get the full scoop about exemplary entrepreneur Asia Thomas from Shanique Yates at Afro Tech below.

Credit: Asia Thomas

A Subway in Georgia is now under the ownership of this history-making Black woman!

Blackbusiness.com reports that Asia Thomas is now the first Black woman to own a Subway franchise in Duluth, GA. As a single mother of three, she says that this is only the beginning.

“I’m definitely going to buy more,” she said. “I would feel like a quitter if I didn’t buy more.”

The Journey To Becoming A Franchisee

Upon graduating from Clark Atlanta University, Thomas went on to receive her MBA from Florida International University. She soon went on to land a job in corporate America and was content, that is, until the pandemic hit. As someone on a mission to provide for her family, she began looking for options for extra income.

“I met a young,  Black woman who worked for Subway headquarters,” said Thomas. “She encouraged me to apply and so I just happened to submit an inquiry. It was almost like it was destined to be.”

Following this encounter, she began to save money and work toward becoming a franchisee.

Double Up, Then Run It Up

With fate on her side, the outlet reports Thomas stumbled across a fellow franchisee looking to sell his restaurant after consistently low revenue. With the confidence to accept the challenge, she made the purchase and the rest is history!

Since becoming the owner, Thomas has managed to reportedly “double the franchise’s profits” in about a month. What’s more, Thomas apparently achieved the feat while managing to run the store alone after the existing staff reportedly left due to doubts. She also claims that her race and age played a factor in the skepticism when she took over the franchise.

Today, Thomas is focused on helping others to know that they too can own Subway franchises. She is also working toward increasing her profits and adding a couple of more stores to her portfolio.

Edward Waters University Shows Its Pride With Newly Designed Basketball Court

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Edward Waters University has just debuted a colorful new basketball court on campus. Get the full story from Clayton Freeman at the Florida Times-Union below.

Edward Waters University’s new basketball court is unveiled at the Adams-Jenkins Community Sports & Music Complex in Jacksonville on April 1, 2022. (Credit: Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union)

The first time Paul Bryant saw the new home of Edward Waters indoor sports, he knew his dreams were coming true.

“I was just in awe,” the EWU athletic director said.

The Jungle is ready.

Swirled with orange and purple from baseline to baseline, Edward Waters University officially cut the ribbon on its new gymnasium floor on Friday during a ceremony inside the Adams-Jenkins Community Sports & Music Complex.

The latest step in the HBCU’s growth to NCAA status took shape with a boldly-colored Jacksonville design, shaped into reality in a project by Illinois-based contractor Connor Sports.

Catching the eye

If EWU’s goal for the floor was to make a fashion statement on hardwood, there’s no doubt the mission was a success.

Designed in orange with slashes of purple in a tiger-striped pattern, the court makes an instant impact on the eyes. Bryant credited J. Allen Walker, the university’s director of creative services and graphic design, with the idea.

The message in front of each sideline in the home of the Tigers’ new home? Welcome to the Jungle.

EWU president A. Zachary Faison Jr. said the new court helps to establish an identity for Edward Waters athletics.

“We want this place to be a proverbial jungle,” Faison said. “When opposing teams come into this venue, they know they’re entering a jungle-like environment where it’s going to be intimidating, and certainly supportive for the student-athletes here.”

Continuing the climb

The new project is the latest step in a series of moves aiming to build the profile of EWU athletics, which moved into NCAA Division II during the summer.

The gym renovation follows last fall’s opening of the Nathaniel Glover Community Field and Stadium as the latest in a series of facility upgrades for EWU.

The football venue became a reality some four years after the city authorized $4.4 million toward a new community athletic field in July 2017. 

An exact dollar figure for the gym floor was not immediately available, although Faison estimated the cost at about a quarter of a million dollars.

The script “Welcome to the Jungle” is displayed on the new Edward Waters University court at the Adams-Jenkins Community Sports & Music Complex in Jacksonville on April 1, 2022. (Credit: Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union)

More than just basketball

While the gym will be the featured venue for the Tigers’ men’s and women’s basketball programs, hoops — the men finished 16-12 last season, while the women went 17-12 — will make up only one part of the action.

The honor of the first competitive match in the gym belongs to the EWU men’s volleyball team, among only a small number of teams in the sport in the Southeast.

The renovated gym will also be the home of the Tigers’ women’s volleyball squad, which won the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference championship last fall to earn a berth in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national tournament.

Wait finally ends

The new court ends a four-month wait for EWU’s indoor sports to return to a home court.

Faison said the university initially targeted a completion date before the end the basketball season, but supply chain difficulties stemming from the coronavirus pandemic delayed the grand opening until April 1.

During renovations, EWU hoops played several of its games at a secondary site on the campus, using the James Weldon Johnson Auxiliary Gymnasium as its main alternate court. Other events took place off-site, at locations like Florida State College at Jacksonville’s South Campus or the Jacksonville Juniors Volleyball Association. 

The men’s volleyball squad gets the first shot on the new surface, beginning with Friday night’s home game against Central State of Ohio and continuing at 1 p.m. Saturday against Kentucky State.

“When I saw it on paper, and then I held the paper to the window because I couldn’t go on the floor to see it, I said, ‘This is exactly what we wanted,'” Bryant said.

Opportunities down the road?

After this renovation, EWU officials are now hoping to show off the surface for a broader audience.

The school has served as the host for several conference tournaments within the last decade, including the GCAC basketball championships for men and women in 2019. 

Faison also expressed optimism that the new court will aid EWU in recruiting, particularly citing the appeal to international athletes.

“We want to be at the forefront in terms of being able to recruit and retain the very best athletes in the world,” Faison said. “And we believe that this facility is the next step in us being able to do that.”

Hampton University Using Peer Counselors Meet Increasing Demands For Mental Health Services

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Hampton University is getting creative as it seeks to fulfill the need for mental health support on campus. Get the full story from news station WTKR below.

The pandemic put a strain on mental health of people across the country, to include students at our colleges and universities. 

With an increase in demand for mental health help, Hampton University turned to a select number of students to act as counselors to help bridge the gap between students and mental health professionals.

“They kind of understand the culture of our student; they have a really good pulse about what’s happening with our students,” Dr. Kristie Norwood, Director of Counseling at Hampton University, said. “They, in a lot of ways, can be kind of the first line to pick up on some of these challenges.”

Since the fall of 2019, the Student Counseling Center has seen a 9% increase in appointments requested and a 7% increase in appointments attended.

“We’ve absolutely seen an increase with anxiety and depression and just challenges with the adjustment for our students, but also for all of us,” Norwood said. 

To help with the growing demand, peer counselors like Ashantae Winestock step in. She is a third-year psychology major who helps her fellow students process the challenges of college life.

“A lot of the experience that they have we can relate to it better – like classes, being stressed out from midterms and stuff,” Winestock said. 

The peer counselors receive training in suicide prevention, crisis intervention, how to listen and other skills. 

“What do you do if a student discloses that they’re in distress? How do you help a student that’s in crisis? How do you help a student that is just struggling to make friends?” said Dr. Norwood. 

With more students starting the conversation about their mental health, Winestock said she’s happy to listen. 

“Personally, I do find it rewarding because I get to help people around campus and provide that safe space for them,” said Winestock. 

For more information on the Hampton University Student Counseling Center, click here.

Morgan State University Acquires High School And Other Land Totaling Nearly 80 Acres

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Morgan State University is set to acquire land that includes a former high school, a historic house, and more! Get the full story MSU release below.

The Baltimore City Department of Real Estate has announced a new Land Disposition Agreement (LDA) with Morgan State University, which has agreed to purchase the former Lake Clifton High School property in East Baltimore. The university has long-term plans to develop a new satellite campus on the site.

The LDA will be presented to the Baltimore City Board of Estimates for a vote of approval at its April 6 meeting.

If the agreement is approved, the university will purchase an approximately 59-acre parcel that includes the former Lake Clifton High School, another 14 acres of adjacent property south and east of the school, and the historic Valve House. Under the proposed agreement, Morgan State commits to redeveloping the property over a 15-to-20-year period, with a projected total minimum investment of $200 million.

As part of the 21st Century Schools Initiative, Baltimore City Schools are required to surplus 26 school buildings. As a result of this process, the Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development issued a public offering, “Expressions of Interest (EOI),” for the former Lake Clifton High School property. The City Council approved the property sale in 2020.

“It’s fitting that we convey this vital community asset to one of our City’s most important anchor institutions,” Comptroller Bill Henry said. “Morgan State is the perfect partner to lead the revitalization of the former Lake Clifton High School building.”

As part of the LDA, Morgan State has agreed to:

  • Demolish the former school building;
  • Stabilize the Valve House:
  • Complete a Master Plan approved by the Baltimore City Planning Commission:
  • Construct a Convocation Center;
  • Restore and conserve five public artworks now installed on Lake Clifton’s campus; and
  • Help relocate a basketball court to a more accessible location.

Following the development of a Master Plan, the university will seek to realize its long-term vision for the site, which includes establishing a satellite campus that would include academic buildings, athletic fields, a wellness center, mixed use housing and other amenities.

“This is a wonderful development for our City,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said. “This development will create new jobs, generate much-needed tax revenue, breathe new life into the surrounding communities and provide one of our region’s strongest institutions space to grow.”

The university will pay the city $93,652.80 for the parcel, which will cover the balance of the unpaid bond debt service owed to the State of Maryland. The City will also save approximately $724,379 in annual maintenance and security costs.

“Today, we took a significant step which moves us closer to the revitalization of historically underinvested communities,” said Senator Cory V. McCray, a staunch advocate for this project. “By partnering with our anchor institution, Morgan State University, communities like CHUM, Darley Park, South Clifton Park, and Belair Edison will be provided access to more resources and opportunities. I am proud to stand with the community, our elected leaders, and Morgan State University as we work steadfastly towards the advancement of and equitable investment into our neighborhoods.”

If approved by the Board of Estimates, the project will be presented before the Morgan State University Board of Regents for review and approval, followed by a presentation and vote before the Maryland Board of Public Works.

“Although this isn’t the final step in the process, this agreement is truly an important step in what will be a monumental advancement in Morgan’s history,” said David K. Wilson, Ed.D., president of Morgan State University. “Through the acquisition of this important property, we are laying the foundation for a brighter future of opportunity. With support from the local community and the City of Baltimore, we will be able to not only expand our footprint and our access to the communities we serve but also acquire a new site that will play a vital role in the education of our students while also driving local investment.”

The Board of Estimates will meet Wednesday, April 6, at 9 a.m., in the Hyman Pressman Board Room on the second floor of City Hall. The meeting will be broadcast live on CharmTV (Channel 25). Morgan State University President David K. Wilson is expected to speak about the project.

ECSU Taps Winston-Salem Associate Athletic Director DuBose To Be Interim AD

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Elizabeth City State University has tapped James M. DuBose Jr. as its new interim athletic director. Get the full story from staff at The Daily Advance below.

Credit: Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City State University has named an associate athletic director at Winston-Salem State University its new interim athletic director.

ECSU introduced James M. DuBose Jr. as interim athletic director at a morning press conference Monday. His first official day heading the ECSU Athletic Department is April 11, ECSU said.     

“We are delighted to have Mr. DuBose join our Viking family,” Chancellor Karrie G. Dixon said in a press release. “ECSU is committed to excellence; he will provide the passion and strategic vision needed to support our student athletes, build community partnerships, and continue to strengthen our athletic programs.”

As associate athletic director at Winston-Salem, DuBose assisted with day-to-day operations, external relations, fundraising and budget strategies, and scholarship portfolios, ECSU said.

DuBose also oversaw athletic training, cheerleading, facilities and events, football, gameday operations, marketing, sports information and strength and conditioning.

DuBose described his appointment as a “truly humbling honor.”   

“I am grateful to Chancellor Dixon for this opportunity to lead the best athletics department in the country,” DuBose said in the release. “I am committed to academic and athletic excellence, and together, we will ensure our student-athletes, coaches, staff, and the entire ECSU Viking family have an elite experience.” 

DuBose replaces George Bright, with whom the university parted ways on Thursday after four years at the helm of ECSU athletics.

According to ECSU, DuBose is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success, as well as the National Association of Athletic Development Directors where he was named a recipient of a 2022 NAADD Diversity Initiative Program award.

While at Winston-Salem, DuBose earned the 2017 Weston Spirit Award from the Department of Athletics, as well as the 2017 Chancellor’s Award for Stewardship. He is a graduate of the 2018 Leadership Winston-Salem Class and serves on the Board of Directors for the Winston-Salem Police Foundation.

DuBose graduated from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University with a bachelor of science degree in agricultural economics. He earned his master’s degree in sport management and a graduate certificate in athletic administration from Southern New Hampshire University.

He is married to Teshuna Worrells DuBose and the couple have two sons, Jamond and Jameson.

Inaugural Texas HBCU Conference Held At Huston-Tillotson University Tackles Funding Inequities

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Concerned students, staff, and allies of HBCUs in Texas recently attending a conference that laid bare issues of the inadequate funding these institutions. Get the full story about the event held at Huston-Tillotson University from Megan Menchaca at the Austin American-Statesman.

From left, Robert Ceresa, Doug Greco and Theodore Francis hold a panel discussion about a public leadership project at the inaugural Texas Historically Black Colleges and Universities Conference on Friday at Huston-Tillotson University. (Credit: Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman)

Texas students and campus leaders held the state’s first Texas Historically Black Colleges and Universities Conference in Austin over the weekend to discuss the need for increased investments in HBCUs.

The event, held at Huston-Tillotson University, featured speeches from campus leaders, a conversation with state lawmakers who represent HBCUs in their districts and a roundtable discussion with students who spoke about the experience and challenges of attending HBCUs.

Archie Vanderpuye, Huston-Tillotson University provost, said organizers developed the conference to create opportunities for students to learn and shed light on the need for more resources and support for HBCUs in Texas. He said he hopes the conference leads to more support for HBCU’s in the state and across the country. 

“While we focus on Texas, we are definitely aware that our sister institutions in other states share this common goal, and it is our hope that we’re going to share what we learn here with them so that we can build a shared future together,” Vanderpuye said.

Jeffrey Clemmons, a Huston-Tillotson alumnus, who graduated in 2021, said there has been a “funding inequity from day one” between money for HBCUs and the flagship state university systems. In addition to addressing inequities, he said one of the conference’s goals is to develop a coalition of HBCUs that can address shared issues in the future.

“Prior to this moment, as far as we could tell, while there were informal channels, there was never a unified conference of HBCUs,” Clemmons said. “We were never able to come together in a unified fashion and advocate for issues, and so I certainly hope that the one thing that comes out of this is that we will no longer be strangers to one another and we will be united.”

‘The business model is broken’

Multiple conference speakers noted that state and federal governments have a history of providing inequitable funding and investments to HBCUs compared with other universities, and that lack of funding has continued to persist, including in Texas. 

The two public four-year HBCUs in Texas — Texas Southern University and Prairie View A&M University — received nearly $2,500 less in combined average state funding per student compared with the state’s two flagship universities in 2019, according to data from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. That gap doubled in 2021.

The majority of HBCUs in Texas are private, including Huston-Tillotson University, and don’t receive funding from the state, but they have to compete with the other universities across the state for other investments and donations.

Colette Pierce Burnette, president and CEO of Huston-Tillotson University, said “the business model is broken,” and it’s an “uphill battle” to get for funding for HBCUs. She said she has to balance the costs of the school with serving Pell Grant-eligible students, which means seeking out alternative sources of revenue to try to keep tuition costs low.

“Our schools are often called resilient, … but at some point, resilience becomes abusive. We should not have to be resilient to move from surviving to thriving,” Burnette said. “I do see light. My institution has come a very long way, but we need investments in us in order for us to be able to increase the number of textbooks that we can use to educate.”

State Rep. Jarvis Johnson, D-Houston, encouraged HBCUs to prepare funding strategies and lobby state representatives to get more support at the Capitol.

“Unfortunately, a lot of (legislators) don’t know the importance of HBCUs. They only see it from afar,” Johnson said. “When they see it from afar, they only see it as, ‘Oh look at that small campus. Look at the older buildings that are falling down. Why should we give you money?’ Because the buildings are falling down. Because the campus is small.”

Students from historically black colleges across Texas hold a discussion Fridua at the HBCU Conference. (Credit: Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman)

HBCU advocacy 

Students and community members from seven of the nine HBCUs in Texas — Jarvis Christian College; Prairie View A&M University; St. Philip’s College; Southwestern Christian College; Texas Southern University; Wiley College and Huston-Tillotson University — attended the event.

Samarya Howard, a Huston-Tillotson University student, said she’s faced challenges with inconsistent public transportation while attending college, which has led her to miss class and spend hundreds of dollars on Uber and Lyft. 

At her alma mater, Southwestern Christian College, Howard said buildings were “falling apart,” but there was not enough money to rebuild them. She said she wants more money invested in HBCUs to repair buildings and fund programs in which students can develop their talents. 

“There’s so many different things that we experience as students, but I think, if we start to really talk together, we can show people, ‘OK, this is what we need,’” Howard said. “I think we need to get people to be more vocal (and) actually lock in to what they’re trying to accomplish because it’s not only important for them, but also for the HBCU and for the other students.”

Clemmons said he wants more funding to go toward scholarships and financial support for students, facility upgrades for HBCUs without proper ventilation systems or air conditioning systems, and civic centers on every campus to get students of color more involved.

“I hope that legislators who are not here will see what we did at this conference and will hear the stories from this conference and say, ‘Hey, I need to go talk to my HBCU that’s in my district,’” Clemmons said. “I really want them to come to the table … and have a transparent conversation about the inequities that have not been fixed in our state.”

Voorhees College Celebrates 125th Anniversary

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Voorhees College is celebrating 125 years of success. Learn about the events planned and more in the story from staff at The Times & Democrat below.

Voorhees College will be celebrating Inauguration Week and Homecoming Spring Fest 2022, April 2-10.

Highlights of the week include Founder’s Day on Thursday, April 7, the inauguration of Ronnie Hopkins, Ph.D., as the 10th president of Voorhees on Friday, April 8, and the Presidential Scholarship Gala, Saturday, April 9, which is sold out. There are numerous events open to the public; some require tickets at various prices and others are free.

On April 2, Voorhees will host a Greek and Community Showcase from 12 to 2 p.m. at the Leonard E. Dawson Center. General admissions tickets are $15 and free for anyone 12 years old and under.

The carnival opens Saturday at 10 a.m. with rides, games and food. The carnival closes at 9 p.m., but also will be open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and the following Saturday after the Spring Fest parade. Tickets may be purchased daily at the Leonard E. Dawson Center ticket booth.

A gospel concert is planned for 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 3, at the Dawson Center. The concert features a live performance by Kelontae Gavin, singer of “No Ordinary Worship.” 

The Women’s Empowerment & Advancement Day is Tuesday, April 5, featuring the Women’s Empowerment Legacy Lecture Series, which starts at 11 a.m. in the Massachusetts Hall Auditorium. To view the live stream visit voorhees.edu and click on the YouTube icon.

The Building Knowledge and Community Engagement Day is Wednesday, April 6, and starts with College Day activities, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the St. James Building. The Fostering Collaboration for Systemic Change in Teaching and Learning Symposium is from 10 a.m. to noon in the Wright-Potts Library. The symposium is free; however, registration is required. To view the live stream visit voorhees.edu and click on the YouTube icon.

The Founder’s Day Convocation, a celebration of the institution’s 125th anniversary and a tribute to its founder, Elizabeth Evelyn Wright, begins at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 7, at the Dawson Center. The guest speaker is Charlotte P. Morris, Ph.D., president of Tuskegee University. During the convocation, the institution’s name will change from Voorhees College to Voorhees University. The campus will be adorned with signage reflecting the new name. A wreath-laying ceremony at the Elizabeth Evelyn Wight Memorial Garden follows the convocation. To view the live stream visit voorhees.edu and click on the YouTube icon. The screening of a documentary, hosted by the Elizabeth Evelyn Wright Society and honoring Wright as the founder of Voorhees begins at 6 p.m. in the St. James Auditorium.

The All-White Party will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 7, at Carl’s Floral Shop, 5688 Carolina Highway in Denmark.

Ronnie Hopkins, Ph.D., will be inaugurated as the 10th President of Voorhees University, in the Dawson Center at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 8.  To view the live stream visit voorhees.edu and click on the YouTube icon.

A Homecoming Spring Fest concert featuring the S.O.S. Band begins at 7 p.m. Ticket prices for the concert, at the Dawson Center, are $25 for general admission or $35 at the door.

The Homecoming Spring Fest parade starts at 10 a.m. will be led by the parade grand marshal, the Rev. Dr. Solomon Jackson. The parade begins in Downtown Denmark and ends on the Voorhees University campus, just in time for parade goers to attend the final day of the carnival. To view the live stream visit voorhees.edu and click on the YouTube icon.

The Aux Cord Party, also on Saturday, begins from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Dawson Center. General admission tickets are $10. The party is free for college students with a valid ID.

The week concludes April 10 with an 11 a.m. worship service at Bible Way Church of Atlas Road, 2440 Atlas Church Road in Columbia, SC. To view the live stream visit voorhees.edu and click on the YouTube icon.

Tuskegee University Launches New Alumni Platform, ‘The Golden Tiger Network’

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As Tuskegee University seeks to connect with alumni and keep them connected to each other, the HBCU has created a new platform just for the community of former students. Learn more in the Tuskegee release below.

The Tuskegee University Office of Advancement and Alumni Affairs officially launched its new alumni relations platform—The Golden Tiger Network. 

The Golden Tiger Network is a centralized source for alumni news, communication, events, programs, and much more. Alumni can expect to take advantage of these benefits by creating an account on the site and browsing the list of services. 

Tuskegee alumni will be able to search for classmates, network with others in their industry and join local communities specific to their region. They can also stay engaged with the university, share alumni news, serve as a mentor, learn about career opportunities, give to programs that matter, and much more.

“We are excited about the launch of the Golden Tiger Network,” said Phillip Howard, vice president of advancement. “This platform is a one-stop-shop for our alumni to network with their Tuskegee family and learn how they can make a difference to their desired college or school and support the next generation of Tuskegee students.”

One of the most requested features by our alumni is the more streamlined way to make financial contributions and track their giving online. Golden Tiger Network will offer Apple and Google Pay. Now Tuskegee alumni can easily contribute to those campaigns that mean the most to them. Another highlight is the ability to directly share news of their gift with others on social media.

On March 1, the university deployed a soft launch of the site to introduce alumni to what Golden Tiger Network offers and allow them to begin creating their user-profiles and updating their contact information on file with the Office of Alumni Affairs.

Over the next few weeks, the university will continue to roll out additional features and upgrades. To learn more benefits and features of the Golden Tiger Network and to sign up, visit: https://alumni.tuskegee.edu.

Outgoing Prairie View A&M President Ruth J. Simmons Will Remain At University, Create New Leadership Diversity Program

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After announcing her plans for departure last month, outgoing Prairie View A&M University President Ruth J. Simmons has announced that she will not be leaving the HBCU entirely. Get the full story from Kate McGee at The Texas Tribune below.

Prairie View A&M University President Ruth J. Simmons has announced she will remain at the university as a professor, while also launching a new leadership training academy, once a new president is named for the historically Black university. (Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune)

Simmons will teach, help maintain new fundraising partnerships and launch a college and university leadership training academy.

Prairie View A&M President Ruth Simmons, who announced earlier this month she is stepping down, said on Wednesday she will remain at the historically Black university as a professor.

While it is fairly common for university presidents to transition to a faculty role upon their departure, Simmons will also help work with the university’s fundraising and research partnerships. She will also create a new higher education leadership program to improve diversity among top academic leaders.

“I believe this is the perfect solution, enabling her to devote time to her special interests and, at the same time, continue to play a leadership role in preparing the next generation of leaders,” Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp said in a statement.

Simmons, who became president of Prairie View in 2017, told The Texas Tribune she approached Sharp last year about her plans to step down and the resulting transition.

“The basic work of running the university, there are a lot of small things that you get drawn into,” Simmons told the Tribune. “Frankly, at this juncture, I wanted to move away from that.”

During her tenure, the university increased donations to the school by 40%, according to the March 12 letter announcing her decision to step down when a successor is named. She also increased student scholarships. In 2020, billionaire MacKenzie Scott donated $50 million to Prairie View.

Simmons said she had always pledged to remain involved with the university, but said Sharp insisted on creating a formal arrangement. While there was some discussion as to whether Simmons would remain at the system or university level, Simmons said she wanted to ensure Prairie View remained her prime focus.

“I think that my students and others will be very disappointed if they think that I’m getting drawn off in other things,” Simmons said.

Ultimately, they landed on the idea of a leadership academy that would allow her to mentor students and future university leaders at the university, which is located about 50 miles from downtown Houston.

“I’m paying back for all the help I got as a young person,” she said. “The people who stopped and went out of their way to help me and to give me advice. Honestly, I could never have done what I’ve done if they hadn’t taken the time to do that.”

Simmons said she wants the program to provide personalized attention to women and people of color to help them overcome obstacles that may prevent them from being considered for a leadership role.

“Because we are so politically correct, if someone is not dressing correctly, we tend not to go there,” Simmons said. “If somebody is not paying enough attention to the way they speak, we tend not to go there.”

“The greatest success I’ve had has been in getting people to adapt to the fact that they are not seen in the way that they perceive themselves to be seen, and helping them understand how to allow people to see their significant assets as opposed to superficial factors that may be turning people away,” she said.

As a professor, Simmons will not be attached to a single department, allowing her to lecture or collaborate across the university. As for the courses she might teach, Simmons suggested leadership courses in the business school.

Simmons previously served as president of Smith College in Massachusetts and Brown University, where she was the first Black woman to preside over an Ivy League school.

Simmons said she still sees room to build out and improve academic degree programs and bring more quality faculty to campus. While she credits Sharp for trusting her leadership and supporting her in the role, she said the board’s interest in the historically Black university is more recent.

“Sometimes the people who oversee the system are not as well grounded in what we do, but I believe that they have started to get better at that,” Simmons said, pointing to a number of regents who have visited the campus recently. “This system wants to be the best in the country. In my view, their ambition only helps Prairie View because they want to be the best in the country. Then they have to want to be the best HBCU in the country. And so I think everybody should understand that and try to benefit from that.”

A 14-member search committee of students, professors, administrators and community members will conduct a national search for her replacement, providing three suggestions to the Chancellor who will then make a recommendation to the Texas A&M Board of Regents. Simmons said the university plans to have a new president installed by summer 2023. The group will have its first meeting in April.

Talladega College Announces Dr. Gregory J. Vincent As 21st President

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The Board of Trustees at Talladega College has announced its choice for the institution’s next president. Learn more about new President Dr. Gregory J. Vincent in The Birmingham Times release by Solomon Crenshaw Jr. below.

Dr. Gregory J. Vincent (left), incoming president of Talladega College, chats with a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity on the campus. Vincent will take office July 1. (Credit: Solomon Crenshaw Jr. / Alabama NewsCenter)

Dr. Gregory J. Vincent says one of the greatest titles he has held is professor.

“I have so enjoyed teaching young people,” the New York native said. “I’ve been teaching now for well over a quarter of a century. I think about that legacy of helping to nurture young minds and, even today, doing that work.”

Today, Vincent answers to a new title: president. The Talladega College Board of Trustees on March 31 announced Vincent as the 21st president of Talladega College, succeeding Dr. Billy C. Hawkins, who announced his retirement June 1, 2021.

And as much as Vincent relished being a professor, he’s just as excited about the impact he looks to have from the president’s office.

“What you’re able to do as an administrator is have an exponential impact,” he said. “There are only 37 UNCF (United Negro College Fund) presidents so, individually and collectively, we’re working to shape educational policy and provide access to young people, and to live up to this noble and sacred mission laid out by the founders of Talladega (College) to educate the generations of young people. I do think you have that ability, so it’s not either/or, it’s both.”

Vincent, 60, was born in Harlem, raised in the Bronx and still has some family in New York. He’s no longer a New Yorker, he said, “but I’m certainly a New Yorker at heart.”

That New York mindset has taken the new Talladega president a long way. Vincent said one of the great things about his parents is they allowed him, his older brother and younger sister to explore the city.

“Even at a relatively young age, I was able to go down to the New York Public Library and some other cultural institutions (and) played basketball in Harlem,” he said. “I was able to explore this great global city. I had a bus pass and a train pass, so I felt like I could go anywhere. I definitely had that adventurous spirit.

“Like that song says, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere,” Vincent continued. “I definitely have that confidence that whether it’s an incredible place like Talladega or the broader global stage, New York prepared me well.”

The new Talladega College chief executive said his development began with his parents, who gave him three priceless gifts – unconditional love, a love of reading and a particular love of Black history. On his 16th birthday, his father gave him the autobiography of Malcolm X.

He received one of his most influential history lessons when he attended St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Harlem.

“One of the parishioners at St. Philip’s was Thurgood Marshall,” he said, citing the nation’s first Black Supreme Court justice. “I wanted to be the next Thurgood Marshall. I went to law school so that I could continue to pursue justice and continue his rich legacy.

“Everything has been around this moral compass of doing the right things the right way, living up to the ideals of our democratic society, which is why I moved into education,” Vincent said. “The thought was that if I moved into education, I could begin to work on … issues before the harm even occurred. That’s been part of my inspiration.”

Vincent is widely known as a leader and educator in higher education and as a civil rights attorney and community advocate. He currently serves as a professor of educational policy and law, inaugural executive director of the Education and Civil Rights Initiative, and program chair of the Ph.D. Specialization in Diversity Equity and Inclusion at the University of Kentucky.

Vincent earned his bachelor’s degree in history and economics from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 1983. He received his law degree from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 1987.

Vincent in 2018 stepped down as president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges after he was accused of plagiarism. He left before an investigation, he said, “to avoid further stress to the campus community.” Later, he made several changes to the literature review of his dissertation and received approval from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, where he completed his Ph.D.

The new Talladega College president is the son of first-generation college graduates Cyril and Gloria Vincent. Each earned undergraduate degrees at City College of New York, he in electrical engineering and she in counseling before earning a master’s in counseling from Lincoln University.

Vincent and his wife, Kim, have been married for 31 years. She earned her undergraduate and law degrees at LSU.

The couple are parents of six children, of whom three are products of UNCF institutions – Ashleigh (LSU and Xavier), Camille (Spelman, Georgetown and studying for a Ph.D. at Howard), Greg Jr. (Texas), Raymond (Morehouse), Shawn (Berklee College of Music) and high school junior Cameron.

During the next three months, Vincent will work alongside Acting President Dr. Lisa Long to ensure a smooth transition. Long will remain in place until June 30, one day before Vincent’s start date of Friday, July 1. Vincent will present his vision to the college during Talladega College’s Alumni Weekend on Friday, May 5 through Sunday, May 7.

The board of trustees’ selection of Vincent came with assistance from WittKieffer, an international executive search firm, and a search committee composed of the college’s community leaders, students and alumni.

Ericke Cage Unanimously Chosen As West Virginia State University’s 13th President

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Former West Virginia State University interim president Ericke Cage has officially been tapped to fill the presidential role! Get the story from the WVSU below.

The West Virginia State University (WVSU) Board of Governors has unanimously chosen Ericke Cage to become the 13th president of the university.

Cage has been serving WVSU as its interim president since being appointed by the Board in September 2021.

“I want to thank the Board of Governors for the trust they have placed in me to serve West Virginia State as the university’s 13thpresident,” Cage said. “I look forward to building on the work we have already started, and the successes we have achieved in moving WVSU forward. As I have said since my arrival, I am convinced that the university’s best days are yet to come and I look forward to working with the campus community to make that a reality.”

A native of Halifax County, Virginia, Cage joined the university in July 2021 as vice president and chief of staff and was subsequently appointed by the Board as the university’s chief operating officer on July 30, 2021, with responsibility for managing the day-to-day operations of the university. Since assuming the leadership of West Virginia State University, Cage has prioritized institutional stabilization and operational optimization, renewal of the “state spirit,” the development and expansion of high demand academic programs, and the cultivation of a diverse range of internal and external relationships to support WVSU’s forward momentum and growth.

Under Cage’s leadership, the university was able to obtain historic levels of state funding for its land-grant programs and Healthy Grandfamilies program during the recently concluded state legislative session. Also, the university recently obtained a more than $700,000 grant from the Kanawha County Commission to launch a Cybersecurity Innovation Center at WVSU in fall 2022. Plans are also underway to add the university’s first doctoral degree program in education.

Prior to joining WVSU, Cage most recently served as executive advisor to the president and Board of Visitors at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia – where as a member of the university’s executive management team he served as principal advisor to the university president and board of visitors on matters related to institutional policy making, governance, government relations, and university ombudsman. Cage also served as speechwriter for Norfolk State’s presidents and board chairs.

While at Norfolk State University, Cage led the university’s 2019-2025 strategic plan committee, served as the chief architect of the university’s 2019-2020 self-assessment, and modernized the university’s policymaking process to improve decision making and compliance. As a former education lobbyist, Cage was instrumental in expanding Norfolk State’s presence and impact on Capitol Hill and before the Virginia General Assembly. He directly supported outreach efforts that helped Norfolk State secure the largest state appropriation in the history of the university. While at Norfolk State, Cage also authored a successful $2.7 million grant proposal to support student access, retention, and completion. As the principal advisor and speechwriter to Norfolk State’s presidents and governing board chairs, Cage played a pivotal role in developing the institution’s strategic priorities and crafting the narratives that helped to move these priorities forward. As university ombudsman, he advanced a culture of care and inclusion at Norfolk State by serving as a confidential resource for employees as they worked through issues of conflict and challenge.

Prior to joining Norfolk State University, Cage served as director of government affairs for Teach for America, and also served as state policy and research director for the Obama-Biden 2012 reelection campaign. Cage served as legislative counsel for U.S. Congressman Tom Perriello, where he managed a legislative portfolio that included federal education, healthcare, defense, and veterans affairs policy.  Cage also served as a law clerk for the U.S. Department of Defense, and a legislative fellow for the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs. He also served as a congressional fellow in the office of U.S. Congressman Keith Ellison. During law school, he completed summer legal placements in the New York City Law Department’s Special Litigation Unit and at Prudential Financial Corporation. Cage began his professional career as a high school government teacher in his hometown of Halifax County, Virginia, where he was recognized as teacher of the year by the senior class in 2004.

Cage is a graduate of Virginia Tech and the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in leadership studies. He holds a juris doctorate from the Rutgers University Law School, where he served as an Associate Editor of the Women’s Rights Law Reporter, Associate Editor of the Rutgers Business Law Journal, Member of the Rutgers Moot Court Board, and Third Circuit Governor of the American Bar Association’s Law Student Division. Cage holds a masters of law degree in litigation and dispute resolution from the George Washington University Law School. He is also a graduate of the United States Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College and the University of Virginia’s Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership.

Cage currently serves on the boards of the Mountain East Conference, the West Virginia State University Research and Development Corporation, and the West Virginia State University Foundation. He is a past board member of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Alumni Association and the U.S. Selective Service System (local board). Cage is an active member of the Rotary Club of Charleston, West Virginia.

Paul Quinn College Eyeing West Coast Expansion To Become First HBCU In California

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An HBCU may finally be coming to the west coast if it’s up to Paul Quinn College. Get the full story from Valeria Olivares at The Dallas Morning Times.

Paul Quinn President Michael J. Sorrell announced the formation of an exploratory committee to potentially open a campus in California — which would create the first historically Black college in the state — during the college’s 150-year anniversary celebration on Friday, April 1, 2022. (Credit: Lola Gomez / Staff Photographer)

Dallas’ Paul Quinn College wants to be the first historically Black college in California.

President Michael Sorrell, who made the announcement as Paul Quinn celebrated its 150-year anniversary, said on Friday that the school is launching a committee that will explore the idea of expanding college into the West Coast. California currently only has one such graduate school in Los Angeles, the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.

“The dream was always to create a network of urban work colleges,” Sorrell said.  “That’s what we’re going to do … We will become a system, that’s absolutely where we’re headed.”

Officials are specifically considering a campus in Oakland, part of the Bay Area. The school will begin a feasibility study this summer, but officials have not yet finalized the members of the committee.

Loren Taylor, a city councilmember in Oakland who is supporting the expansion, got to know the college while it was recruiting students in the area. Paul Quinn is known for actively recruiting students from historically underserved, low-income neighborhoods that many other colleges overlook.

After getting to know the school and its leaders, Taylor said he’s “overwhelmed” at the way that it leads its students toward success, adding that his constituents will benefit greatly from its presence.

Historically Black colleges and universities, such as Paul Quinn, “came about because of the community recognizing that we can’t rely on others who aren’t connected, aren’t deeply ingrained into our community to really educate and take us to that next level,” he said.

A group of African Methodist Episcopal Church preachers founded Paul Quinn, then called Connectional High School and Institute, in 1872 at a church basement in Austin. It originally aimed to educate freed slaves.

The campus was then moved to a former slave plantation in Waco before settling in southern Dallas.

Paul Quinn was on the brink of closure about 15 years ago. In efforts to stabilize its finances, leaders worked on creating partnerships with other colleges and companies to provide revenue and support that allows it to not rely so heavily on tuition to function.

In 2008, the school had about 441 students and one of the country’s lowest graduation rates, which was lower than 1%. It has since designed programs — such as a series of summer classes for incoming freshmen and free mental health clinics — to support students, many of whom are the first to attend college in their families.

The school has prioritized providing its students with career and internship opportunities that help them gain experience and pay for college.

In 2017, Paul Quinn was federally recognized as one of the country’s nine work colleges — a designation for institutions that engage students in the integration of work, learning and service. It’s the only school of its kind found in an urban setting, and campus leaders want to expand that model to Oakland.

Sorrell, the longest-serving president in Paul Quinn’s history, said the model has helped reduce debt for Paul Quinn students from $40,000 to less than $10,000 and improve its graduation and retention rates by nearly 40%.

The urban work college model is “lifting our students into career opportunities they never would have imagined,” Sorrell said. “The model works, so we’re going to take it on the road.”

And as Paul Quinn seeks such an ambitious expansion, the school launched a five-year fundraising campaign to further support its students and build its endowment.

Meanwhile, during Friday’s anniversary celebration, the college also surprised 225 Lancaster ISD graduating seniors with college acceptance letters for themselves and two of their family members or friends.

The automatic admission is offered to every Lancaster senior who is Pell Grant-eligible, which is based on financial need, with at least a 3.0 grade average. Family members who choose to attend can opt for online courses or a Paul Quinn program that teaches new skills and provides credentials.

The college announced a similar partnership with Fort Worth in February.