Actor Anthony Anderson Is Talladega College’s Commencement Speaker 2013

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In November, 1867 Swayne School was opened with 140 pupils. Two years later in 1869, the Talladega County Probate Judge lawfully issued a charter for Swayne School to exist as Talladega College. Still, 145 years later, the commitment to education and academic excellence continues.

On Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 12, Talladega College will confer bachelor’s degrees upon its 138th graduating class. The speaker set for that event is television star, actor, comedian and writer, Anthony Anderson. Anderson plays as Detective Kevin Bernard on NBC’s hit series, “Law & Order.” Anderson has appeared in over 20 films. He has had roles alongside actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Eddie Murphy, Jim Carrey, Jack Black, Steve Martin and many more.

Anderson has also starred in his own WB sitcom, “All About the Andersons.” Prior to his NBC appointment, he played a lead character in Fox’s “K-Ville.” He has appeared in many TV and movie hits: “Me, Myself and Irene,” Barbershop,” “Kangaroo Jack,” “Cradle 2 the Grave,” “Scary Movie 3,” “The Bernie Mac Show,” and “Transformers” just to name a few. Anderson also garnered another stint revealing again his comedic side on NBC’s sitcom “Guys with Kids” that debuted last fall. He is an alumnus of Howard University and Hollywood’s High School Performing Arts Magnet program.

The Mother’s Day weekend is full of headline names for graduates, mothers, alumni and guests of Talladega College. Graduates and their families will get to see and hear Anderson in person on Sunday morning at the graduation; but prior to that, celebrations begin Friday night, May 10 with the 6th Annual President’s Scholarship Concert. Courtesy of Talladega College, Frankie Beverly & Maze will come to the Talladega region and entertain an audience at the Talladega Superspeedway Dome. The Friday night concert will also feature a surprise musical guest.

Paul Quinn President Michael Sorrell cites personalized recruiting, intrusive counseling among best practices for HBCUs

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The “2011 HBCU of the Year” Paul Quinn College is experiencing one of the greatest turnarounds in the history of higher education. From increasing retention rates substantially to implementing newly-adopted practices, find out how PQC President Michael Sorrell did it:

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When Michael Sorrell assumed the presidency at Paul Quinn College, one of the first things he did was examine what successful small colleges were doing to achieve their results.

The exploration led him to visit similarly sized institutions throughout the country, from Babson College in Wellesley, Mass., where they “give you one year to prove you can cut it,” to Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., a school that has a 90 percent retention rate and a high rate of alumni giving.

“You don’t get to Walla Walla by accident,” Sorrell said. “But it was worth the trip.”

After the campus visit, Paul Quinn began to adopt some of the most successful strategies that he discovered, from personalized recruiting like other institutions use to recruit athletes, to “intrusive counseling,” in order to turn things around.

Retention rates at Paul Quinn subsequently increased to 83 percent from about 60 or 65 percent “because we engaged and we intruded,” Sorrell said.

“Some students don’t like it,” Sorrell said Tuesday during a panel discussion held on Capitol Hill as part of the NAFEO 39th National Dialogue on Blacks in Higher Education.

“I don’t like the fact that you don’t graduate,” Sorrell said was his response. “So we’ll see who wins. It will be us.”

Read more here.

About Paul Quinn:

The mission of Paul Quinn College is to provide a quality, faith-based education that addresses the academic, social, and Christian development of students and prepares them to be servant leaders and agents of change in their communities.

Central State President among 30 Ohio presidents in Washington, D.C. for Sen. Brown’s sixth annual college and university presidents conference

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Central State University President Cynthia Jackson-Hammond was among 30 Ohio presidents and other special quest invited to U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s (D-OH) sixth annual college and university presidents conference.
Central State University President Cynthia Jackson-Hammond was among 30 Ohio presidents and other special quest invited to U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s (D-OH) sixth annual college and university presidents conference.

Central State press release

Central State University President Cynthia Jackson-Hammond was among the 30 Ohio college and university presidents in Washington yesterday for U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s (D-OH) sixth annual college and university presidents conference. Brown’s forum – the first of its kind for College Presidents in Ohio – brings together leaders at two two-year, four-year, private, public, and community colleges to discuss shared challenges and goals for students and institutions of higher learning.

“Our sixth annual conference builds on our state’s legacy of linking education with economic prosperity, which in turn creates a stronger middle class. Ohio’s two-year and four-year, public and private institutions of higher education are producing the next generation of scientists and lawyers, mathematicians and teachers. It is their work – and their commitment to strengthening the entire pipeline from cradle to career – that will ensure our economy continues to grow and succeed. That’s why this annual conference is so important,” Brown said.

“This conference convenes college and university presidents to discuss ways the next generation of Ohioans can gain the tools and skills needed to repair our economy and create the innovations that will build 21st century progress. Education is our primary economic engine. That’s especially true for older Ohioans who have been laid off and are now looking for skills to compete in emerging fields. It’s also true for servicemembers who return home and want to start a new career. As a nation, we all benefit when every student has the opportunity to earn a quality education,” Brown added.

Brown has invited several special guests to address this year’s forum, including United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki; U.S. Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) – the Chairman and Ranking Members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee; College Now Greater Cleveland CEO Lee Friedman; and members of Ohio’s congressional delegation, including Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11) and Senator Rob Portman (R-OH).

A full list of participants can be found here.

About Central State:

Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, is one of the nation’s oldest historically black universities, with a 125-year legacy of academic and athletic achievements.

Hampton President William Harvey on Plus Loan problem: “We don’t have anybody advocating for us”

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Several speakers at the NAFEO conference recently addressed the PLUS loan problem that caused many students to abandon their studies last fall. Check out some of their responses at Politic 365.

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“This is the worst situation I’ve seen in my 35 years as President,” said Dr. William Harvey, who has been the President of Hampton University in Virginia since 1978, yesterday in Washington DC.  Dr. Harvey is the Chair of President Obama’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

“Some 14,000 HBCU students came to our campuses last year, learned that their Parent PLUS applications had been denied and were sent back home,” Harvey said during a speech at the annual National Association for Equal Opportunity conference (NAFEO) on April 15 in Washington D.C.

Harvey was referring to the problem that hit America’s historically Black colleges and universities disproportionately last fall after the Department of Education changed the way they interpreted ”credit worthiness” and “adverse credit history” for applicants for Parent PLUS loans.  As a result, a spike of PLUS loan denials occurred as colleges prepared for the fall 2012 semester.  Over 14,600 students at HBCUs were declined loans according to HBCU advocates and college Presidents.  The five hardest hit HBCUs can be found here.

Harvey echoed what Stillman College President Dr. Ernest McNealey also told Politic365 this week.  That is, that he could remember no other time when thousands of HBCU students had to leave their studies en masse as they did in the fall of 2012. Several HBCU Presidents stated they only discovered the problem after they noticed a decline in enrollment in August 2012 and began contacting each other.

“The approval rate at Tuskegee University for Parent PLUS loans plummeted from 55% last year to 23% this year,” Tuskegee President Dr. Gilbert Rochon told Politic365 yesterday. “The only way we were able to stay ‘evenboard’ with that debacle was to disgorge half a million dollars from our base budget into Perkins Loans,” Rochon added. “But that’s not a sustainable situation,” he concluded.

Read more here.

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PBS Documentary ‘The Central Park Five’ tackles issues of race and blame

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Need something to watch with a little substance? Check out The Central Park Five documentary and let us know what you think.

About The Central Park Five:

A new film from award-winning filmmaker Ken Burns, tells the story of the five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem who were wrongly convicted of raping a white woman in New York City’s Central Park in 1989. The film chronicles The Central Park Jogger case, for the first time from the perspective of these five teenagers whose lives were upended by this miscarriage of justice.

Watch full film here

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U.S. Senators discuss concerns and challenges on future success of North Carolina’s HBCUs

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Fayetteville State University Chancellor James Anderson took part in a summit with U.S. Senators Kay Hagan and Richard Burr today on ways to strengthen the state’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Chancellors and presidents representing several of the state’s 11 Historically Black Colleges and Universities met with congressional leaders about concerns and challenges. The senators used the summit as an opportunity to receive input on important education and workforce development issues.

“I’m grateful for this opportunity to hear directly from chancellors and presidents from North Carolina’s HBCUs so we can continue taking steps to make these outstanding colleges and universities even stronger,” said Hagan in a press release. “The feedback and suggestions I received today will be invaluable in assuring that our HBCUs can continue to offer the very best education possible for students in North Carolina.”

Anderson commended Hagan for her support. Hagan has supported key investments in HBCUs and minority-serving Institutions to renew, reform and expand programming to ensure that students have the support they need to stay in school and graduate, the release stated. She has also led her colleagues in pushing to maintain funding for HBCUs.

“Once again senator Kay Hagan has evidenced her support for HBCU’s by hosting the Chancellors and Presidents Summit at the U.S. Capitol,” stated Anderson. “She encouraged a frank discussion about critical issues that will have a significant impact on the future success of North Carolina’s HBCUs.”

Read more here.

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Spelman Dropping Athletic Dept for Wellness Program

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The softball bats and golf clubs have been stored away. All is quiet, too, at the basketball gymnasium, the volleyball courts and the soccer field.

Only the tennis team endures at Spelman College, and after the Great South Athletic Conference tournament the last weekend of April, it will also be done. Then Spelman, a historically black women’s college with alumnae who include former slaves and a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, will become the second college in the last decade to leave the N.C.A.A.altogether, the other being the New York City College of Technology in Brooklyn.

Officials at the college, whose 2,100 students make it the size of some high schools, decided last year to eliminate the athletic department. The college had 80 athletes spread across seven sports, but the athletic budget was roughly $900,000 for the 2012-13 academic year — from an overall operating budget of roughly $100 million.

“I was startled,” Spelman’s president, Beverly Tatum, said. “It seemed like a lot of money for 80 students.”

The highly unusual move by Spelman comes when few institutions seem to be able to resist the lure of intercollegiate sports, even as one scandal after another has tarnished the reputations of universities throughout the country.

The decision to shut down Spelman’s athletic program followed the announced intention of several colleges to leave the Great South, meaning the conference would have too few members to remain viable. For Spelman, joining another conference would have meant incurring higher travel costs, making improvements to the college’s athletic sites and fielding teams in additional sports.

While watching a basketball game in the Jaguars’ 62-year-old gymnasium, where a shorter-than-regulation court has necessitated a waiver from the N.C.A.A., Dr. Tatum began to wonder what the players would do for exercise after their eligibility expired.

Dr. Tatum had become alarmingly aware of data showing that young black women were prone to diabetes, heart disease and other ailments linked to poor diet and exercise. Observing candles being lighted on campus at 10-year reunions in memory of alumnae who had died was chilling and revealing.

A remedy seemed obvious: disband N.C.A.A.-level sports and reallocate the money devoted to them toward establishing a wellness program that could take advantage of the college’s gym, courts and fields.

Read full article at nytimes.com

Verizon is looking for someone with answers to world’s biggest challenges

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Earlier this month Verizon launched its Powerful Answers Award, shared the official rules and began accepting entries in three core focus areas of healthcare, education and sustainability.

Winners will be chosen in each core focus area, with the top prize being $1 million and additional prizes of $850,000, $700,000, $500,000 and $285,000.

(Full details can be found on http://www.powerfulanswersaward.com/.)

Verizon Chairman and CEO Lowell McAdam officially launched the Powerful Answers Award earlier this month.

The Award is intended to spark innovative thinking and problem solving across industries and to generate ideas, solutions and answers for some of the world’s biggest challenges.

Tech experts spoke at the event about their collaboration with Verizon and the solutions they hope to see, including Dr. Margaret Honey, president and chief executive officer, New York Hall of Science, and David Cohen, chief executive officer, Techstars.

To watch the live broadcast of the launch event, go to http://news.verizonwireless.com/.

Verizon’s Powerful Answers Award:

Verizon’s Powerful Answers Award is an effort to discover ideas that deliver the best new solutions in three core areas of focus: education, healthcare and sustainability. Entries will be judged by panels of experts, and $10 million total in prizes will be awarded to the winners, who will be announced at 2014 CES.

Former HBCU Buzz Show Guest Jennifer Turner hosting Blogger Meet Up 4/22

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Former guest on The HBCU Buzz Show, Jennifer Turner, is looking for you to meet her next Monday for fun, fitness, and cardio!

Fitness Activator, Jennifer Turner, and MAD COOL FITNESS are at it again and hosting a MAD COOL CARDIO Blogger Meet-Up on Monday, April 22nd at 7:00 p.m.  Want to get in shape for the Summer the MAD COOL FITNESS way?

Definitely join her next week for some awesome fitness and fun in NY! MCC

Tuskegee named a leader for women and minorities in STEM

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2010-09-08_08-06-14.529Tuskegee University was named a top leader in STEM education for women and minorities by Forbes.

The HBCU is rank 6 out of 20 premier colleges in a list naming the best colleges in STEM for women.

(See full list here.)

Though 57 percent of all college students are women, women only represent 45 percent of college math majors, 20 percent of computer science majors and 20 percent of engineering majors, according to the American Council on Education.

President Obama announced last year a proposal to invest 1 billion dollars into STEM education.

“If America is going to compete for the jobs and industries of tomorrow, we need to make sure our children are getting the best education possible,” said President Obama.

Read more on Forbes ranking here.

About Tuskegee University:

Tuskegee University is an independent and state-related institution of higher education.  Its programs serve a student body that is coeducational as well as racially, ethnically and religiously diverse.

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Watch: Behind the scenes look at Bethune-Cookman football program

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Take a look at Bethune-Cookman University’s football program behind the scenes.

About CatEye Network:

CatEye Network is a division of the Bethune-Cookman University Athletics department that offers original programming, live streaming, and behind-the-scenes access to all sports and student involvement. Free content is provided via the CatEye Network YouTube channel.

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Norfolk State Basketball Head Coach Anthony Evans leaves for Florida International

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Coach Anthony Evans resigned from Norfolk State to coach the Florida International University Panthers.

Coach Anthony Evans rebuilt Norfolk State University’s basketball program, led the school to a MEAC title last year, lost Kyle O’Quinn and three other starters and then followed up by going unbeaten in the regular season this year–losing to Florida in the NCAA tournament.

There is no doubt why coach Evans is a “hot coaching commodity.”

Evans recently resigned from Norfolk State where he spent the last six years to assume a job at Florida International University in Miami, Fla.

He went 99-94 at Norfolk State and will take over for coach Richard Pitino.

“…this opportunity, it’s an opportunity of a lifetime to be honest for me and my family,” said Evans after his arrival in South Florida. “It’s huge.”

Associate Coach Robert Jones was named as the interim coach for the 2013-14 season.

Coach Jones has been an “essential part in the Spartans continued rise” during the last fives years with the program.

He took to his Twitter account to thank all who wish him well.

Read more here.

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National Cancer Institute Awards Over $200,000 to Researcher at Clark Atlanta University

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Clark Atlanta University (CAU) announced last week that Dr. Valerie Odero-Marah, associate professor and researcher in the Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development (CCRTD), has received a new grant of $289,494 from the National Cancer Institute to support her research.  Her project, titled “The Role of SNAIL Signaling in Prostate Cancer Metastasis,” will be conducted for the next three years. 

African-Americans have the highest bone density as compared to any other race.  This project will study whether SNAIL protein (a protein found in the human body) is higher in African-American prostate cancer patients compared to other races, and whether these cancer cells expressing SNAIL are more attracted to high bone density found in African-American men, resulting in more aggressive prostate cancer.

Dr. Shafiq Khan, director of CCRTD, said, “We are proud of Dr. Odero-Marah and her achievements noted by this prestigious award.  The funds will help us to continue to develop therapeutic strategies for fighting prostate cancer, bringing us closer to a medical solution.”

Full article at cau.edu

Howard’s AKAs now accused of witness tampering

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Seniors Laurin Compton and Lauren Cofield accused the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. chapter on Howard University's campus of violating their human rights.
Seniors Laurin Compton and Lauren Cofield accused the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. chapter on Howard University’s campus of violating their human rights.

Howard University’s Alpha Kappa Alpha chapter was recently accused of witness tampering in the ongoing lawsuit case of Laurin Compton and Lauren Cofield.

(On Feb. 28 in federal court, the two seniors at the University and sisters alleged that their human rights were violated by sorority members when Compton and Cofield could not wear sorority colors of pink and green, among other innocuous and some serious hazing rules.)

Judge Rosemary Collyer slammed the tampering as “deplorable” and “supercilious” and decided not to sanction the sorority for the tampering.

The plaintiff’s outspoken attorney, Morgan State University graduate J. Wyndal Gordon took to his Facebook page and said:

AKA SORORITY, INC. “GUILTY” OF WITNESS TAMPERING: “The Court finds that the actions of AKA were deplorable and inadvisable, as at least AKA’s counsel now concedes, and had the impact of impeding testimony.” Compton, et al., v. AKA Sorority, Inc., et al. And we’re just getting started. –The Warrior Lawyer!!

Read more at the Huffington Post.

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14,616 Students Denied Student Loans: The 5 Hardest Hit HBCUs

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plus-disaster-495x340After the Department of Education began to implement stricter requirements for PLUS loan applicants under 34 CFR § 682.201 (c)(2), over 14.616 students from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) were forced to abandon their studies in the fall of 2012 after a dramatic spike in loan denials.  The parents of the students applying for Parent PLUS loans suddenly found they could be denied loans if they had a major change in their credit within five years of applying for a loan.

Over 80% of budgets for HBCUs comes from the financial aid of students.  Thurgood Marshall Fund President Johnny Walker says only 1,900 of the 14,600 students whose education was interrupted have been issued loans.

The 5 schools that saw the most students denied loans in the fall of 2012 were the following:

1. North Carolina Central University (NC): 609 students denied loans 
2. Howard University (DC): 607 students denied loans
3. Florida A&M University (FL): 569 students denied loans
4. Prairie View A&M (TX): 528 students denied loans
5. Grambling State University (LA): 523 students denied loans

Advocates for HBCUs are calling the situation a catastrophe. This week in Washington, many HBCU Presidents are convening to talk about the problems their institutions are facing.  The President of Tuskegee University Dr. Gilbert Rochon, told an audience at the annual National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) in Washington that the Parent PLUS loan change in “credit worthiness” have hurt HBCUs badly.  Julianne Malveau, the former President of Bennett College in North Carolina, said there was a “gag order” imposed on some Black college administrators on the PLUS loan issue last fall when students were leaving school because they could not get loans. Read Full

American Baptist College officially named as HBCU

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ABCNewLogoLast week (Thursday, April 11) American Baptist College President Dr. Forrest E. Harris announced that the U.S Department of Education has approved the University’s recognition as a Historically Black College and University.

ABC joins this historic list after a concentrated appeal that started in June 2012 and was later presented to Secretary Arne Duncan.

(A school must be established before 1964, be accredited by an entity recognized by the US Department of Education and serve African-American students to be considered a historically black college, according to Higher Education Act of 1965.)

In a presidential proclamation observing 2011 HBCU Week, President Obama remarked:

HBCUs continue a proud tradition as vibrant centers of intellectual inquiry and engines of scientific discovery and innovation. New waves of students, faculty, and alumni are building on their rich legacies and helping America achieve our goal of once again leading the world in having the highest proportion of college graduates by 2020.

The private historically black college is now the 106th HBCU in the nation.

About American Baptist University:

Founded in 1924 by black and white Baptists, American Baptist provides educational opportunities for gifted students who have limited academic experiences and resources but unlimited potential for leadership in society.

 

 

 

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