Tompkins Hired as AAMU Head Baseball Coach

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Interim head baseball coach Michael Tompkins has dropped the interim tag at the beginning of his title as he has been named the next head baseball coach at Alabama A&M University.

Tompkins, beginning his third season at A&M, one as an assistant and one as interim coach, inherited a tough situation last January when head coach Eddie McCann retired due to health reasons and Tompkins was thrust into the job.
The young Bulldogs started off 2012 strong defeating Indiana Purdue-Fort Wayne 8-5 in their first contest and went 5-6 in their first 11 games.  But it was not to be for the youngest coach in Division I as they finished the season 8-42 overall and 1-23 in the league.
“I would like to thank AD Hicks for offering me the position as well as the student-athletes for returning to the program,” said Tompkins.  “The process went well and I am happy with it.  I also would like to thank Dr. Andrew Hugine Jr., and Dr. Kevin Rolle for the opportunity in the 2012 season and I appreciate them for continuing it.”
When Tompkins was named the head coach he suddenly became famous as he earned the title of the youngest head coach among all Division 1 colleges and universities.
The former collegiate baseball player has made a number of improvements to the A&M baseball field including the Maroon wooden fence, railings and netting in front of the dugouts, repainting of the dugouts, and field, a warning track and a new sound system. All that took place during the 2012 season.  Source 

Alcorn, MUW to offer breaks to non-Miss. students

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Two more Mississippi public universities will offer tuition breaks to some out-of-state students.

Alcorn State University and the Mississippi University for Women received approval from the College Board Thursday to waive higher charges for non-Mississippi residents. They join Jackson State University, which got permission for a waiver in June.

The Legislature passed a law this year allowing universities to reduce tuition to in-state levels for some non-Mississippians. The schools lobbied for the measure, saying public colleges in other states were waiving charges for Mississippi students.

Higher Education Commissioner Hank Bounds said College Board staff members are closely watching the financial impact of Mississippi taxpayers subsidizing out-of-state students. He said the idea is to lure students who wouldn’t otherwise attend, increasing revenue for the schools.

“The thing that’s driving this is the need to increase enrollment because of declining state support,” Bounds said Wednesday.

He said neither Alcorn State nor MUW are likely to see the full impact until next fall because the changes are being approved too late for recruiting more students.

MUW says it wants to offer waivers to holders of regional scholarships, students from four nearby Alabama counties, and students from the Birmingham and Mobile areas in Alabama and the Memphis, Tenn., area. It also wants to offer waivers to children of alumni.

Undergraduates who are Mississippi residents will pay $5,316 to attend MUW full time this year. Non-residents will pay $14,484. As at most schools, many students from both groups will pay less because of financial aid.

Alcorn State plans a two-pronged test. New students will be required to have earned a 3.0 grade point average in high school and at least an 18 on the ACT college test. An 18 is just below the 18.7 average for all Mississippi students tested in 2011. Current students, transfers or graduate students must have a 2.5 college grade point average.

Once that minimum academic threshold has been reached, the applicant must meet one of eight additional criteria. A student could be from a nearby part of Louisiana, help the historically black institution diversify its student body, have high test scores, plan to major in a small department such as math that Alcorn State wants to bolster, be from a rural area, be a military service member or veteran, plan to serve as a graduate assistant, need financial aid or have high standardized test scores. Alcorn State said it might issue partial waivers or only issue waivers to some eligible students.

Mississippi resident undergraduates will pay $5,712 to attend Alcorn State full time this year. Non-residents will pay $14,052. Source

FAMU moves to settle Champion hazing lawsuit – Good or Bad Move?

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Florida A&M University wants to try to settle a family’s lawsuit against the school over the hazing death of a band member. FAMU trustees on Thursday voted to enter a voluntary mediation session with attorneys for the parents of Robert Champion, who authorities said died last November after Marching 100 members beat him during a hazing ritual.

Eleven FAMU band members face felony hazing charges, while two others face misdemeanor counts. They have pleaded not guilty.

The Champions, who live in the Atlanta suburb of Decatur, Ga., claim university officials did not take action to stop hazing even though a school dean proposed suspending the band because of hazing three days before their son died.

School officials also fell short in enforcing anti-hazing policies and did not keep a close eye on band members to prevent hazing, the lawsuit said. [polldaddy poll=6471038][polldaddy poll=6471022]

Chris Chestnut, an attorney for the Champions, said the drum major’s parents are still committed to going to trial, but that a judge would require that mediation be attempted.

“We are engaged in and committed to aggressively litigating this case in the memory of Robert Champion and to protect other students,” Chestnut said.

Chestnut said he was unable to comment on whether the Champions ever would consider a settlement, which would have to be approved by FAMU trustees. Florida law also requires any settlement in excess of $300,000 to be approved by the Florida Legislature.

Trustees met in a closed session for nearly an hour with in-house attorneys and an attorney from the prominent law firm of GrayRobinson to discuss the pending lawsuit.

FAMU trustees said after the meeting that the decision to pursue mediation should not be seen as an admission that the university did something wrong. Solomon Badger, chairman of the FAMU board, called it the “first step” in any litigation.

Charles Langston, a FAMU trustee, said that no financial amounts were discussed during the closed-door session. He said the board just spent time going over its options and that part of the goal of mediation was “fact finding” where everyone could put their “cards on the table.”

The move to try to settle the lawsuit comes shortly before FAMU was expected to file a motion asking the court to dismiss the lawsuit.

The Marching 100 has been suspended and will not play during the upcoming academic year. FAMU has already announced strict new requirements for members when the band returns. Source 

FAMU trustees terminate dorm contract with Premier

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Florida A&M University trustees, bewildered by revised estimates for a new residence hall already under construction, voted Thursday to terminate their contract with a prominent Tallahassee-based company, Premier Construction and Development.

While approving a plan to solicit new bids for the project, the trustees also took the unusual step of requesting an audit of FAMU’s contracts with Premier.

Using a $42.8-million bond approved March 22 by the Board of Governors, FAMU has razed Polkinghorne Village on Gamble Street just west of the student services center and has been planning to have a new 800-bed residence hall ready for the 2013-14 school year.

But the university hit an impasse with Premier during recent weeks, when a $34.5-million construction estimate mushroomed to $48 million, which was then revised to $41.5 million.

“That’s more than $6 million we don’t have,” said SpurgeonMcWilliams, chair of the trustees’ facilities committee.

Steve Ghazvini, president of Premier Construction, said following Thursday’s FAMU board meeting that he had not decided if his company would rebid for the project. Premier has completed most of the foundation for the new dorm Read Full

2012 Morgan State Volleyball Outlook

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Morgan State head coach Ramona Riley-Bozier will enter her 25th season at the helm of the Lady Bears’ volleyball program this season and she is enthusiastic about the possibilities of the 2012 campaign.

Last season was an up and down one for Morgan State. The Lady Bears began the season on a high note winning their first two matches for the first time since 1999. The back-to-back victories over Saint Peter’s and Providence, which came during the La Salle Invitational, also provided Coach Riley-Bozier with her 374th and 375th wins of her coaching career.

“I really didn’t know what to expect with that group because we had a lot of new people, the team was young and of the returning players we had coming back we only had really one veteran that was a consistent starter for us, which was Erin [Cox],” said Riley-Bozier. “So, I really didn’t have a whole lot of high expectation, but it was exciting starting out the year with those two wins in the tournament, so at that time things looked to be pretty good.”

Morgan State then dropped its next 13 matches in the midst of losing 17 of 18 matches, before putting together a five-match winning streak and finishing the season 10-19 overall and an 8-4 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) North Division, good for second place. The 10 wins were the most in four seasons, since the 2007 team won 11 matches, which was also the last time the Lady Bears finished as high as second in the division. The eight league victories were the most since 2006 when that team went 9-1 in conference play.

“I think when freshman Nangeeshie [Plaud] got hurt things just went downhill,” said Riley-Bozier. “Even when she came back, mentally she wasn’t there how we needed her to be. We just couldn’t find a way to win and find a person who could generate enough offensive for us. We didn’t have a true libero at the start of the season, so having to move the one person who could score for us to the libero position helped, but it also took away some of the offense. After we moved Erin from libero back to the outside position then we started to do some good things.” Source 

ASU to Host Conference for Veteran-Owned Small Businesses

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If you are a veteran or service-disabled veteran, the College of Business Administration’s Small Business Development Center at Alabama State University has resources to help you start and grow your small business.

From creating a business plan to finding your first customer, ASU’s “Veterans Supplier Diversity-Procurement Conference and Matchmaker 2012” will help you succeed.
The event, co-sponsored with the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama LLC, will take place Thursday, August 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Dunn-Oliver Acadome Banquet Room. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m.

The conference theme is “Driving for Success: Making the Connections.” Discussion topics will include veteran resources, skills training, funding and more.

Thomas Taylor, event coordinator, said the conference is designed to offer real opportunities for veteran-owned small businesses.

“This is a first-of-its-kind, free event where veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses can learn, exchange ideas, network and market their products and services to supplier diversity corporations, federal government agencies and prime contractors,” Taylor said.

A highlight of the conference is the Match-Maker session, during which 30 registrants will have an opportunity to present their company’s “capabilities statement” in a two-minute brief to companies, government officials and prime contractors that drive economic development. An additional 10 registrants will be selected at random to present the same.

ASU alumna Deborah Scott Thomas, retired USAF Col., entrepreneur and president and CEO of Data Solutions & Technology Incorporated (DST), will serve as the luncheon’s keynote speaker.

Attendees are encouraged to bring at least 12 sets of business marketing materials for participating buyers.

Participating buyers will be highly encouraged to select those businesses to which they would like to extend a follow-up office visit.

Due to limited seating, attendees are encouraged to preregister by Aug. 23. Lunch will be provided.

For more information or to register, contact Thomas Taylor at 334-229-4138 or email: ttaylor@alasu.edu.

Norfolk State Green vs. Gold Volleyball Scrimmage Set for Saturday

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The Norfolk State volleyball team will host its annual Green vs. Gold intrasquad scrimmage this Saturday beginning at 4 p.m. in Joseph Echols Hall. Fans can get an early glimpse of the 2012 squad as members of the team battle it out against each other in a normal best-of-five match format.

As is normal throughout the entire season, admission is free for this Saturday’s volleyball scrimmage. Because of a current shortage of players, head coach Brandon Duvall and assistant coach Dave Albaugh will compete for the Green team. The two rosters for the Green and Gold teams are set below.

The Spartans return seven letterwinners and two redshirt players from last year’s team that finished 9-16 overall, 5-7 in the MEAC. Duvall also brought in a strong recruiting class for this year consisting of six newcomers, giving the team perhaps its deepest lineup in years. Source

Bill Gates Giving Away 1,000 Minority Scholarships

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The 2013 Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) Program, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is once again looking for talented minority students to receive scholarship rewards.

The program, started in 1999, seeks African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American or Hispanic American students who plan to enroll full-time in a two-year or four-year college or university. The scholarship is renewable and may be used in the freshman, sophomore, junior, senior or graduate years.

Since 1999, it has funded the education of more than 16,000 students, awarding them more than $614 million dollars to pay for tuition, fees, books and housing.

The purpose of GMS is to prepare students to be leaders who can help build a stronger society. The organization supports students from groups who otherwise might not have an opportunity to earn a college education.

The application process is a three-part effort: 1) a Student Application is completed and submitted by the student; 2) a Nominator Form must be completed and submitted by an educator- Principal, teacher, guidance counselor or higher education representative; 3) a Recommender Form must be completed and submitted by any adult who is familiar with the student’s community service and leadership activities, such as a supervisor at work or a community leader.

The deadline for submission is January 16, 2013.

For more information and to apply:  GMS

Source

Kentucky State University Mighty Marching Thorobreds To Perform During Colts Game

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The Kentucky State University Mighty Marching Thorobreds is used to performing under the bright lights and entertaining a crowd at half time. But performing for a NFL audience is new.

KSU will perform during halftime at the Lucas Oil Stadium of the Indianapolis Colts game on September 15.

The Band’s Director, Kalomo Bailey, says he was contacted this summer about the opportunity.

“This is a big time performance,” Bailey said. “This is not our usual college half time show.”

Bailey describes the group’s style as flashy and entertaining.

And as far as the band’s nerves for their pro football debut…

“Once they get out there and hear the roar of the crowd, they’re just gonna blow the roof off that dome,” Bailey says.

The Indianapolis Colts will be playing the Minnesota Vikings on the day when KSU plays the half time show. Referenced from NEWS10

Hampton billboards honor Olympians Francena McCorory & Kellie Wells

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The City of Hampton is honoring local Olympians Francena McCorory and Kellie Wells with giant billboards displaying their images and successes.

The digital billboards are up on Interstate 64 and Interstate 664 in Hampton.

McCorory, a graduate of Bethel High School and Hampton University, won a gold medal as a member of the U.S. Olympic women’s 4×400 meter relay team. Wells, a Hampton University graduate, won a bronze medal in the women’s 100 meter hurdles.

It appears both local track stars have heard about their billboards. McCorory tweeted

[tweet https://twitter.com/theREALMcCorory/status/234619168404672512]

Wells commented  [tweet https://twitter.com/KellieWellz/status/235796255895343104]

Referenced from Wavy

FAMU names Larry Robinson interim President to lead school

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Florida A&M University trustees are putting an interim president in charge of the university as it embarks on a national search for a permanent leader.

Trustees on Wednesday officially confirmed Larry Robinson as interim president. Robinson will be paid $325,000 a year.

He replaces James Ammons, who abruptly resigned amid the fallout from the hazing death of a marching band member.

Robinson, the FAMU provost, was named interim president last month during an emergency meeting but trustees wanted to confirm the choice at a face-to-face meeting.

Robinson will not be able to apply for the permanent spot.

Eleven FAMU band members face felony hazing charges, while two others face misdemeanor counts for alleged roles in the hazing of drum major Robert Champion. They have pleaded not guilty. Referenced from NEWS10

UGA honors First African-American Graduate, Clark Atlanta Alum Mary Frances

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Mary Frances Early who made history in Athens by becoming UGA’s first African American to receive a degree in 1962, is being honored by her former school on Wednesday. Early’s story has been overshadowed over the years by the story of Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes, who were the first Blacks to enroll at UGA in 1961.

Mary Early is a former Turner High School student and studied Music Appreciation at Clark College (now Clark Atlanta Univ). She transferred her Master’s study to UGA once they became desegregated. After finishing her Master’s Degree at UGA, Early eventually became Chair of the Dept. of Music at Clark Atlanta University.

Civil rights pioneer Lonnie King Jr., who helped launch Atlanta student protests during the early 1960s, will deliver the keynote address at the event commemorating the 50th anniversary of Early’s graduation.

Early will be honored by university officials and by several colleagues from a former civic group called the Wataushis, who will present her with a “Torch of Knowledge” statue representing various aspects of achievement and civic activism. Referenced from Castgade Patch

WSSU Professor Dr. Yolanda Edwards, Recognized with Education Award

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Dr. Yolanda Edwards, a professor at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU), recently received the Sylvia Walker Education Award from the National Association of Multicultural Rehabilitations Concerns (NAMRC), the division of the National Rehabilitation Association that promotes ethical and state-of-the-art practices in rehabilitation.

Edwards is the coordinator of the M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling program in the Department of Educational Leadership, Counseling and Professional Studies in WSSU’s School of Education and Human Performance.  She was recognized for her innovative curriculum developments that have increased student certification as rehabilitation counselors from 43 percent to 75 percent.  The award was also based on her national activities that help provide access to educational opportunities in rehabilitation counseling for minority students.  Edwards had previously received the Joyce Keener Award in acknowledgement of her service to the association. Read Full WSSU 

UAPB to offer Master’s degree in Computer Science

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Starting this fall, the Computer Science Unit at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) will offer a Master’s of Science degree in Computer Science & Technology (CS&T). The CS&T is an innovative, interdisciplinary graduate degree designed to allow students to pursue advanced training in computer science or industrial technology, while simultaneously developing workplace skills highly valued by employers.

The first of its kind for the institution, CS&T
is a unique professional degree grounded in natural science, technology, engineering, mathematics and computational sciences designed to prepare students for direct entry into a variety of career options in industry, business, government, or non-profit organizations. “It is a distinctive advanced degree for those intending to pursue a career in the practice of science,” says Dr. Jesse Walker, Coordinator of the Computer Science Unit.

The CS&T program prepares graduates for high-level careers in science that have a strong emphasis on such skill areas as management and entrepreneurship with the expectation for graduates to progress toward leadership roles. Read Full UAPB

Yankee Stadium to Host New York Urban League Football Classic, Hampton vs Morgan

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Yankee Stadium will once again play host to a classic college football matchup, as Hampton University and Morgan State University will meet in the New York Urban League Football Classic on November 17, 2012, at the home of the Yankees. The two-year agreement calls for the two schools to play at Yankee Stadium again in 2013 as well.

The original Yankee Stadium was host to what later became known as the annual New York Urban League Football Classic from 1968-73 and ’76-87. Morgan State played 11 times in the contest, going 1-10 as they faced off against Grambling and head coach Eddie Robinson each time. For Hampton, it will mark their first football game at Yankee Stadium (original or current).

Now in its fourth year of existence, Yankee Stadium has already played host to elite college football games, including the annual New Era Pinstripe Bowl, the 50th all-time matchup between Notre Dame and Army in 2010, and Army vs. Rutgers in 2011. The home of the Yankees is also scheduled to play host to Army-Boston College in November 2014. Additionally, Yankee Stadium has hosted the Public School Athletic League Football Championship Game in each of the last two years.

Since its inception, proceeds from the game have helped to leverage over $20 million in Whitney M. Young, Jr. Educational Scholarships to nearly 4,000 college bound students. Whitney M. Young, Jr. who the scholarship was named after, was the President of the National Urban League.  His distinguished career was marked by his effectiveness in bringing the business community into full participation in the struggle for Civil Rights.  Young focused on gaining equality for blacks in business, politics, and improving opportunities for the urban poor.  The New York Urban League continues the mission of the is to enable African Americans and other underserved communities to secure a first class education, economic self-reliance and equal respect of their civil rights through programs, services and advocacy in our highly diversified city. Read full MSU

Fayetteville State Appoints New Associate Dean for University College, Dr. Tyson Beale

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Dr. John Brooks III, Dean for the University College, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Tyson Beale as the new Associate Dean for the University College at Fayetteville State University (FSU).

Dr. Beale is a passionate administrator who has 15 years of experience in K-12 and higher education.  Prior to his appointment at FSU, Dr. Beale served as a Network Student Support Administrator to nine schools in Baltimore, Maryland.  As a district administrator to nearly 150 academic staff he directly oversaw curriculum development, supplemental instruction, professional development, and student activity budgets for regular and special education programs. In higher education Dr. Beale has held leadership roles for TRIO’s Student Support Services, Multi-Cultural Services, and Student Affairs.  His leadership experience has focused heavily on increasing the retention and graduation of college students, particularly young men.

Dr. Beale is highly recommended and has a proven track record in advancing student engagement programs and bridging the institutional barriers that plague many students.  As a first generation college student he believes the primary avenue to increasing student success is through a retention-based culture.  In his words, “high level engagement and collaboration among passionate educators is the vehicle to student success”.  His research interest is African American male persistence.  In fact, during his tenure at Morgan State University he founded Male~Strategy, co-founded the Board of Advisement Recruitment and Retention (B.A.A.R.), and mentored men of the Morgan M.I.L.E. while working in the Office of Student Retention and Leadership Development.  His work earned him the honor of 2007 male faculty/staff member of the year at Morgan State. Read Full FSU