By Rebecca Noel
Johnson C. Smith University says it’s bracing for cuts to student aid and services as a new presidential administration targets what’s been “part of the fabric” of the historically Black college from its beginning. Johnson C. Smith University was founded in 1867 as Freedmen’s College of North Carolina. It is one of the nation’s around 100 historically Black colleges and universities, but it remains the only one in Charlotte. Its leaders have watched closely as an anti-diversity, equity and inclusion movement has grown among conservative politicians and corporations.
After the UNC Board of Governors voted to repeal its diversity, equity and inclusion policy in May, JCSU President Valerie Kinloch initially made comments to The Charlotte Observer that DEI had been “part of the fabric” of the college from its inception. The school originally was founded to provide Black Americans with education at a time when they were largely excluded from other institutions. While JCSU is a private university and not a part of the UNC System, Kinloch said she was “disappointed but not surprised” by the board’s decision, calling it a “disservice” to students.
“I’m disheartened that many universities are erasing, banning or disarming any kind of critical perspective when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion,” Kinloch told the Observer in July. “Diversity is not about just Black people … Diversity is about understanding that we form a collective of critical, conscious individuals who pursue equity and justice because we have racial, ethnic, linguistic and gender differences.”
Since Trump took office in January, his administration has made sweeping cuts to federal funding, including for education initiatives containing elements related to diversity, equity and inclusion or “DEI.” In a Feb. 14 letter, the U.S. Department of Education directed schools that receive federal funds to exclude race from “decisions related to admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies and all other aspects of student, academic and campus life” or risk losing federal funds.
JCSU has around 1,300 students – a broad range of races and ethnic backgrounds – and 23 degree-seeking programs. Around 99% of its students rely on federal funding in some way, whether loans, grants or federal work study programs.
Angela White, JCSU’s senior vice president for strategic enrollment and retention management, sat down with The Charlotte Observer to spell out how the school uses federal funds – and what attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion mean for a school with those values woven into its history.
Johnson C. Smith University affected by federal cuts? Question: What does federal funding currently look like at JCSU? How much does the school receive and what sorts of programs does that funding go toward?
Answer: We do have Title III funds. Those are federal funds specifically designated to historically Black colleges and universities for the sake of strengthening HBCUs, and as we unpack that a bit more, it is designated for student success as well as infrastructural needs we may have as an institution – because typically, our HBCUs are underfunded. So those funds are to provide robust support structures and services for our students that lead to student success.
There are three programs supported through the Department of Education, typically called TRIO programs. These typically support underrepresented, first-generation, low socioeconomic status students. Then we’re also able to support a portion of students who have documented disabilities… At JCSU, about 25% of our students are first-generation college students. So you can already see the implications of those types of programs being either reduced, altered or eliminated as a result of deconstruction of the Department of Education.
Aside from that, we do receive federal funding through agencies like the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health or Veteran Affairs, which we receive funding for our population of students who are veteran and military personnel.
Q: Has JCSU been affected by any of the federal funding cuts that have already taken place since President Trump took office in January?
A: Thankfully, we have not seen any impact as a result of some of the early decisions that have taken place. We have been able to function as normal. However, as an institution, and under the leadership of our president, Dr. Valerie Kinloch, we are thinking strategically about ways to prepare for some of those decisions trickling down to impact our university.
Q: Can you talk a little more about that? What have those conversations looked like?
A: When we think about our programs supported through the Department of Education, these things are essentially law. So, we understand that the current president cannot eliminate those things with an executive order. However, he can put these executive orders in place that may lead to alterations or delays in processes. So, for us, we have been thinking and really starting to strategize more around other sources of funding. As we think about our students who rely on federal aid – and again, that’s 99% of our students – how can we engage in capital campaigns, with institutional advancement through private donors and corporations, that provide the level of funding that we historically need? To fill the gap for our students or provide what they would typically receive through federal aid?
We’re thinking about corporations that could be long-term partners with the university and also really thinking through other ways to scale and sustain our programming as well… so not just tuition, fees and other expenses but also our programs.
Q: Since JCSU is private, what effects would bans on DEI offices and things like that have on JCSU? What parts would affect JCSU and what parts would not affect JCSU, as a private institution?
A: That is a benefit to being private. Some of the things that institutions within university-wide systems have to adjust as a result of consistency across those systems, we do not necessarily have to make those adjustments. So, for example, as the UNC system makes decisions, one single university cannot say, “Hey, we’re not going to align with this.” They have to really comply with what the entire system has instituted across the board. For us, we’re governed more so from our internal governing body. Of course, we have our report out to governmental bodies, but we are buffered a bit more than the public institutions. However, some of the federal funding processes could be altered in a way that delays distributions or delays the level students receive funding … As a private institution, we do have a higher tuition and fee rate, and the percentage of students who require federal aid, that’s where we could see some of that impact.
Going back to programs supported through the Department of Education – if these types of programs are underfunded or the level at which they are funded is altered, students that we typically support would be impacted by that … There would be more strain on JCSU’s ability to provide those essential services to our students.
Q: I spoke with President Kinloch about pushback against DEI initiatives this summer, and she said part of JCSU’s DNA as a historically Black institution was for diversity, equity and inclusion. So, what are some of your thoughts on that, given this backdrop? What is JCSU’s place within this broader context?
A: As President Kinloch stated, it is woven in the fabric of who we are. One of the great things about being a historically Black college and university is that we have an opportunity to demonstrate the HBCU context is not homogeneous. There’s a lot of heterogeneity to the composition of an HBCU… Our mission is to ensure access to people of color, but it’s not just solely people of color who are receiving educational development within HBCUs. For example, there are two HBCUs in the Western Virginia territory that are almost 90% non-African American. We are really displaying more and more of just that heterogeneity. And with that, we are still, as a private institution, able to hold onto a lot of the cultural aspects of who we are as an HBCU and what we were designed to do, which was really to provide access and to educate Black and brown students and to produce these scholars who can then go out into the broader society, broader community and make an impact.
It could result in enrollment growth for us… As other institutions have to make adjustments with their admissions processes and criteria and even having to eliminate their programs that focus on DEI, African-American and Black students will gain greater awareness of that. They’ll know that we still have this support in place. So, it could serve as a magnet for us.
Q: Is there anything else you think it’s important for people to know about this?
A: I do believe that it is vitally important for those who believe in the education of Black and brown students to amplify their voice during this period that we’re in. DEI and HBCUs are very overtly under attack. We are seeing the elimination of programs that have the potential to really have long-term impact on these communities. It’s important for us to also ensure that we are engaging in conversations and, as needed for the sake of the generations to come, pushing back on these agendas that are really stifling the development, growth and educational access of our students…I do believe that this is a time where HBCUs can really rise even amidst the pressure that we are experiencing around us through this administration. It is a time for us to really stand as a unified front and, and really advocate on behalf of our students.