Campus News - Page 2

City Hosts HBCU Students to Design Future Infrastructure Projects

The City of Charlotte welcomed seven innovative students from various nationwide Historically Black Colleges and Universities to help them design programs that the students will pitch in a competition with a $10,000 prize. The programs are aimed at addressing some of the city’s initiatives for community-wide mobility and accessibility. Friday’s visit was made possible by the 2025 HBCU Smart Cities Programs’ partnership with Mastercard, which provides a unique opportunity for HBCU students to engage with smart city technology and address community challenges across cities in North Carolina. Charlotte returns to the HBCU Smart Cities Program for the third year in

UNC Journalism Dean Navigates Diversity Mission Amid DEI Restrictions

By Erin Siegel McIntyre Last May, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Board of Governors voted to eliminate all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) offices. At the state’s flagship, UNC Chapel Hill, cut at least 20 positions and reassigned nearly 30 more, resulting in around $5.4 million in spending cuts. The move aligned Chapel Hill with other public universities in states with Republican-controlled legislatures such as the University of Florida that have similarly “banned” diversity spending and programming. Those changes came shortly after the hire of Dean Raul Reis, who joined the Hussman School of Journalism and Media

Delaware State University granted R2 Research Institution status

Courtesy of Delaware State University Delaware State University’s rise among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) continued with the formal announcement Feb. 14 of the 2025 Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education, and the University has again been classified as an R2 “High Research Activity and Doctoral Production” institution. Of the 101 HBCU sister institutions, 14 hold the R2 status. These rankings are important in higher education and are given to institutions that produce a rolling average of 20 research and scholarship doctorates per year and have more than $5 million per year of research expenditures. After a concerted 24-month

HBCU Sets Record Awarding $268K in Scholarships This Spring

Courtesy of Grambling State University Grambling State University is breaking new ground in its commitment to student empowerment. It distributed an impressive $267,968 in donor-funded scholarships to 264 students for the Spring 2025 semester. This marks a significant milestone in financial support and academic achievement. The amount awarded this semester builds on a record-setting ambition as GSU surpassed its $500,000 scholarship goal for the 2024-2025 academic year. This achievement reflects a remarkable 102% increase in total funds distributed and a 131% rise in scholarship awards compared to the previous year; all made possible through the university’s dedicated scholarship committee that diligently reviewed

NYC Public Schools moves to launch early college program with Delaware State

By Danielle McLean New York City Public Schools is working on launching an early college program with Delaware State University for the 2025-2026 school year. The early college program, called HBCU Early College Prep High School, will be the first such collaboration between a historically Black college or university and a school district that’s located in a state without an HBCU, according to Chyann Tull, a New York City Public Schools spokesperson. Early college programs are jointly run by high schools and colleges and allow high schoolers to take college courses for credits toward an associate or bachelor’s degree. These programs can help make college more attainable for low-income,

HBCU and XVIII Airborne Corps Forge Historic Education Partnership

Courtesy of Fayetteville State University Fayetteville State University has embarked on a groundbreaking journey toward educational enhancement. On Feb. 12, it signed an Education Partnership Agreement with Fort Bragg and the XVIII Airborne Corps. This agreement, set against the backdrop of FSU’s Center for Defense and Homeland Security, highlights the two institutions’ shared dedication to promoting education and innovation in fields vital to national security. It also cements the long-lasting partnership between the university and the military installation. Chancellor Darrell T. Allison and Lieutenant General Gregory K. Anderson, commanding general of the XVIII Airborne Corps, made the partnership official in the Military

Thurgood Marshall College Fund congratulates member school Howard University for achieving Research-1 status

Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) officials are thrilled to congratulate member school Howard University for achieving a Research-1 (R-1) designation in the latest Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Howard University’s status follows two significant developments: the Department of Defense (DoD) announcing the first University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) being awarded to a consortia of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) led by Howard, and the American Council on Education (ACE) taking the lead on Carnegie Classifications and introducing a more transparent formula for reaching R-1 status. To achieve R-1 status, universities must award at least 70 doctoral degrees on average each year and accumulate

HBCU Secures $80K NIL Partnership to Promote Agriculture Among Student-Athletes

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Courtesy of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is making significant strides in redefining the intersection of athletics and agriculture with a groundbreaking partnership launched by its Athletics Department. The collaboration with James Bunch, president of PickinGreens Productions, and the 1890 Agriculture and Student Athletes Project has resulted in an impressive $80,000 award focused on name, image, and likeness contracts for student-athletes. This initiative will support these young athletes academically and athletically and enable them to serve as ambassadors for the agricultural sector. Bunch, an alumnus of UAPB with a degree in

CUNY’s Black Male Initiative Marks 20 Years of Success Amid National DEI Pushbacks

By Lian Herder As the country witnesses the shuttering of multiple diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices and as businesses retract their plans to intentionally diversify their employees and leaders, one college-based program in New York City, originally designed to support the education of young Black men, is celebrating its 20th anniversary with no signs of slowing. The Black Male Initiative (BMI) officially began in 2005, when the New York City Council approved funding for BMI throughout the whole of the City University of New York (CUNY) system, 25 institutions in total. Since then, the program has spread to all

Black History, Bold Futures: City Colleges Students Find a Seamless Transition to Success at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

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Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), originally founded to provide Black students access to higher education, remain vital institutions of academic excellence, cultural preservation, and community empowerment today. As City Colleges students explore their transfer options, HBCUs can offer a seamless pathway due to our partnerships with several HBCUs and our likeminded values. In this week’s Black History, Bold Futures feature, learn how two Kennedy-King College alumni are finding success at HBCUs. After a semester of online courses, Kennedy-King alumna Me’Lisa Lashon Thimot arrived at Delaware State University in January 2025 amid a snowstorm. “I called my Delaware State advisor