Campus News - Page 23

TSU becomes first Texas HBCU to earn Carnegie community engagement designation

Texas Southern University has earned the prestigious Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, making it the first historically Black college or university in Texas to receive the designation. Fewer than 10 percent of the nearly 4,000 degree-granting institutions in the United States hold this classification, which recognizes universities that integrate community partnerships into their real-worldteaching, research, and service. The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification requires a detailed application process that evaluates how institutions build sustained and reciprocal relationships with the communities they serve. Texas Southern partners with schools, health organizations, government agencies, and nonprofits across Greater Houston to provide hands-on learning for students while expanding services

Building trust, saving lives: HBCUs expand organ donation education in Georgia

By Tashi McQueen AFRO Staff Writer tmcqueen@afro.com LifeLink of Georgia’s Multicultural Donation Education Program (MDEP) has partnered with eight of Georgia’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), including the Morehouse School of Medicine, to address a shortage of Black doctors in the organ donation and transplant field. The partnership is currently in its fourth year and aims to broaden students’ career options by providing in-depth education on transplantation and organ donation. At the end of 2025, there were more than 100,000 people waiting for a transplant nationally, according to LifeLink. On average, 17 people die each day as they wait

Morris Brown College president fired in surprise decision by HBCU board

The president of Morris Brown College, an HBCU in Atlanta, was terminated from his position and replaced by a member of the university’s board in a surprise and unclear decision Monday. Dr. Kevin E. James held the president’s position for seven years and his contract was set to expire in 2029, he said in a statement. But on Monday, James was told he had been terminated “without providing specific cause or substantive explanation.” Board of Trustee member Nzinga Shaw was appointed as interim president on the same day, according to a statement from the university. Weeks before accreditation reaffirmation review The surprising decision to remove James and appoint

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Announces New Grant Opportunity for HBCUs

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has recently announced the availability of $10 million in funding to support housing and community development research projects at historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal colleges and universities, and Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian-serving institutions. “These research opportunities will ensure that we are supporting inclusive communities for all. HUD must work to uplift and support those people who have been historically disadvantaged and left behind,” said Adrianne Todman, HUD Agency Head. “One way we do this is by supporting minority-serving institutions in their vital research on housing and related topics. These

Jacqueline Allen Trimble, English Professor at HBCU, to Serve as New Poet Laureate for State of Alabama

By Javacia Harris Bower | Alabama News Center This month, Jacqueline Allen Trimble – an award-winning poet and professor of English and chair of the Department of Languages and Literatures at Alabama State University – will be commissioned by Gov. Kay Ivey as the new poet laureate for the state of Alabama. Trimble was selected for the role by the Alabama Writers’ Cooperative in September. “Your job is to support, promote, and encourage, the poets of the State of Alabama,” Trimble said, explaining the core of her duties in the new role, which will span four years. “I think that Alabama has some of the most brilliant poets writing

Dr. Marvalene Hughes, Pioneering HBCU Leader Who Rebuilt Dillard After Hurricane Katrina, Dies

Dr. Marvalene Hughes, who became the first woman president of Dillard University and led the historic New Orleans HBCU through one of the most devastating natural disasters in American higher education history, died. Hughes’ presidency, which began July 1, 2005, was immediately tested when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast barely one month into her tenure. The catastrophic storm would define her legacy as a leader of uncommon resilience and determination. As Katrina approached and mandatory evacuation orders were issued, Hughes acted decisively to ensure student safety, arranging transportation to Shreveport. The storm left Dillard’s 55-acre campus with more than

A Major Financial Turnaround at Tennessee State University

Despite historic underfunding from the state of Tennessee and recent challenges with leadership turnover and student enrollment, Tennessee State University has made major improvements to its fiscal stability. In the fall 2024 semester, total enrollment at Tennessee State University dropped by some 23 percent. That same semester, administrators told the HBCU’s board of trustees that the university was headed towards a $46 million deficit by the end of the 2024-2025 academic year. Shortly after, then-interim president Ronald Johnson abruptly resigned from his position. Following Dr. Johnson’s exit, the university’s board of trustees appointed Dwayne Tucker to serve as interim president. Six months later, Tennessee State University worked with

National Action Network, Alpha Phi Alpha Launch HBCU Leadership Initiative

By Jamal Watson The National Action Network and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., announced a partnership over the weekend aimed at mobilizing young Black leaders on college campuses through a national tour and civic engagement campaign that will begin this week at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. The collaboration includes a $50,000 sponsorship from the fraternity to support nationwide organizing efforts, with its centerpiece being the Ascend HBCU Tour. “This partnership represents a shared commitment to leadership, service, and collective action,” said civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton, in announcing the agreement with the nation’s first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for

Martin University, The Only Black College In Indiana, To Shut Down Over ‘Financial Challenges’

The school’s board of trustees decided to permanently shut down over substantial financial issues. Martin University, Indiana’s only Black college, will close its doors after almost 50 years due to financial issues. Throughout its decades of service, Martin University had struggled with accreditation issues stemming from its financial challenges. Although it regained its accreditation to continue teaching young Black scholars, the university’s Board of Trustees voted to shut down amid a recommendation from the Higher Learning Commission, as reported by the EDU Ledger. The school was founded in 1977 by a Black priest, Father Boniface Hardin, to help underserved students across Indianapolis gain access

Atlanta HBCU president says he has been ‘terminated’

The president of Morris Brown College in Atlanta says he’s been fired. Dr. Kevin E. James made the announcement in a social media post, saying the school’s board of trustees terminated his service without providing specific cause or explanation. He calls it “deeply concerning”. James says many HBCU’s have struggled with board over-reach and notes that Morris Brown College is approaching its accreditation reaffirmation review in a few weeks. “I dedicated myself fully to the restoration and resurgence of Morris Brown College, and I stand firmly behind the progress we achieved together. While I am deeply disappointed by the Board’s

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