Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) play a critical role in the American higher education system. For most of America's history, African Americans who received a college education could only get it from an HBCU. The presidents of several HBCUs have been invited to sit on a panel, which will be moderated by Kevin Rome Ph.D., Vice President for Student Services and Dean of Students.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) play a critical role in the American higher education system. For most of America's history, African Americans who received a college education could only get it from an HBCU. Today, HBCUs remain one of the surest ways for an African American, or student of any race, to receive a high quality education. In 1965, in Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965, Congress officially defined an HBCU as, among other things, an institution whose principal missions were, and are the education of black Americans, was accredited, and was established before 1964. The first HBCU, Cheney University in Pennsylvania was founded in 1837. Today, there are 105 Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
HBCUs graduate far more than their share of African American professionals. While the 105 HBCUs represent just 3% of the nation's institutions of higher learning, they graduate nearly one-quarter of African Americans who earn undergraduate degrees. HBCUs, because of their unique sensibility to the special needs of young African American minds, remain the institutions that demonstrate the most effective ability to graduate African American students who are poised to be competitive in the corporate, research, academic, governmental and military arenas.
The presidents of several HBCUs have been invited to sit on a panel, which will be moderated by Kevin Rome Ph.D., Vice President for Student Services and Dean of Students.