Black MBA - Winter 2007/2008 - (Page 52) EDUCATION On Campus Women Dominate African-American Colleges and Honor Rolls AFTER SURVEYING EIGHT privately-operated, co-ed African-American colleges and universities in the U.S., the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education (JBHE) reported that women make up about 78 percent of students at Dillard University, 70 percent at both Clark Atlanta and Xavier, 57 percent at Tuskegee University and 59 percent at Wilberforce University in Ohio. Currently, African American women are earning two-thirds of all bachelor’s degrees at these colleges and universities and 71 percent of all master’s degrees. Similarly, white women hold a lead over white men in universities and colleges nationwide. African-American women are not only dominating college enrollment, the survey showed, but their grades are also better than the grades of African American men. African American women make up 72 percent, 72 percent and 84 percent of students on the honor roll at Tuskegee University, Wilberforce University in Ohio and Clark Atlanta, respectively. This difference in grades is perpetuated by the fact that, because of their high academic standing, African American women are more likely to retain fi nancial aid support and additional funding, and thus have an easier time staying in school and earning a diploma. The survey also found that, for African Americans in the 18-24 age range, about 37 percent of women are currently enrolled in college, compared to 27 percent of men. Twenty percent of African American women age 25-29 hold a four-year college degree, compared to 13.6 percent of African American men. –The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, www.jhbe.com ENROLLMENT IN GEORGIA COLLEGES CONTINUES TO RISE The University System of Georgia recently announced that the fall 2007 enrollment in Georgia’s 35 public colleges and universities has jumped 3.9 percent since last fall, resulting in a milestone 270,022 enrolled students. Enrollment grew 8.7 percent in state colleges and 6.3 percent in two-year colleges, Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr. reported, and he expects another 100,000 students to enroll by 2020. In terms of race, African American enrollment in Georgia grew 5.4 percent since fall 2006. The number of credit hours that Georgia students take, the university system noted, also increased 4.4 percent since last fall, which may positively affect state funding for Georgia colleges and universities. –www.bizjournals.com 52 BlackMBA • Winter 2007/2008 • www.nbmbaa.org AFRICAN AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT NAMED ONE OF AMERICA’S BEST LEADERS U.S. News and World Report recently announced the 18 recipients of its “America’s Best Leaders” title, one of which is Brown University President Ruth Simmons. Simmons, who was also picked this year by Glamour magazine as one of its Women of 2007, is the first African American to head an Ivy League institution and Brown’s first female president. She was honored by the U.S. News and World Report for introducing need-blind admissions at Brown; leading the university’s fundraising drive, which reached $1 billion in summer 2007; and forming a committee to study the university’s ties to slavery. Simmons, the granddaughter of slaves, has been president of Brown since 2001. –The U.S. News and World Report NINETEEN STATES PLEDGE TO SHRINK COLLEGE GRADUATION GAPS Unhappy about the gap in U.S. college enrollment and graduation rates between low-income and minority students and the entire student population, the leaders of 17 state college systems are aiming to lower the gap by half by 2015. The participating states are Arkansas, California, New York, Connecticut, Maine, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Vermont, as well as Puerto Rico and historically Black campuses in Louisiana. Beyond publishing data on low-income students’ enrollment and graduation trends, which is less studied than data based on race, each state will develop its own strategies for improving enrollment and graduation rates. Many state leaders have already announced their plans to focus on increasing need-based financial aid and offering more introductory college courses. –The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, www.jhbe.com LEADERSHIP CENTER FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES TO BE BUILT IN OHIO Governor Ted Strickland of Ohio announced plans this November to establish a privately-funded research center dedicated to helping African American males prepare for college, called the Leadership Center for African American Males. Gov. Strickland hopes that the center will help persuade more African American young men to enroll in Ohio colleges, and will encourage Ohio citizens to support them. Construction for the new building will begin May 2008. –The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, www.jhbe.com mba http://www.jhbe.com http://www.jhbe.com http://www.bizjournals.com http://www.jhbe.com http://www.nbmbaa.org
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