Although I did not attend a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), it’s hard not to be disturbed by last week’s New York Times article:
Clark Atlanta University, citing an “enrollment emergency,” laid off 70 faculty and 30 staff members this month and canceled physical education classes. Spelman, an Atlanta college for women that is among the wealthiest and most prestigious historically black colleges, has eliminated 35 staff positions to compensate for a projected $4.8 million deficit next year after a decline in its enrollment.
Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Ala., announced campuswide salary reductions and a furlough program, among other cuts, last week. Tennessee State University in Nashville, where enrollment is down 10 percent from last year, has eliminated 52 positions and is considering a reduction in scholarship money.
But wait, don’t all these colleges and universities have huge endowments they can draw down on in this economy? Nope, not most HBCUs:
Historically black institutions have two significant disadvantages when it comes to weathering hard times: smaller endowments, which mean heavier reliance on tuition and fees, and a higher proportion of disadvantaged students who are now facing a credit crunch when they apply for loans.
It’s clear that all nonprofits, including universities, are struggling in this economy. And some will be forced to go away. But what do we lose if our nation’s HBCUs fail?
Fewer than 12 percent of all black college students today choose to attend historically black colleges, yet those institutions grant almost 20 percent of the bachelor’s degrees earned by black students. According to the United Negro College Fund, black colleges have produced 70 percent of all black doctors and dentists and 50 percent of black engineers.
If you have the means, please give. Our nation’s HBCUs are depending on it.
Cozality on 
bsaunders on 
