Marybeth GasmanUniversity of Pennsylvania professor Marybeth Gasman explores issues of access and retention for students and faculty of color and Historically Black Colleges and Universities, among other things.OpinionPaul Quinn College: To Save or Not to SaveRecently, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) voted to revoke Paul Quinn College’s accreditation, noting financial and academic problems. In the same breath, however, SACS acknowledged the excellent work being done by Paul Quinn’s president Michael Sorrell in recent years. Sorrell plans to appeal the SACS’s decision. The loss of accreditation at Paul […]June 30, 2009OpinionHBCUs a “Land of the Lost”? I Don’t Think SoToday, I came across a blog post written by a colleague who has worked in the HBCU community for many years. He titled the post “Land of the Lost” — after the Sid and Marty Krofft TV show and more recently, the movie. At first glance, I thought the post was a review of the movie […]June 22, 2009OpinionIntellect and Discipline: The Keys to a Successful Academic CareerI have a good friend who is the most brilliant individual I know. He has a mind that most of us would kill for — at least most academics would. He is well-read, possessing a deep, almost stunning, knowledge of diverse subjects. He thinks in innovative and refreshing ways. He also has the “proper” educational […]June 8, 2009OpinionDiversity at Historically Black Colleges and UniversitiesWhy is it that people assume that Historically White Institutions are diverse, yet in the same breath assume that Historically Black Institutions are not? And, when I say people — I mean all kinds of people — of various racial and ethnic backgrounds. If you take a look at the nation’s Historically White Institutions (HWIs), […]June 4, 2009OpinionMentoring is Absolutely Essential for the Future of the ProfessoriateYesterday as I was chatting on Facebook (yes, I do that) with a faculty member at a different institution than my own. He’s brand new on the tenure-track at a research university. In addition, he is African American at a traditionally White institution and as such, most likely has to contend with additional pressures. I don’t […]May 5, 2009OpinionRemembering a Legend: John Hope FranklinIn 1997, while I was doing my dissertation research, I had the wonderful opportunity to interview historian John Hope Franklin. As a doctoral student, I was nervous about the interview and lacked confidence in my knowledge of American history. Here I was about to interview one of the nation’s great historians. Within minutes, my nervousness […]March 31, 2009OpinionChanging the Conversation About HBCUs: YES WE CAN!Over the past month, I have been to three meetings in which the leaders of HBCUs have come together to talk about these venerable institutions during this time of economic crisis. I have come away from each of these meetings thinking, “There has got to be a way to change the discourse around these institutions […]March 21, 2009OpinionDuring an Economic Crisis, Don’t Make Cuts in Institutional AdvancementA few days ago, I was on the phone with a good friend, Nelson Bowman, who works as the Director of Development at Prairie View A & M University. We started talking about the economic downturn and its impact on HBCUs. Nelson is amazingly resourceful, and as such, was trying to get some “free” consulting […]March 1, 2009OpinionWhat the Media want to Know about HBCUs?I often receive calls from reporters asking me to speak about HBCUs. Reporters like to include “facts” in their news stories and what better place to get them than from a professor/researcher. I enjoy talking to reporters because I think it is important to make sure that research has an impact on practice — getting […]February 25, 2009Opinion“Full Measure of Happiness”“The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.” — Barack Obama, 1/20/2009 […]February 1, 2009Previous PagePage 8 of 11Next Page
