When the presidential elite at HBCUs nationwide began a precipitous churn two years ago through a revolving door of resignations, retirements and terminations, many in the higher education community wondered about the fragility and collective futures of these historic institutions.
The world around HBCUs is shifting at a dizzying pace, and most are having difficulty staying abreast of the changes. The turbulence has quieted, for a bit, on at least one important front—the selection of those responsible for the foreseeable future of HBCUs. This summer, nearly two dozen permanent or interim presidents have been appointed at HBCUs, reflecting a major turnover of leadership in such a short time.
But this new crop of presidents possesses qualifications that differ from the typical HBCU president. As a group, the new presidents are younger than their predecessors and consist of more women. They are less likely to be pure academics with rich backgrounds in higher education. They are savvier in the use of new technology and social media and keenly aware of the new emphasis on fundraising as a key to sustainability.
Among the long list of universities and colleges with new chief executives are Florida A&M, Fisk, Tennessee State, Morehouse College, North Carolina Central, South Carolina State, Alcorn and Jackson State, as well as smaller liberal arts and specialized institutions such as Meharry Medical College and the Morehouse College School of Medicine.
“They are going to make some differences for us,” says Dr. Lezli Baskerville, president of the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO), the Washington-based trade association of presidents of HBCUs. “They are primed and ready to use the full force of social media to employ entrepreneurship.”
Leadership diversity, new ideas and skills aside, the new presidents acknowledge that the higher education landscape will require all the strength they can muster and with fewer resources to do so.
“We’re having to be more efficient in how we use and manage our resources,” says Dr. Juliette Bell who, in July, ended her first year as president of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, her first stint as a university chief.
