FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.
More than two years after the Black studies program at the University of Arkansas was left forgotten with the death of its director, the school has revived it with hopes of pushing for a more diverse student population.
Charles F. Robinson II, a history professor and the program’s director, says the program will need more than its current $60,000 annual budget to be successful, though.
“I’d like for us to be a leader in this regard. I’d like to think that as a flagship university, we should lead in these types of pursuits,” Robinson says. “I cannot think of any other program that would say more about the university’s commitment to furthering the diversity of this campus.”
At Fayetteville, Blacks are the largest campus minority group, with 982 students. They make up 5.5 percent of the student body, while Blacks make up 15.6 percent of the state population.
Dr. Bob Smith, the university’s provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, says he’s committed to making the Black studies program a success. He says the program’s startup budget this academic year was just a down payment.
“I would hope that no one would get terribly discouraged,” he says. “In time, we’ll find ways of adding people.”
