Year-In-Review Inaugural Year, 2018

Year-in-Review Inaugural Year, 2018

Background

In 2018, Tennessee became the first state to have a full-time, statewide higher education professional focused on strengthening the capacity of its historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), both public and private. HBCU is a federal designation for accredited postsecondary institutions that were founded before 1964 with the primary mission of educating black Americans.

Today, there are 100 federally-designated HBCUs nationwide, and six in Tennessee: American Baptist College, Fisk University, Lane College, LeMoyne Owen College, Meharry Medical College, and Tennessee State University. Tennessee’s seventh HBCU, Knoxville College, lost its SACSCOC accreditation in 1997 but was re-authorized in May 2018 by the Division of Postsecondary School Authorization to operate as a higher education institution and is seeking re-accreditation by a federally recognized agency.

The Director of HBCU Success position was established by legislation in the Tennessee General Assembly, written by Representative Harold Love, Jr. This legislation directs the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to work with state departments and agencies, businesses, educational associations, philanthropic organizations, and other partners to accomplish five statutory goals:

1. Strengthening the capacity of HBCUs to participate in state programs; 2. Fostering enduring private-sector initiatives and public-private partnerships while promoting specific areas and centers of academic research and programmatic excellence throughout all HBCUs; 3. Improving the availability, dissemination, and quality of information concerning HBCUs to inform public policy and practice; 4. Sharing administrative and programmatic practices within the consortium for the benefit of all; and 5. Exploring new ways of improving the relationship between the state and HBCUs.

A Strategic Plan for Tennessee HBCU Success

During this inaugural year, THEC has been actively engaged in developing an HBCU strategic plan with targeted goals and objectives that will advance the Tennessee HBCU Success statutory goals. Through robust research and analysis, innovative programming, and meaningful convening, the Director of HBCU Success has advocated on behalf of Tennessee’s historically black institutions, promoting the positive economic, educational, and workforce impacts of HBCUs and building a community of informed, devoted HBCU supporters across sectors and industries. This report details the key accomplishments during the first sixteen months of the office (January 2018 – April 2019).

Research and Analysis This function of HBCU Success meets statutory goals (3) improving the availability, dissemination, and quality of information concerning HBCUs to inform public policy and practice, and (5) exploring new ways of improving the relationship between the state and HBCUs. In this capacity, the director engages in policy and academic research to maintain a database of interventions, best practices, and leading strategies in the areas of academic excellence and student success for students of color broadly, and at HBCUs in particular. The director also analyzes data from institutional and public sources to determine enrollment trends, persistence and completion gaps, and other accountability and advocacy metrics as needed.

Policy Library/Database. Although Tennessee’s has been the most comprehensive legislation on HBCU engagement from a state policy perspective, it has been critical to monitor the development of other states’ policy agendas and actions regarding historically black colleges and universities. Through partnership with the policy team at the Education Commission of the States, the director has curated a database of legislation and policy actions from 2015 to present in 15 states across the country.

HBCU Success Website. To meet the goal of improved dissemination of information regarding HBCUs, a webpage was created within the THEC website that is devoted exclusively to resources and news about Tennessee’s historically black colleges and universities. The page is updated regularly with pertinent information for the HBCU community. In the future, the page will also feature a calendar of relevant events across the state and a repository of press releases and news items on HBCU activities. The HBCU Success website can be accessed here: https://www.tn.gov/thec/bureaus/academic-affairs-and-student-success/hbcu-success.html

HBCU Infographic Series. Working with the THEC research team, the director developed a series of data visualizations (infographics) that detailed the characteristics, enrollment trends, financial aid, and completion metrics of all seven Tennessee HBCUs (where data were available). Data were collected from the 2017 THEC Fact Book, 2017 Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship (TELS) Report, and the federal Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

HBCU Success Day on the Hill. For the first time in recent history, the Director coordinated a joint day of awareness and advocacy at the state capitol for all seven HBCUs in Tennessee. The day featured a keynote address from the Executive Director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs, Johnathan Holifield. A report titled, “Tennessee HBCUs Leading the Way” was distributed to members of the General Assembly, and institutional leaders met with their local representatives to discuss regional postsecondary priorities and their contributions.

Programmatic Development This function of HBCU Success meets statutory goals (1) strengthening the capacity of HBCUs to participate in state programs, and (4) sharing administrative and programmatic practices within the consortium for the benefit of all. The director works to curate a diverse portfolio of opportunities for Tennessee HBCU faculty, staff, and students to participate in and further strengthen institutional capacity to provide the highest quality education and to benefit from state programs.

State Programs. In 2018, THEC awarded Veterans Reconnect grants to Lane College ($66,984) and Tennessee State University ($69,200) to assist student veterans and service members in their pursuit of college degrees. Fisk University was also awarded a Military Pathway Pilot Project grant ($50,000) to develop guided academic pathways to support student veterans as they transition from the military to college campuses and prepare them for civilian workforce.

Executive-in-Residence Program. Designed to provide an on-campus experience for the Director and targeted technical assistance to institutions, this program was developed after visits with campus leadership indicated a capacity gap in particular areas that aligned with expertise of THEC staff. Beginning with Lane College in fall 2018, the residence program has led to collaborative projects on developmental curriculum redesign and data analytics for student risk models. The residency will rotate institutions on a roughly annual basis and will focus on identifying mission- specific priorities and critical tasks to achieve those priorities.

Summer Bridge Program grants. As an evidence-based best practice for incoming freshmen who exhibit one or more academic/social at-risk factors, transitional summer bridge programs have been an institutional priority for all of Tennessee’s undergraduate HBCUs. By providing $400,000 in funding for these programs in the 2019 summer term, THEC hopes to allow institutions to serve more students and provide a greater impact on student success in the critical first year of enrollment.

TN H.I.R.E. (HBCU Interns Reaching for Excellence). Another outgrowth of campus conversations and consensus, this placement program will provide HBCU students with a direct channel to internships with leading businesses and governmental agencies across in the state. In the inaugural year, we are looking forward to placing 6 students at the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, Tennessee Board of Regents, Nashville’s Opportunity Now, StanleyBlack&Decker, BlueScope Buildings North America, and Shelby County Commission.

HBCU Success Summit. The HBCU Success Summit will provide institutions with an opportunity to engage in collaborative sessions on topics related to strengthening institutional capacity and improving student success for underrepresented groups. Scheduled to take place on August 1-2, 2019, confirmed sessions include writing grant proposals for federal agencies and private donors, maintaining continuous compliance for accreditation, and strategies to increase student success.

Coordination and Convening This function of HBCU Success meets statutory goal (2) fostering enduring private-sector initiatives and public-private partnerships while promoting specific areas and centers of academic research and programmatic excellences throughout all HBCUs. As a coordinator, the director facilitates the bringing together of various stakeholders and potential investors; as well as cross-institutional teams and affinity groups to collectively address the needs of students and to create mutually beneficial partnerships around each institutions missional goals.

HBCU Advisory Board. The Tennessee HBCU statute provided for the creation of a board of advisors, comprised of each institutional president and appointees from a variety of industries and backgrounds. This board has been charged with elevating the public awareness of HBCUs and encouraging public-private investments and partnerships. This advisory board had its first convening on November 28, 2018. Dr. Ivory Toldson, president of QEM Network and former White House Executive Director of HBCU Initiatives, was an invited guest and provided detailed and encouraging remarks on fostering the success of HBCUs. The next convening of the advisory board is planned for April 2019.

Other Activities Invited Addresses. In response to regional and national attention on Tennessee and its innovative policy around historically black colleges and universities, the Director has been invited to share THEC’s work at various professional and academic conferences and convenings. These include: • Tennessee Legislative Black Caucus (Nashville, TN – March 2018) • Fisk University Presidential Inauguration (Nashville, TN – April 2018) • Tennessee State University Student Success Kick-Off Meeting (Nashville, TN – August 2018) • Lane College Faculty Convocation (Jackson, TN – August 2018) • National HBCU Week Conference (Washington, DC – September 2018) • Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated Annual HBCU College Fair (Oak Ridge, TN – October 2018) • Lumina Foundation Statewide Equity Conference (Franklin, TN – October 2018) • Complete College America Annual Convening (Chicago, IL – December 2018) • Council of Historically Black Graduate Schools Annual Meeting (Knoxville, TN – Feb 2019) • Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Day at the Capitol (Nashville, TN – March 2019)