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HBCU Executive Leadership Institute E-Newsletter

1. Save The Date (Third Convening of the Advisory Board Meeting) 2. Dr. Phyllis Worthy Dawkins Appointment as Lead Consultant 3. Talent Quest Completed and Scheduled Interviews 4. Rich Foundation Quarterly Report 5. The HBCU Executive Leadership Institutes Stance on Social Justice & Crisis Management 6. Clark University & President George T. French Jr. Leadership

Save The Date (Third Convening of the HBCU ELI Advisory Board)

ATLANTA, GA – October 1, 2020 – The School of Education at hosted the third advisory board meeting for the Clark Atlanta University HBCU Executive Leadership Institute, October 6, 2020. Funded by a planning grant from the Rich Foundation, the Institute aims to establish a sustainable model for increasing the quality and supply of qualified candidates to serve as HBCU presidents and other executive level leaders.

The purpose of the convening of the Advisory Board is to complement the work of the staff of the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute. The advisory board serves as an invaluable resource in the development of the HBCU ELI program. The individual and combined experiences of the advisory board members will be leveraged in program development, administration, and fund-raising.

The following leaders from historically black institutions and organizations are expected to be in attendance:

Louis W. Sullivan (Chair)- Former Secretary, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, President Emeritus, Morehouse School of Medicine Johnny Parham (Co-chair)- Retired Executive Director, Thurgood Marshall Fund Thomas Cole- President Emeritus, Clark Atlanta University, Former President, West Virginia State Errol Davis- Former Superintendent of , and Former Chancellor of the University System of Stephen Dolinger- President, Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education Barbara Hatton- Former President, ; Former President, South Carolina State University Fredrick Humphries- President Emeritus, Florida A&M University and President Emeritus, State University Ronald Johnson- Former President, Clark Atlanta University and Chairman of the Consumer Advisory Board of the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Walter Kimbrough- President, and Former President, Philander George Ross- President Emeritus, Central Michigan University and Former President, - President, Prairie View A & M and Former President, Richard Taylor- Founding Director of the Center for Real Estate at Suffolk University, Former Vice President for Development for the Fidelity Mutual Fund J. Fidel Turner, Jr., Ex-Officio Board Member, Dean, School of Education, Bethune Cookman University

Dr. Phyllis Worthy Dawkins Appointment as Lead Consultant

ATLANTA, GA – October 1, 2020 – The HBCU Executive Leadership Institute is pleased to announce that Dr. Phyllis Worthy Dawkins has recently accepted the role as the Lead Project Consultant. Dr. Dawkins is the Former President of . She has more than 33 years of leadership experience in higher education, three as a and served four campuses as a professor and held numerous esteemed and successful leadership roles at HBCUs. Dr. Dawkins has hit the ground running. She began working with the Institute on July 15, 2020. In a very short period of time Dr. Dawkins has accomplished great things. Please See Dr. Dawkins Bio below:

PHYLLIS WORTHY DAWKINS, Ph.D.

Dr. Phyllis Worthy Dawkins, a woman with extensive higher education experience who is adept at the inner workings of HBCUs. Recently she joined the Goddard College Board of Trustees. On December 11, 2019, she was appointed as a National Senior Fellow to the Council Exchange Board of Trade to ignite the HBCU ecosystem. In this role, she is serving as the National Executive Director of Higher Education. In 2018, Dawkins was appointed by President Donald J. Trump to serve on the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black and Universities. This prestigious appointment means that she has a seat at the table when the President and the Secretary of Education are advised on all matters pertaining to strengthening the educational capacity of HBCUs. Currently she is a higher education consultant (EduProfs) to numerous colleges/universities and organizations.

She was the Eighteenth President of Bennett College for nearly three years (including Interim year). She arrived at Bennett in November 2015 as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Bennett College went through a dramatic transformation under Dawkins’ leadership. Enrollment and retention increased yearly. Moreover, the College gained national prominence because of Dawkins’ effort to lead a successful bipartisan legislative effort. The legislation that Dawkins’ spearheaded with UNCF enabled Bennett and other Historically Black Colleges and Universities to get deferments on payments to the HBCU Capital Finance Loan Program, which over a six-year period will result in $8.9 million that Bennett will use to stabilize financially, invest in capital improvements and continue growing enrollment.

Fundraising increased. Dawkins and her leadership team made a concerted effort to increase fundraising at Bennett College by utilizing crowdfunding during the #StandWithBennett Campaign to raise over $10 million (including $1 million in loan forgiveness) for FY 2019 compared to over 4 million in FY18. By working closely with Bennett Alumnae, a key institutional stakeholder, in FY 2019 Bennett Alumnae donated $3 million to the College. During the campaign, Bennett reached out to a wide range of individuals, organizations (churches, Greeks, etc.), foundations and corporations, resulting in a range of $1-$1M in gifts. During her 3 years at BC, the institution raised more than 18 million dollars from organizations, foundations, corporations, churches, alums and friends.

Before assuming Bennett’s top administrative post, Dawkins worked as the Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs at Cheyney University in Cheyney, Pennsylvania and at Dillard University in , as Department Chair, Dean, and Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs at her alma mater, Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, and as an Instructor of Physical Education at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, SC. She assumed critical responsibilities at those institutions to ensure successful reaffirmation of accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) for JCSU and Dillard, and by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) for Cheyney.

Dr. Dawkins is/was a member of the Executive Committee of North Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities (NCICU), National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) Committee on Student Aid , the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce’s Board, Bennett College Foster Care Advisory Board, HBCURCC Research Advisory Board, Board of Directors of the National Association of Schools and Colleges of the United Methodist (NASCUM) Church; Bennett College Career Corporate Advisory Board, Advisory Board for Preparing Critical Faculty for the Future (PCFF) in STEM, Melton Foundation Board on Global Citizenship, Southern Learning Communities Advisory Board, and the N.C. State Evaluation Committee on Teacher Education.

In terms of professional development, Dawkins is a Co-founder of the HBCU Faculty Development Network, a former past President of the Professional and Organizational Development Network (POD), a Liaison Officer for the NYU Faculty Resource Network, a Resource Faculty at the Washington Center’s National Summer Institutes on Learning Communities and on Teaching and Learning, and member of the Advisory Council and Senior Consultant for the TLT (Teaching & Learning with Technology) Group and the International Council for Educational Developers (ICED). Dawkins is also an accomplished writer whose academic research has been published in various journals and periodicals. In addition, she has written or co-wrote private, state, and federal grants totaling more than $30 million. She has consulted/conducted presentations/workshops at numerous institutions (80/101 HBCUs), organizations, professional meetings, summer institutes, conferences, etc. on fundraising, grant writing, assessment, academic program evaluation, accreditation, learning communities, faculty development, etc.

Among her numerous awards, in 2019 Dawkins was presented with The Trailblazer Award by the Higher Leadership Foundation (HELF), the Village Legacy Award by AFRAM, Leading Lady Award presented by Student Leadership and Engagement at Johnson C. Smith University, Angel Award Certificate from Bennett College’s Department of Campus Life, International Women’s Day Award at BC, Leadership Award by the Links Incorporated (DC Chapter), City of Greensboro Resolution for the #StandWithBennett Campaign. In 2018 Dawkins was recognized as one of the Top 50 Most Influential in the by Black Business Ink Magazine during the 2108 State of Black North Carolina Conference. In 2017, Dawkins received the National HBCU Pre-Law Summit Special Recognition Award. In 2016, she was recognized as an Outstanding JCSU Alumni Woman and received the Bob Pierleoni Spirit of POD Award. In 2014, Dawkins was presented with the Education & Community Service Award by Distinguished Partners and recognized by the Philadelphia Tribune’s as an Outstanding African American Leader in Philadelphia. In 2013, Dawkins received numerous awards from the Faculty and other units (LAMP, College of Business, and Academic Affairs) of Dillard University. Dawkins is a member of the Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars and Honor Society. She holds membership in the American Association of University Women, Women’s College Coalition, Sorority, Inc, POD and other organizations.

Dawkins received her Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, Master of Arts from University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Bachelor of Science from Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is married to Bobby G. Dawkins, Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry, and they have two adult daughters: Malia Dawkins Jennings (Derek), M.A., an Actress/writer/producer and an Account Manager for NCompass International; and Demi Dawkins, M.D., who is in a Neurosurgery Residency at the University of Wisconsin. In her spare time, Dawkins enjoys watching period pieces, working puzzles, and traveling.

Talent Quest Completed and Scheduled Interviews

ATLANTA, GA – October 1, 2020 – Our external consultant Talent Quest has finalized and presented the Competency Model for the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute. Many Themes emerged and core competencies were developed. The next stage is to validate the Competency Model to align with the vision of the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute Programming and compare the Competency Model with existing Higher Education Leadership Programs. Lastly, Talent Quest will refine the HBCU Executive Leadership Institutes Competencies as needed for communication and program development.

Completed Interviews with 9 past and present Presidents:

• Dr. Ronald Johnson, Past President of Clark-Atlanta University • Dr. Walter Kimbrough, Past President of Philander Smith University & President of Dillard University • Dr. Phyllis Worthy Dawkins, Past Acting President of Cheyney University & President of Bennett College • Dr. Steve Dolinger, President, Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education • Dr. Ruth Simmons, Past President of Brown University & President of Prairie View A&M University • Dr. Frederick Humphries, Past President, Florida A&M University • Dr. George French, Past President of & President of CAU • Dr. George Ross, Past President, Alcorn State University & Central Michigan University • Dr. , Past President, Johnson C. Smith University &

Rich Foundation Quarterly Report

ATLANTA, GA – October 1, 2020 – The HBCU ELI Staff submitted a Quarterly Report to the Rich Foundation. The report included a review of the progress of the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute (HBCU ELI) Planning Grant funded for $275,000.00 in February 2019. The Quarterly Report will provide the Rich Foundation updates of planning grant deliverables, share existing and future strategic partnerships, and present implementation phase timelines and budget. The project has made substantial progress over the last six months.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute with concurrence from the HBCU ELI Advisory Board Chairs, is requesting to extend the HBCU ELI Planning Grant Phase from July 2020 through December 2020. Therefore, we are proposing the initial launch of the HBCU ELI program in Spring 2021. In addition, during the time period of the Planning Grant, we have had an Interim President and now a new President. The new President is very supportive of the HBCU ELI program.

The HBCU Executive Leadership Institutes Stance on Social Justice & Crisis Management

ATLANTA, GA – October 1, 2020 – Clark Atlanta University (CAU) and other AUC institutions have been significantly impacted by the pandemic. CAU recently announced the move to remote learning for all students during the Fall 2020 semester, taking the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of its students and entire Clark Atlanta University Community. This difficult but necessary decision was informed by current scientific evidence regarding the alarming spread of COVID-19 and with the guidance of medical experts. Clark Atlanta University and administrators have partnered with Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), a leader of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Infrastructure for Mitigating the Impact of COVID-19 within Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities.

The institution, faculty, staff, and students have been confronted with the death of both and Breonna Taylor, resulting in protests around racism, inclusion and social justice. As a result, some campus constituents and alums have participated in protests or engaged in other activities to promote equity. This is in keeping with the , Georgia. Specifically, Kayla Reed, editor, wrote a guest post from the PRSA Georgia Chapter publicity committee for the PRSA 2015 International Conference, of the following:

“Atlanta is known as the “the cradle of the ” for a good reason. From 1940 to 1970, the city became the epicenter for the movement as black leaders fought for voting rights, access to public facilities and institutions, and economic and educational opportunities for African Americans. Local public figures like Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Former Ambassador , and Congressman John Lewis rose to national and international prominence through their contributions to the nonviolent struggle for equal rights.

The largest network of historically black colleges and universities in the U.S., is also located just west of downtown. During the Civil Rights era, students from Clark College, Atlanta University, , , Morris Brown, and the Interdenominational Theological Center were very instrumental in the planning and implementation of activities to secure the rights of African Americans. This well-defined and vibrant black community became the backbone in supporting the movement by developing leaders and supporters and providing a safe haven for convening and dialogue.” https://prsay.prsa.org/2015/10/15/atlanta-cradle-of-the-civil-rights-movement/

According to the website (www.cau.org ), “Clark Atlanta University was formed with the consolidation of Atlanta University and Clark College, both of which held unique places in the annals of African-American history. Atlanta University, established in 1865 by the American Missionary Association, was the nation’s first institution to award graduate degrees to African Americans. Clark College, established four years later in 1869, was the nation’s first four-year to serve a primarily African American student population. Today, with nearly 4,000 students, CAU is the largest of the four institutions (CAU, Morehouse College, Spelman College and Morehouse School of Medicine) that comprise the Atlanta University Center Consortium. It is also the largest of the 37-member UNCF institutions.” Clark Atlanta University’s and the Atlanta University consortium member institution’s rich history includes some of the following notable leaders: • W.E.B. DuBois, who believed that “Education is that whole system of human training within and without the schoolhouse walls, which molds and develops men.” The first African American to receive the degree from Harvard, DuBois joined the faculty of Atlanta University in 1897, where he started the Phylon publication and Magazine for the NAACP. • served as the president of Morehouse College from 1906-1931 and as president of Atlanta University from 1929-1936. • Johnny Parham, retired President of the Thurgood Marshall Foundation • Louis Sullivan, U. S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (1989-1993) and founding president of the Morehouse Medical School.

Both Parham and Sullivan, who co-chair the ELI Advisory Board, stated the importance of institutional mission in providing executive leadership development which they highlighted in a concept paper. Therefore, as future leaders, the ELI program must include a segment of crisis leadership and inclusion during a pandemic, a protest or other future crisis events. The program must train Presidents to have tough conversations with board members, campus leaders, faculty, staff, students, and community constituents. They must engage in difficult dialogues in regard to racial justice and inclusion, because we are a majority African American/Black institution.

Clark Atlanta University & President George T. French Jr. Leadership

ATLANTA, GA – October 1, 2020 – The HBCU Executive Leadership Institute will focus on developing future leaders who are prepared to lead during times of crisis. The Institute will include a segment of crisis leadership and inclusion during a pandemic, a protest or other future crisis events. These past few months have undoubtedly been the most unusual times any of us has ever seen. President French from Clark Atlanta University and his team have worked tirelessly in hopes to have some sense of normalcy for the Fall 2020 semester. CAU’s initial plans were outlined in a communication that was issued on June 30th, where they planned to reopen the campus for the Fall 2020 semester for freshman and sophomore students, and to provide remote and online learning for juniors, seniors, and graduate students.

However, with the challenging and rapidly changing circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, it had become crystal clear to the French Administration that those plans must evolve again to recognize the newly heightened safety risks associated with COVID-19 in the state of Georgia. The health and safety needs of students, faculty, and staff was a top priority. President French and his team made the difficult but necessary decision to move to a remote and online learning format for the entire CAU student body in the fall, with faculty and staff continuing to telework.

Throughout our planning process, the French Administration have known and acknowledged that there was a possibility that the original plans for reopening in the fall would change. They monitored guidelines, recommendations, expert opinions, executive orders and other regulations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Governor’s Office, the Georgia Department of Public Health, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the City of Atlanta, and other public health agencies.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has presented some challenges, CAU is rising to meet those challenges in providing academic excellence by ensuring comprehensive continuity in the student learning experience. In doing so, CAU introduced the Laptop Gifting Initiative, where every financially enrolled CAU student, both undergraduate and graduate, received a free, new Dell Latitude 3400 laptop. Additionally, President French and his administration equipped all faculty members and certified them to teach fully online courses. Lastly, due to the financial burden that the pandemic has had on students and parents and the change in instructional delivery, Clark Atlanta University has discounted tuition by 10%, and mandatory fees will be lowered to $325 to cover IT and library fees for the Fall 2020 semester.