The Boulé Journal SIGMA PI PHI FRATERNITY FEATURE REPRINT / VOLUME 83 / NUMBER 2 / SUMMER 2019 SIGMA PI PHI FRATERNITY AND ARCHON ANTOINE M. GARIBALDI THANK THE KRESGE FOUNDATION FOR ITS SPONSORSHIP OF THE HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES FORUM II AT MOREHOUSE COLLEGE ON APRIL 27, 2019 Features | the Boulé Journal | sigmaPiPhi.org 15 Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity and Archon Antoine M. Garibaldi express sincere thanks to The Kresge Foundation for its sponsorship of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Forum II at Morehouse College on April 27, 2019. Archon Antoine M. Garibaldi Chair, Grand Committee on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Postsecondary Education Access 16 Summer 2019 | Volume 83 • Number 2 Boule Journal_Garibaldi 2019.indd 1 9/17/19 11:19 AM Feature HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES FORUM II By Archon Antoine M. Garibaldi, Chair, Grand Committee on HBCUs and Postsecondary Education Access The second Historically Black Colleges and Universities Forum of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity was held on the campus of Morehouse Col- lege on Saturday, April 27, 2019. Organized by the Grand Committee on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Postsecondary Education Access, more than 130 Archons, Archousai and guests attended the morn- ing panels, afternoon luncheon and evening receptions at the Office of the Grand Boulé and Emory University’s Stuart A. Rose Manu- have provided undergraduate, graduate and script, Archives and Rare Book Library. This professional degrees to the majority of Afri- article summarizes the panels’ discussions, can Americans through the 1970’s. action items from the discussions, and the Additionally, these institutions of higher luncheon speech of Archon Bobby C. Scott, learning have awarded those same degrees chair of the U.S. House Education and Labor to a significantly large number of Archons Committee. since Sigma Pi Phi’s founding in 1904, and to a significant number of the more than 5,000 current Archons. Sigma Pi Phi, therefore, has Purpose of the Grand Committee a vested interest in assisting HBCUs so that on HBCUs and Postsecondary they remain viable, competitive and strong. Because HBCUs educate approximately only Education Access 20 percent of the 2.4 million African Ameri- The initial Grand Committee on Histori- can students in college today, the words “and cally Black Colleges and Universities was es- Postsecondary Education Access” have been tablished by Past Grand Sire Archon Wesley added to the committee’s name so that the Coleman during the 2016–18 biennium. The committee can also focus on assisting the committee has a twofold purpose: to raise other 80 percent of black students attending Archons’ awareness of the educational and predominantly white four-year, two-year, pro- societal contributions of HBCUs and to en- prietary/non-profit and other types of post- courage Archons’ professional and financial secondary institutions. assistance to the more than 100 historic insti- The Grand Committee on Historically tutions of higher education. Since the found- Black Colleges and Universities and Post- ing of Cheyney University in 1837, HBCUs secondary Education Access’s members are Features | the Boulé Journal | sigmaPiPhi.org 1 The Grand Boulé Committee on HBCUs and Postsecondary Education Access Archons Preston Castille, Jr. (Alpha Xi), Ron- tween September 2018 and April 2019. After ald Crutcher (Alpha Beta), Michael Fauntroy careful deliberation, the three topics select- (Epsilon), Antoine Garibaldi (Iota, Chair), Bri- ed for the panels were Exemplary Models of an Jackson (Alpha Xi), Alex Johnson (Tau), Leadership and Governance at HBCUs: Best Kanahl R. Kendrick (Gamma Chi), Otis Moss, Practices and Keys to Success; Preserving Jr. (Tau), Charles Rice, Jr. (Alpha Alpha), Carl HBCUs’ Legacy in Professional Schools, with Stewart (Delta Kappa), Calvin Tyler, Jr. (Epsi- a special focus on medicine, law and dentist- lon Beta), Dwaun Warmack (Eta), and David ry; and Federal, State and External Challeng- Williams II (Chi/Omega). es and Opportunities for HBCUs in Dynamic Political Environments. The theme of the first panel, Exemplary Summary of HBCU Forum II’s Models of Leadership and Governance at Panels and Discussions HBCUs: Best Practices and Keys to Success, was the most important issue identified by The HBCU Forum II continued the ex- the first forum’s participants. This panel ad- change of ideas that began at the first HBCU dressed the primary policy roles of boards of Forum in Washington, D.C., on May 20, 2017. trustees and the collaborative relationships The critical themes discussed at HBCU Fo- they must have with their president. Archon rum I included fundraising, enrollment, mar- Rice, who is also a trustee at Dillard Univer- keting, alumni participation, and the impend- sity, moderated the panel that included Dr. ing challenges of federal, state and private Beverly Wade Hogan, president of Tougaloo financial support for students and HBCUs. College; Archon David Wilson (Gamma), pres- Participants’ evaluations of the first forum’s ident of Morgan State University; Archon Otis three panel sessions were very positive, and Moss, Jr. (Tau), chair emeritus of the More- the participants identified and recommended house College Board of Trustees; and Archon other topics of importance for future forums. Bernard E. Anderson (Alpha), past chair of The current committee reviewed those sug- Lincoln University (PA) Board of Trustees. gestions, in addition to other themes, as they Each speaker began with a three-minute planned the agenda for HBCU Forum II be- statement, followed by questions from the 2 Summer 2019 | Volume 83 • Number 2 First panel’s theme: “Exemplary Models of Leadership and Governance at HBCUs: Best Practices and Keys to Success” moderator, and comments and questions ed that the governing board’s primary role is from the audience. The panelists agreed on to ensure that the institution has an articu- several items they considered essential to lated mission and vision. But he also empha- ensuring effective board governance, board sized that it is even more important that the oversight and a thriving university. President university have the correct policies in place Hogan, a seventeen-year veteran, stated that to implement strategic goals so that the vi- presidents and board chairpersons must de- sion and mission can be achieved. The panel- velop close working relationships because ists also recommended that trustees should trust grows and strengthens over time. Ar- be required to participate in ongoing pro- chon Wilson, a president for nine years, em- fessional development. Finally, the panelists phasized that trustees must adhere to their concurred that a successful president takes policy roles and avoid becoming involved in full advantage of the wisdom and collective the day-to-day operations of the university. experience of his or her board. Boards hire presidents to manage the col- The second panel’s theme, “Preserving lege’s administrative affairs, and presidents HBCUs’ Legacy in Professional Schools,” must have the freedom to select their leader- with the special focus on medicine, law and ship team. If the board allows trustees to in- dentistry, was selected by the committee be- terfere with the president’s responsibilities, cause of the decades-long declining numbers discord between the board and the presi- of African American students enrolling in and dent, among the board and within the univer- completing medical, dental, law and similar sity will result. professional degrees in HBCUs and other Archon Moss recommended that presi- institutions that have these professional de- dents should communicate often with their gree programs. The committee believed that boards because it ensures transparency and this discussion would provide the Boulé with minimizes the possibility of trustees being strategic directions and recommendations surprised by any institutional concern or is- for strengthening the pipeline to profession- sue. Regular president-trustee communica- al careers. Archon Castille moderated the tion also keeps board members up to date on panel, which included Archon Alex Johnson, university matters. Archon Anderson indicat- president of Cuyahoga Community College; Features | the Boulé Journal | sigmaPiPhi.org 3 Second panel’s theme: “Preserving HBCUs’ Legacy in Professional Schools” Archon Wayne Frederick (Epsilon), president mous convening authority to form a national of Howard University; James Hildreth, pres- collaboration, coalescing similar groups to ident and chief executive officer of Meharry develop a coherent educational improvement Medical College; and Gary Bledsoe, acting strategy for African American youths at the dean of the Thurgood Marshall School of Law earliest age possible so they will be prepared at Texas Southern University. to endure the rigors of a long professional In their opening statements, the panelists school education. It was also recommended stated that African Americans comprise less that the Fraternity attempt to address some than 5 percent of the legal profession, less of the socioeconomic challenges that hinder than 3 percent of the dental profession, and the academic achievement of our youth. less than 6 percent of the medical profession. Archon Johnson firmly proposed that While HBCUs have historically produced the community colleges be used as a bridge to majority of African American professionals in a four-year degree and a professional-school those fields, Dr. Hildreth