The Supreme Court's 1992 decision on desegregation in state higher education systems is criticized for lacking force and creating confusion. The ruling encourages states to support historically black colleges by adding academic programs. Some feel the ruling will not help most black students, who are enrolled in predominantly white institutions.…

At Dillard University (Louisiana), federal financial support enables the university to make fledgling programs solid. The programs are supported by the Education Department's program for "developing institutions," known as Title III after the part of the Higher Education Act that authorizes them. (MLW)

Supporters of Black colleges have said that the threat of court-imposed penalities was an invaluable asset in efforts to win state funds and block proposals to close Black colleges. That leverage is gone with a recent ruling by a federal judge. (MLW)

A three-judge panel of the U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled unanimously that civil rights groups could not sue the federal government to force it to take steps against states or colleges that may be breaking the law. (MLW)

A federal appeals court ordered new trials on whether curriculum at Alabama's predominantly white colleges discriminates against blacks by lacking content on black thought and history, and whether much of the state land-grant program should be shifted from Auburn University to Alabama A&M, a historically black institution. (MSE)

A federal district judge ruled that state officials failed to demonstrate the need to close Mississippi Valley State University and merge Mississippi University for Women with Mississippi State University to meet desegregation requirements. He ordered Mississippi to provide additional funds to two other black colleges, and approved a state plan…

A federal judge has ordered Alabama's two public, historically black universities to enroll more whites as part of a statewide effort to reduce racial segregation in public colleges. Critics are offended by the judge's comments that the colleges' black heritage discourages white enrollment. The ruling also contained some more welcome results,…

Georgia has met few of the numerical goals in the desegregation plan approved by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. The goals are seen as unrealistic and some of the plans to attract White students to the state's historically Black colleges have been faulty. (MLW)

Department of Education issuance of reports on the status of 10 states' court-ordered college desegregation without any evaluation of the states' efforts has disappointed civil-rights activists. The unexpected release of the reports was due in part to the threat of Congressional subpoena of the information. (MSE)

The Education Department's expected announcement of its assessment of court-ordered desegregation plans in 10 states is reported. Most state leaders characterize their efforts as successful. Federal involvement, Black colleges, Education Department's Office for Civil Rights role, etc., are discussed. (MLW)

Black land-grant institutions have undergone dramatic changes in the last two decades, being forced to reevaluate their missions, develop new student recruitment strategies, and forge new relationships with predominantly White colleges and state legislatures in an effort to survive and to serve their clientele. (MSE)

Problems and controversies involving public black colleges are reported in the context of the recent Supreme Court decision suggesting states should merge historically black colleges with geographically close, predominantly white institutions. In some cases white political leaders are blamed for potential closures of vulnerable institutions.…