This issue of "Assessment Update" presents the following articles: (1) University of North Carolina at Charlotte: Using the EIA [Excellence in Assessment] Application as a Catalyst for Intentional Improvement (Christine Robinson and associates); (2) Editor's Notes (Stephen P. Hundley); (3) Northern Arizona University's Journey to…

Given their history of socio-economic peripheralization and continued struggles for success, one would expect African Americans--especially highly educated ones--to be adept at the various forms of mobilization and advocacy, especially that of labor unions, which have not only provided them access to opportunities but also given them a voice in…

On September 15, 2009, faculty members from four of the five community colleges in San Antonio delivered an overwhelming vote of no confidence in Chancellor Bruce H. Leslie to the Alamo Community College District's board of trustees. (One college, Northeast Lakeview, didn't participate in the vote because the college is not yet accredited.)…

On February 6, 2009, the president of Clark Atlanta University, an historically black institution in Atlanta, Georgia, terminated 55 full-time faculty members without notice. Many of these faculty members had tenure. These individuals, some of whom had worked at the university for over 15 years while making $45,000 a year as associate professors…

This study investigates presidential leadership in decision-making at three private Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and compares understandings of presidential power within and among the three colleges given their unique institutional contexts. The research questions guiding this study include. How do the presidents of 3…

This book is organized into nine chapters. First the authors provide a historical overview of historically black colleges or universities (HBCUs), examining their founding as well as the role of African Americans, missionaries, and industrial philanthropists in their development. They also look at how these institutions have changed over time,…

It was an honor for Faustine Jones-Wilson to be the first female editor of "The Journal of Negro Education", a highly respected publication. In addition to the scholarly work involved in this role, there were many challenges to be met and overcome. Most of these challenges were not related to her gender, but to changes within the University.…

Although there is a large body of scholarship on historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), their governance practices have been underresearched. What little research that is available on the topic points to campus climates that are "president-centric" and hierarchical structures that do not encourage faculty governance. However,…

Explores how faculty power continues to stall at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), threatening to turn engines of opportunity into "training plantations." Includes a sidebar presenting a survey of two faculty members at HBCUs concerning shared governance. (EV)

A new survey appears to reveal sharply different perceptions of shared governance between historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and traditionally White institutions (TWIs). In answer to the statement, "shared governance is an important part of my institution's values and identity," 69 percent of HBCUs surveyed in 2003 agreed or…

In an attempt to measure faculty involvement in college governance at historically black colleges and universities (HCBUs),a study was conducted in fall 1996 at a private, historically black institution in Alabama. Questionnaires, with 25 Likert-type scale items, were distributed at a faculty senate meeting; the response rate was 79 percent…

According to the U.S. Department of Education, there are 103 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the United States. Although this sector of higher education represents just 3 percent of all U.S. institutions of higher education, the National Center for Education Statistics reports that HBCUs grant approximately 25 percent of…

This paper puts in historical perspective and reviews current policy issues unique to private, historically black college. Their historical traditions and mission of service, the paper notes black private colleges currently enroll about 17 percent of blacks in higher education and award more than one-third of baccalaureate degrees earned by…