The slumping economy has drastically affected millions of individuals and businesses, but there’s also another sector that is feeling the negative effects of the downturn: Black colleges.
Citing a faltering economy, Spelman College announced this week that they will cut 35 positions. The all women’s institution also had to consolidate classes when 300 of its nearly 4,000 students failed to return for the spring semester. Additionally, last week Clark Atlanta University notified 70 faculty members and 40 staffers that they no longer had jobs.
Unfortunately, what Spelman and Clark Atlanta are experiencing isn’t unique in the current world of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Unlike many traditional colleges who have large endowments to supplement costs, most HBCUs are tuition-driven. A majority of HBCU students rely on federal grants and loans to cover the price of admission. Since the sloping economy has led financial aid to become less accessible, many students are having to make the tough decision of not returning to school.
As a graduate of an HBCU, it saddens me to learn of the situation many Black colleges are currently facing. It’s unfortunate for a variety of reasons:
1. People are losing their jobs — No matter what industry a person is in, it’s always difficult to see someone being laid-off or fired. When one experiences a job loss, their whole family suffers. It’s incredibly scary to know that an individual’s livelihood can be compromised — not because they were unproductive workers, but because of reasons beyond their control.
2. Students miss out — We’ve all been warned that if you wait too long to complete what you began, you may not ever finish. I fear that some students who are forced to put their college goals on hold, may not return because of life’s circumstances. For some, as time passes, it’s easier to simply maintain the life they were leading, rather than go back to finish what they started.
3. The institutions suffer — While the employees and the students experience a loss, so too does the school. HBCUs were founded on the premise of providing quality education for Blacks. If funds aren’t available, eventually educational compromises may have to be made — that’s when it becomes a quality issue as well as an issue of standards.
Though the recession is a major factor in the suffering that many HBCUs are experiencing, it’s not the sole reason. I believe strongly in self-accountability and as difficult as it is to publicly write; some Black schools aren’t as accountable as they could be.
Consider this: I’m an alumna of Jackson State University (JSU). Having graduated nearly nine years ago, I can probably count on one hand the number of times the school requested a donation from me. While I have donated to my alma mater without being prompted, it’s still very important for the university to do all that it can to fulfill the needs of the institution — that includes continuously trying to solicit funds from all donors (not just alumni). And when individuals do give money to universities, it is that school’s responsibility to let the donor know how much their contribution is appreciated.
One of my closest friends, who also attended JSU works in higher education. She’s worked at HBCUs as well as traditional colleges.
The difference?
She said a donor once made a $5 contribution to the “white” school. The school made such a positive response from that $5, one would have thought the donor contributed $1 million.
Her point was, “poor cultivation and structural procedures are reasons that giving at Black colleges will always be in the dark ages.”
While it’s unfortunate that HBCUs are suffering, what’s even more disturbing is that some of them have allowed themselves to become almost completely reliant on government assistance.
A wise tip for any business (including colleges) is to implement moneymaking strategies that will, over time help stabilize the company. That way, when unforeseen things such as a faltering economy occur, the business will be better prepared.
In regards to students becoming more accountable, things tend to get a bit more complicated because generally they are so young when entering college. What parents have to do (even low-income parents), is establish some sort of college savings-plan once the child is born. Over time, the funds will mature and may significantly help with tuition by the time the child is college-bound.
Note: Just to clarify, I’m a die-hard HBCU advocate. I always encourage youth to consider attending an HBCU because I strongly believe the type of education one receives at a Black college is academically sound and personally fulfilling.
Also, this editorial was not a direct attack on JSU. I was simply using references from my personal experiences. At Recorder press time, JSU had not reported any employee lay-offs or drastic changes in student enrollment.
