:retard:
There are more PWC colleges and more students total at those colleges, so they will automatically have more of their grads in the workforce.
Do HBCU's need to evolve with the times?
- Thread starter crazylegs
- Start date
:retard:
There are more PWC colleges and more students total at those colleges, so they will automatically have more of their grads in the workforce.
Killer Bees
Well-Known Member
Braveman12
Active Member
You know, I acknowledge and appreciate everyone's opinion about the PWI and HBCUs. I am employed by a Fortune 100 company who hires graduates from universities like, the University of Texas ? Austin, Purdue, Ohio State, Texas A&M, University of Illinois, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, University of Michigan, and Michigan State. When I first got hired and attended meetings with co-workers and managers, the first thing asked to me would be ?Where did you attend school?? and I proudly respond ?Alcorn State University?. I also mention that I attended North Carolina A&T for graduate school. Some know about these schools while others don?t.
One of my boys in Peoria graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M, and was raised in Plano, Texas outside of Dallas. My friends and I like to have deep convos dealing with society, so in the summer of 2006, we had a topic about HBCUs. He has somewhat ill-feelings towards Prairie View, because of their link in the TAMU system, but he asked, ?Why would any African American choose to attend an HBCU, when they have inferior faculty, weak research, and poor facilities? Why should they even exist? We have options afforded to us now to attend school wherever we choose?? With the rest of us being graduates of HBCUs (Howard, South Carolina State, Jackson State, etc?.) we were quiet
He?s a no-excuse type of guy, so he didn?t want to hear anything like, ??it depends on your situation? or something similar. I responded, ?HBCUs are Universities that have a tradition and mission to educate and provide unique and enriching experiences just like any other university. It is a common misconception that we have ?inferior? professors, but most of our faculty members have earned PhDs and performed research all around the world.? I also asked, ?Would you be asking this question if I had attended Texas State University, St. Ambrose University, Eastern Illinois University, or another school that may not have the same name recognition as a Notre Dame or Purdue??. The paused and couldn?t really respond. Since that conversation, in the fall of 2006, he traveled with me to the Southern/Alcorn game and had a BLAST.
With hundreds of Universities around the country, the choice is personal. If someone chooses an HBCU, it is his or hers to live with. We should not be ?ashamed? in our meetings to share where we come from. Of course, it is much easier to be in the ?majority? with our degrees bearing ?The Ohio State University? or whatever, but if it doesn?t, just be ready to defend just like any other graduate of the ?Northern Illinois? and ?Knox Colleges? of the world.
One more thing, we should be thankful that our children are going to Somebody?s university, especially my fellow brothers. There is such a disparity between the sisters in college and the brothers that SOMETHING must intervene. If HBCUs can be a starting point, so be it.
One of my boys in Peoria graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M, and was raised in Plano, Texas outside of Dallas. My friends and I like to have deep convos dealing with society, so in the summer of 2006, we had a topic about HBCUs. He has somewhat ill-feelings towards Prairie View, because of their link in the TAMU system, but he asked, ?Why would any African American choose to attend an HBCU, when they have inferior faculty, weak research, and poor facilities? Why should they even exist? We have options afforded to us now to attend school wherever we choose?? With the rest of us being graduates of HBCUs (Howard, South Carolina State, Jackson State, etc?.) we were quiet
He?s a no-excuse type of guy, so he didn?t want to hear anything like, ??it depends on your situation? or something similar. I responded, ?HBCUs are Universities that have a tradition and mission to educate and provide unique and enriching experiences just like any other university. It is a common misconception that we have ?inferior? professors, but most of our faculty members have earned PhDs and performed research all around the world.? I also asked, ?Would you be asking this question if I had attended Texas State University, St. Ambrose University, Eastern Illinois University, or another school that may not have the same name recognition as a Notre Dame or Purdue??. The paused and couldn?t really respond. Since that conversation, in the fall of 2006, he traveled with me to the Southern/Alcorn game and had a BLAST.
With hundreds of Universities around the country, the choice is personal. If someone chooses an HBCU, it is his or hers to live with. We should not be ?ashamed? in our meetings to share where we come from. Of course, it is much easier to be in the ?majority? with our degrees bearing ?The Ohio State University? or whatever, but if it doesn?t, just be ready to defend just like any other graduate of the ?Northern Illinois? and ?Knox Colleges? of the world.
One more thing, we should be thankful that our children are going to Somebody?s university, especially my fellow brothers. There is such a disparity between the sisters in college and the brothers that SOMETHING must intervene. If HBCUs can be a starting point, so be it.
97JSULEGEND
Well-Known Member
Same here. I'm surrounded by Ohio State, UConn,Kentucky,Ole Piss,Tennessee etc.etc.etc.. And I have no problem wearing my JSU gear and discussing my university. Once you get past the big mega Univesityies with 15000+ students you will find your smaller universities and colleges. All with rich traditions and serve their own purpose. Will any of us ever have 21000 students in a school year and generate 50 mil in athletics. Probably not but we are still relevant. Show we were Milsaps,Mississippi college are leaps and bounds ahead of HBCU's. All are not in financial crisis and have subpar facilities.. Do Our Universities have problems and areas that need improvement? Yes but they still ad value to their local communities and stimulate the local ecomomies. What are we to evolve into? Tell me that and I will give you a better ans.
unknown
New Member
Im late on the topic but ill discuss my opinion. I attended HBCU and PWC, graduated from the PWC. Honestly there ARE quite a few differences between the two. For one, the process of registration, financial aid and getting validated at the HBCU was a COMPLETE ABOMINATION! At the PWC I was able to register and get all my classes online, do my financial aid and get validated without leaving my apartment (and im sure the situation is different from school to school so no need to whine about it).
Two, I was paying a LARGE amount of money to attend the HBCU and the dorms were horrible. When I was at Howard I lived in a room similar to a jail cell. And on top of all of that, we are COLLEGE STUDENTS, paying a ridiculous amount of money to live in t hese dorms and we don't even have in-room visitation! It's pathetic to have to go sit in a lobby full of people or outside just to be able to study or whatever else I want to do. While I was at the PWC my room & board was CHEAP and I lived in a luxury loft downtown on the 14th floor with a view that could KILL...by myself. Large kitchen, living room, full bathroom with shower & tub, high speed internet, cable and fully furnished. ( I know this varies from school to school also)
Three, at one of the HBCU's I didn't really feel as if I was learning ANYTHING. Some of the professors literally gave grades, and a lot of people never even bothered to come to class unless there was a test or a presentation due. I felt like I basically wasnt accomplishing anything but at the same time I had practically a perfect GPA. One of my psychology professors gave anyone that came to class Turkey Day weekend a 100 for the final exam as a trade for showing up and going to the game. Same thing happened with one of my history professors during an exam, she actually came in and wrote all of the answers on the board and said anyone that doesn't make a perfect score on the final deserves to fail.:retard: At the PWC, if you didn't come to class you didn't pass, period. The classes were a lot larger, but in SOME cases it seemed the the professors were better qualified to do their jobs.
Four, the "bonding" aspect of it was definitely best at the HBCU. I know a lot of people have the view that "hbcu's don't do anything but party", which can be true at times...but I won't lie, they party a LOT harder at the PWC than they do at the HBCU. I thikn the only difference is, in some cases at the PWC, they party, get up and go to class. I learned more about the african american's heritage at the HBCU due to courses like African American Humanities...I will honestly say out of all my professors at both HBCU and PWC, that course had the BEST professor that I had while I was in school period. He made it clear that he loved his job and was good at doing it.
All in all, looking at both parties....I spent the most money at Howard, and the education process there IS very good. But at the same time, you can't help but wonder when looking at the campus, where on earth does ALL that money go? The surrounding neighborhood is just....:smh:
Two, I was paying a LARGE amount of money to attend the HBCU and the dorms were horrible. When I was at Howard I lived in a room similar to a jail cell. And on top of all of that, we are COLLEGE STUDENTS, paying a ridiculous amount of money to live in t hese dorms and we don't even have in-room visitation! It's pathetic to have to go sit in a lobby full of people or outside just to be able to study or whatever else I want to do. While I was at the PWC my room & board was CHEAP and I lived in a luxury loft downtown on the 14th floor with a view that could KILL...by myself. Large kitchen, living room, full bathroom with shower & tub, high speed internet, cable and fully furnished. ( I know this varies from school to school also)
Three, at one of the HBCU's I didn't really feel as if I was learning ANYTHING. Some of the professors literally gave grades, and a lot of people never even bothered to come to class unless there was a test or a presentation due. I felt like I basically wasnt accomplishing anything but at the same time I had practically a perfect GPA. One of my psychology professors gave anyone that came to class Turkey Day weekend a 100 for the final exam as a trade for showing up and going to the game. Same thing happened with one of my history professors during an exam, she actually came in and wrote all of the answers on the board and said anyone that doesn't make a perfect score on the final deserves to fail.:retard: At the PWC, if you didn't come to class you didn't pass, period. The classes were a lot larger, but in SOME cases it seemed the the professors were better qualified to do their jobs.
Four, the "bonding" aspect of it was definitely best at the HBCU. I know a lot of people have the view that "hbcu's don't do anything but party", which can be true at times...but I won't lie, they party a LOT harder at the PWC than they do at the HBCU. I thikn the only difference is, in some cases at the PWC, they party, get up and go to class. I learned more about the african american's heritage at the HBCU due to courses like African American Humanities...I will honestly say out of all my professors at both HBCU and PWC, that course had the BEST professor that I had while I was in school period. He made it clear that he loved his job and was good at doing it.
All in all, looking at both parties....I spent the most money at Howard, and the education process there IS very good. But at the same time, you can't help but wonder when looking at the campus, where on earth does ALL that money go? The surrounding neighborhood is just....:smh:
Bartram
Brand HBCUbian
,, ok, i thought i was done with this one, but i just gotta respond,,,
:lmao: l'me tell ya sumpin' son,,, you didn't come through Tuskegee 82-87 trying to get class cards, finacial aid and register IN AUGUST, IN A 1920s vintage UN-AIRCONDITIONED GYMN(before Chappie James was built)!!!!! :lmao: PLEASE!!! One year this poor chap from up north somewhere came and was at Tompkins Hall at 6 in the morning it was already high 70s, yellowjackets and honey bees everywhere, mass of students jammed at the door to get class cards and humid and this clown had a glove on, a dumb outfit and jerry curls trying to look like Micheal Jackson! The poor fella got clowned and laughed at so hard he left! :lmao: um-yeah, registration, at least at Skegee 82-87, WAS BRUTAL! However, in some defense of HBCUs, the process at NCA&T was much easier, much more automated and the school officials were much more pleasant, although they'd argue wit yo arse and tell you to go f- yourself if you got indignant with them,, just not as quick a hair-trigger as the mugz at Tuskegee.
Most things having to do with desicration of property I blame on the moronic idiot caliber of students being attracted to HBCUs now days. It's worse now. I went to a Skegee game a couple of years ago and went to the Engineering Building and saw graffitti IN THE ENGINEERING BUILD, CHAIRS AND TABLES CHAINED TO EACH OTHER. THAT I put squarely on scum sucking maggot students who don't give a fugg about my school/anything(basically don't need to be there) so much so that they steal anything not locked down just for the heck of it I guess,, and desicrate our buildings with their sh1t-arse graffitti these f'ing miscreants. I put most of that on the caliber of SOME of the students at HBCUs now,, although, timely maintenance was a HUGE problem at Tuskegee,, but I wrote it off as we just don't have the budget to be on top of little things in a timely manner. The engineering building, although brand new and dedicated to Ron McNair, at A&T was SPOTLESS and clean as a whistle in 91-93,, don't know about now.
,,,,,, ok, that was definitely NOT the case at Tuskegee or NCA&T in my major. my black arse barely got out of both Tuskegee and NCA&T with my LIFE. I was in engineering. I dropped at least a class every fall semester trying to be my black arse in band and engineering at the same time(i figured if some of the football players could do it, Mech Eng and Chem Eng majors, surely I could), and one prof FLUNKED my arse with an E even though I stayed in the class the entire semester to the bitter end, was at every study session (ON SUNDAYS,, even being in band), and turned in every homework assignment to help offset test scores. Mofo STILL flunked my arse! :angry: :angry
but to this day, this is an instructor I remember the most and talk about the most when getting together with classmates) Same at A&T. Them instructors there bashed my head in to the white meat! I barely got out of dat mug wit my life!
oh no question my bonding experiences at HBCUs will last a lifetime.
Welp, have you driven through Tuskegee lately? This is one of my biggest beefs with HBCU college towns (I thought non-major metro areas but,,,). Tuskegee the town IS A LIABILITY for Tuskegee University, not an asset. They leech off the University. There is nothing in Tuskegee beyond the University and the VA. It's the only town ON AN INTERSTATE, WITH A COLLEGE, yet there is NO restaurants, convenient stores at their two main access points TO THE INTERSTATE. Tuskegee the town depends ENTIRELY on the university for its existance. This is unacceptable. Troy is not on an interstate and they have a THRIVING local economy and other industry in town other than the college(Wiley Sanders, K&W Plastics, Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin just to name a few) with about 6-7 hotels, a good selection of restaurants (for a town of only 14K about the same as Tuskegee), a thriving SuperWalmart and conglomeration of stores popping up around it,,,, and you mean to tell me Tuskegee IS A BEDROOM COMMUNITY OF BOTH MONTGOMERY AND AUBURN-OPELIKA,,, and the town is hapless??????
i'm sorry folks, that's an indictment on US and our leadership. NCA&T this is not an issue as it is in a good size metro area. it's near downtown and the surroundings were not abissmal in 91-93.
:lmao: l'me tell ya sumpin' son,,, you didn't come through Tuskegee 82-87 trying to get class cards, finacial aid and register IN AUGUST, IN A 1920s vintage UN-AIRCONDITIONED GYMN(before Chappie James was built)!!!!! :lmao: PLEASE!!! One year this poor chap from up north somewhere came and was at Tompkins Hall at 6 in the morning it was already high 70s, yellowjackets and honey bees everywhere, mass of students jammed at the door to get class cards and humid and this clown had a glove on, a dumb outfit and jerry curls trying to look like Micheal Jackson! The poor fella got clowned and laughed at so hard he left! :lmao: um-yeah, registration, at least at Skegee 82-87, WAS BRUTAL! However, in some defense of HBCUs, the process at NCA&T was much easier, much more automated and the school officials were much more pleasant, although they'd argue wit yo arse and tell you to go f- yourself if you got indignant with them,, just not as quick a hair-trigger as the mugz at Tuskegee.
Most things having to do with desicration of property I blame on the moronic idiot caliber of students being attracted to HBCUs now days. It's worse now. I went to a Skegee game a couple of years ago and went to the Engineering Building and saw graffitti IN THE ENGINEERING BUILD, CHAIRS AND TABLES CHAINED TO EACH OTHER. THAT I put squarely on scum sucking maggot students who don't give a fugg about my school/anything(basically don't need to be there) so much so that they steal anything not locked down just for the heck of it I guess,, and desicrate our buildings with their sh1t-arse graffitti these f'ing miscreants. I put most of that on the caliber of SOME of the students at HBCUs now,, although, timely maintenance was a HUGE problem at Tuskegee,, but I wrote it off as we just don't have the budget to be on top of little things in a timely manner. The engineering building, although brand new and dedicated to Ron McNair, at A&T was SPOTLESS and clean as a whistle in 91-93,, don't know about now.
,,,,,, ok, that was definitely NOT the case at Tuskegee or NCA&T in my major. my black arse barely got out of both Tuskegee and NCA&T with my LIFE. I was in engineering. I dropped at least a class every fall semester trying to be my black arse in band and engineering at the same time(i figured if some of the football players could do it, Mech Eng and Chem Eng majors, surely I could), and one prof FLUNKED my arse with an E even though I stayed in the class the entire semester to the bitter end, was at every study session (ON SUNDAYS,, even being in band), and turned in every homework assignment to help offset test scores. Mofo STILL flunked my arse! :angry: :angry
but to this day, this is an instructor I remember the most and talk about the most when getting together with classmates) Same at A&T. Them instructors there bashed my head in to the white meat! I barely got out of dat mug wit my life! oh no question my bonding experiences at HBCUs will last a lifetime.
Welp, have you driven through Tuskegee lately? This is one of my biggest beefs with HBCU college towns (I thought non-major metro areas but,,,). Tuskegee the town IS A LIABILITY for Tuskegee University, not an asset. They leech off the University. There is nothing in Tuskegee beyond the University and the VA. It's the only town ON AN INTERSTATE, WITH A COLLEGE, yet there is NO restaurants, convenient stores at their two main access points TO THE INTERSTATE. Tuskegee the town depends ENTIRELY on the university for its existance. This is unacceptable. Troy is not on an interstate and they have a THRIVING local economy and other industry in town other than the college(Wiley Sanders, K&W Plastics, Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin just to name a few) with about 6-7 hotels, a good selection of restaurants (for a town of only 14K about the same as Tuskegee), a thriving SuperWalmart and conglomeration of stores popping up around it,,,, and you mean to tell me Tuskegee IS A BEDROOM COMMUNITY OF BOTH MONTGOMERY AND AUBURN-OPELIKA,,, and the town is hapless??????
i'm sorry folks, that's an indictment on US and our leadership. NCA&T this is not an issue as it is in a good size metro area. it's near downtown and the surroundings were not abissmal in 91-93.BRAVEMAN, I will be kind to your friend. But I am not too surprised that someone from Texas A&M said something like that. Your response was excellent.
Contrary to what some Texas A&M Aggies think, Prairie View being in the Texas A&M University is not hurting Texas A&M.
.....
,,,,,, ok, that was definitely NOT the case at Tuskegee or NCA&T in my major. my black arse barely got out of both Tuskegee and NCA&T with my LIFE. I was in engineering. I dropped at least a class every fall semester trying to be my black arse in band and engineering at the same time(i figured if some of the football players could do it, Mech Eng and Chem Eng majors, surely I could), and one prof FLUNKED my arse with an E even though I stayed in the class the entire semester to the bitter end, was at every study session (ON SUNDAYS,, even being in band), and turned in every homework assignment to help offset test scores. Mofo STILL flunked my arse! :angry: :angry
......
It was not the case at Prairie View either. One had to turn in their homework on time. Grades were not given; they were earned. One had to study hard for an A or a B. I had a lot of late nights during the week. Graduating seniors had to work their behinds off to pass the class. I can honestly say that I had to work for the grades I earned at Prairie View.
Prairie View is far from perfect. But many people who went to the big schools said that the teaching was better at PV. Understand. The major focus of a large PWC is to bring in research money. Teaching in a lot of cases is secondary.
.....
Welp, have you driven through Tuskegee lately? This is one of my biggest beefs with HBCU college towns (I thought non-major metro areas but,,,). Tuskegee the town IS A LIABILITY for Tuskegee University, not an asset. They leech off the University. There is nothing in Tuskegee beyond the University and the VA. It's the only town ON AN INTERSTATE, WITH A COLLEGE, yet there is NO restaurants, convenient stores at their two main access points TO THE INTERSTATE. Tuskegee the town depends ENTIRELY on the university for its existance. This is unacceptable. Troy is not on an interstate and they have a THRIVING local economy and other industry in town other than the college(Wiley Sanders, K&W Plastics, Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin just to name a few) with about 6-7 hotels, a good selection of restaurants (for a town of only 14K about the same as Tuskegee), a thriving SuperWalmart and conglomeration of stores popping up around it,,,, and you mean to tell me Tuskegee IS A BEDROOM COMMUNITY OF BOTH MONTGOMERY AND AUBURN-OPELIKA,,, and the town is hapless??????
I have no answers for that.
Bartram
Brand HBCUbian
#1. Implement a massive city beautification campaign - gives all property owners notice that if structures on their property are considered unsafe to inhabit and/or a blight to the area they will be condemned and owners given x amount of time to demolish the structure or bring the structure into compliance or the city will demolish the structures at the owner's expense/as a lean against the property. I saw run down abondoned structures grown up in weeds and falling in just outside campus that I have been seeing for the last 20 years. that's totally unacceptable. if people aren't going to keep them up, tear them down.
#2. Apply for road resurfacing grants - some of the roads in Tuskegee especially around the campus have not been resurfaced since I graduate in 1987. I swear this pass homecoming It seemed like I was riding over some of the same patched potholes. Prioritize neighborhoods and resurface/widen residential streets, preferredly around the campus, but where ever in town the most tax revenue comes from.
Those are stop-gap band-aid measures to make the city more astetically appealing. To really get Tuskegee the city back on track:
It seems apparant that Tuskegee will never have any industry and tax base for city coffers (except for a sod farming operation east of town on Wire Road) as white business/money has long left the town for dead and blacks ain't got a pot to piss in nor a window to throw it out of so (save for some service industries like law offices and local small time construction firms (Bulls, Marables) and other local businesses),
#3. Market Tuskegee as a bedroom community of Montgomery/Auburn-Opelika/Columbus - this is massive chicken or egg; how do attract people to town that's so hapless? if you have people with income that's more taxes and more people to shop which makes the town more attractive to commercial/restaurant developments. Give housing developers tax breaks to develop residential areas in the city.
#3a. Market Tuskegee as a retirement community - Since there are no attractants for young/professionals in Tuskegee (other than being a bedroom community) I'd sell the city as a retirement town.
#4. Higher a marketing firm to promote the town/region and attract more tourists (and thus hotels/retail/restaurants) - package the the Tuskegee National Historic Site with the Tuskegee Airmen museum, outdoors activities in Tuskegee National Forest, golf (in Auburn) and hunting packages on the many hunting plantations in Macon county and the Alabama Quail Trail. Package that with historic masion tours. Macon county has some of the most historic antebellum mansions in the state/south just rotting away, they never get any publicity. This is a huge waste and history that will be lost forever in a decade or so,, but since the split in the 60s white folk who own most of the land and these mansions in county and black politically control Tuskegee don't work for the common good of the county/town on anything of this nature which is why the place is crumbling.
#5. Business incubators - work with Tuskegee University to find grant money for business spin-offs as the result of research and development at Tuskegee University. locate the businesses in the (empty since it was built while I was there in the 80s) industrial park located a good par 5 from the interstate.
#6. Work with David Bronner and the RTJ on a partnership to build a 9-hole(18 would be better, but beggers can't be choosey) "mini-RTJ" on the campus of Tuskegee University(Tuskegee provides the land) to be run by the RTJ just like the rest of the trail. Tuskegee sits on 5K+ acres of land, this could be easily accomodated west of campus on "the farm". This would give tourists (esp blacks now that blacks are into golf in record numbers) another activity and greatly enhance the appearance coming into Tuskegee from the west not to mention the land is perfect for a magnificent golf course and Tuskegee could add sod research, developing better grass etc to the farming ciriculum with the golf course as a real lab.
Braveman12
Active Member
Oh yeah EB, it was good ole conversation and we respected his opinion. We weren't hard on him, but we felt that we had to let him know where we were coming from. We didn't kick him out of the crew.
It's easy to throw the "facilities" and "poor faculty" cards at HBCUs. I just think there is a lot of assuming because "the school is black, it must be wack", but in the same breath, just because the school is "white" doesn't make it right. There are some struggling HBCUs, but there are some that are strongly making impacts on our people.
crazylegs
Da' Franchise...
Braveman12,
It shouldn't be easy to do such a thing...That's the whole point. We shouldn't have potential students looking at fundemental things like facilities, student services, etc. as being determinig factors for getting our best and brightest...
I shouldn't look at a Slippery Rock or a Troy and see too much difference in those basic services with our institutions. As mentioned earlier, there are a number of our institutions that get it and their playing the game.
There are still a number of our institutions out there that are relying on the strength of that mission without actually investing the adequate time and resources to carrying that mission out more efficiently.
That's the element some folks seem to be missing when talking about this issue...Contrary to popular belief, perception (fair or otherwise) still has a great deal of influence as it pertains to attracting students to our schools...
We've all heard the stereotypes before and we all know it's not representative of all of our institutions...That being said, it doesn't change the fact that our institutions still have to work twice as hard to maintain a positive image in comparison to many PWC's out there.
The margin of error for HBCU's in terms of recruiting has been a narrow one, particualrly in this day and age...We collectively have to do the things necessary to remain relevant to our mission, just like any other university...
that means investing people, time, and resources...
It means investing in new ideas and thinking outside of the box in order to grow and develop our institutions.
Braveman12
Active Member
You're right brotha. It is very easy to see disparities between our institutions, because amenities of the past are now "standard", while new, costlier amenities are drivers, which drastically affect our recruiting strategies. Furthermore, HBCUs have traditionally had a harder time funding these costlier amenities, thus supporting your statement of "investing people, time, and resources". HBCUs should benchmark and establish means to acquire these amenities and services.. thus making us more proficient AND efficient.
Currently, the U.S. is moving from an industrial-manufacturing based society to a more service-centered society where customer service is a premium driver of results and reliability. Treat a customer right, and you have loyalty, treat them rotten, and they'll go elsewhere. The same is for Higher Education. All HBCU's should listen up, but for those who don't, they will fold, just like the Morris Browns and Mary Holmes of the world.... almost gone and somewhat forgotten...:smh:
So, what do you think? Simply put, if amenities at HBCUs were readily available and our customer service was held to a higher standard, we would see more students and scholars?
crazylegs
Da' Franchise...
Frankly,
I don't consider things like streamlined registration/financial aid procedures, or reliable department infrastructure as an amenity. To me, that's something that a student (HBCU or otherwise) is entitled to have to enhance the enviornment they learn in.
If getting that "costlier" campus network, or paying more for competent staff and admin support pays dividends in terms of marketing for the University, it's money well spent, particularly if it's a tool in making the institution as a whole more marketable to the student you're trying to attract.
Just about everything mentioned here in this thread (and there's a ton of great feedback, BTW :tup::tup: ) goes to the overall marketability of an institution...
Amenities may not be the sole thing that prompts a student to go to school A over school B, but it sure can be a part of an extremely attractive package.
That's the nature of the game as it pertains to attracting students. It's about time for HBCU's to collectively take that into consideration because they're playing that same game, whether they actually think so or not...
I don't consider things like streamlined registration/financial aid procedures, or reliable department infrastructure as an amenity. To me, that's something that a student (HBCU or otherwise) is entitled to have to enhance the enviornment they learn in.
If getting that "costlier" campus network, or paying more for competent staff and admin support pays dividends in terms of marketing for the University, it's money well spent, particularly if it's a tool in making the institution as a whole more marketable to the student you're trying to attract.
Just about everything mentioned here in this thread (and there's a ton of great feedback, BTW :tup::tup: ) goes to the overall marketability of an institution...
Amenities may not be the sole thing that prompts a student to go to school A over school B, but it sure can be a part of an extremely attractive package.
That's the nature of the game as it pertains to attracting students. It's about time for HBCU's to collectively take that into consideration because they're playing that same game, whether they actually think so or not...
Braveman12
Active Member
I agree with you. I don't consider streamlined processes and customer service as amenities either. These are now more of an expectation than ever before. If not incorporated into the HBCU culture, these expectations should be set and followed through with quality gates and data-driven accountability measures. (I'll implement 6 Sigma on 'em...lol) I'm all about holding myself and others accountable for their results.
We can begin here......
http://www.asq.org/education/why-quality/overview.html
GOOD TOPIC. Glad you got enough info.
PhatBoyBCC
New Member
You guys coplaining about the Dorms at HBCU's huh, I know I stayed in Degraffe Hall at Florida State and I will say that the two dorms I stayed in at BCU was way better than that filth at FSU when I was in a college experience program.My brother went to FSU and he stayed in the grad housing for older students and man those dorms are a joke. HBCU's have problems just like everyone else,PWC's have problems with accreditation and especially race issues.My brother hardly went to this class at FSU and he made a B in the class because He always sat in the front of the class when he came. BCU professors did not play and made you work hard ,it all depends on the major .We as alumni will see a change when we give back to our schools the right way ,Homecoming and rival classics don't count.
northern tiger
Active Member
Why don't we just retire the hbcu designation since you all want our schools to diversify. The title won't serve a purpose. We are just holding on to the past like a wino clutching his last bottle if that's the case. The main people who agree about attracting different students are the first people tailgating at football games, attending every classic, and arguing about the bands. You can't have it both ways. I wish you all would act like functioning around different races wasn't a new experience. The ideas that are being expressed reflect this mentallity.
crazylegs
Da' Franchise...
how does making sure that basic services are up to snuff equate to diversifying?
Nowhere in the article do I talk about diversification...Only about equipping our schools the right way to compete...
Frankly, I think that HBCU schools already have the mission to attract many more of our own students that would ordinarily go to PWC's if we weren't in the picture, but just having history and a mission alone isn't gonna do it all the time...
The mechanism itself needs to change and evolve with the times to attract today's afro-american student...In some cases, it'll be a bit easier than others.
Look at the bolded quotes... :tup:
Nowhere in the article do I talk about diversification...Only about equipping our schools the right way to compete...
Frankly, I think that HBCU schools already have the mission to attract many more of our own students that would ordinarily go to PWC's if we weren't in the picture, but just having history and a mission alone isn't gonna do it all the time...
The mechanism itself needs to change and evolve with the times to attract today's afro-american student...In some cases, it'll be a bit easier than others.
Look at the bolded quotes... :tup:
crazylegs
Da' Franchise...
Tiger, we're already doing that...That in itself still shouldn't take away from the original mission of the HBCU. As it stands, there's still a great deal of need for it, even today...
HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES: Black Universities Are Still Neededhttp://www.communityinvestmentnetwo...ded-1/?tx_ttnews[backPid]=43&cHash=f62ca0eaea
01/14/08 00:00 Age: 3 days
BY: THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
LARRY E. RIVERS; FOR THE JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
Syndicated columnist Walter E. Williams has recently questioned whether historically black colleges and universities have outlived their usefulness and viability.
While desirous of affording Williams all due respect, please let me --- as a veteran HBCU faculty member and, now, president --- respond. Simply ridiculous.
Williams focuses his essay on a series of columns written by Bill Maxwell for the St. Petersburg Times in spring 2007.
.....
Thus, by the 21st century's opening, many HBCUs were struggling financially, academically and organizationally. Does this mean they had lost their viability and outlived their usefulness?
The answer is no. Those institutions continued each year to turn out thousands of students who went on to very successful careers in the professions, government, the arts and all other areas of endeavor. At their most fundamental level, the HBCUs succeeded and, often, succeeded well.
But, many persisted in not adapting and their reputation outside the African American community grew worse as the schools mostly declined to engage in a public debate or to emphasize all the very good aspects of the HBCU approach, including mentoring of students who are considered part of the family.
I would contrast this to the "sink or swim" approach of more than a few large and predominately white colleges and universities.
Here's the bottom line for me. HBCUs offer unique advantages to many students who are fully capable of going on to lead not only productive lives but also to contribute in substantial and sometimes marvelous ways to our country and our world. And, we should be held accountable in the strictest sense for doing just that.
Notice I did not suggest only black students. Without question HBCUs need to adapt to what we at Fort Valley State University call "a more diverse 21st century."
.....
At Fort Valley State University we do not question whether we are viable.
.....
* Larry E. Rivers is president of Fort Valley State University.
01/14/08 00:00 Age: 3 days
BY: THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
LARRY E. RIVERS; FOR THE JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
Syndicated columnist Walter E. Williams has recently questioned whether historically black colleges and universities have outlived their usefulness and viability.
While desirous of affording Williams all due respect, please let me --- as a veteran HBCU faculty member and, now, president --- respond. Simply ridiculous.
Williams focuses his essay on a series of columns written by Bill Maxwell for the St. Petersburg Times in spring 2007.
.....
Thus, by the 21st century's opening, many HBCUs were struggling financially, academically and organizationally. Does this mean they had lost their viability and outlived their usefulness?
The answer is no. Those institutions continued each year to turn out thousands of students who went on to very successful careers in the professions, government, the arts and all other areas of endeavor. At their most fundamental level, the HBCUs succeeded and, often, succeeded well.
But, many persisted in not adapting and their reputation outside the African American community grew worse as the schools mostly declined to engage in a public debate or to emphasize all the very good aspects of the HBCU approach, including mentoring of students who are considered part of the family.
I would contrast this to the "sink or swim" approach of more than a few large and predominately white colleges and universities.
Here's the bottom line for me. HBCUs offer unique advantages to many students who are fully capable of going on to lead not only productive lives but also to contribute in substantial and sometimes marvelous ways to our country and our world. And, we should be held accountable in the strictest sense for doing just that.
Notice I did not suggest only black students. Without question HBCUs need to adapt to what we at Fort Valley State University call "a more diverse 21st century."
.....
At Fort Valley State University we do not question whether we are viable.
.....
* Larry E. Rivers is president of Fort Valley State University.
PhatBoyBCC
New Member
everybody's HBCU experience is not the same and BCU really changed me as a person, I don't think I wouldhave experienced this anywhere else.
unknown
New Member
I know everyones experience isnt the same, I was speaking for MY experience. It was bad enough my parents and everyone else were telling me not to go to Bama State in the first place, but when I ended up transferring and graduating from a PWC I had to listen to all of the "I told you so's."
My brother is a senior now, and I asked him what schools he was looking into attending. When I mentioned HBCU's him and his friends looked at me like I was crazy and laughed. So far he's narrowed it down to Georgia Tech, Auburn, U Tennessee, and Emory. I tried to talk to him but considering I graduated from a PWC he always brings that up when I try to make an argument so there isnt too much I can say.
He visited Clark and said there was no way in hell he'd go there..and the same with FAMU. As long as he goes to school SOMEWHERE that's about all I can ask for.
PhatBoyBCC
New Member
Well ,that's true , My brother went to FSU after attending 3 HBCU's ,he went to FSU because that's the only school close to home that offer his major.
Has your brother been exposed to HBCU's earlier in his life,I was ,being that I was in the band ,I had to be. I didn't care about the luxury stuff ,and about Clark Atlanta U, my cousin goes there and it is a very nice campus ,smack dab in the hood , but a very nice campus and he loves CAU.I like thier library.
PhatBoyBCC
New Member
If we don't take pride in our schools ,who will, I will say this again, Alumni put more Dollars in the education and research of the schools instead of Homecoming and Rival classics.. What the hell do we need swacpage ,meacfans , or any other page for if education is not a priority ,we as alumni have the power to get a president fired from an institution,we the power to bring better facilities to our schools.It's seems like we don't really love HBCU's ,we only love HBCU bands , and Football, and social gatherings.
Bartram
Brand HBCUbian
,,, and i'm assuming yall are from here (Atlanta). you should have seen my cousins from California when my pops was trying to pursuade them to come to Alabama and go to ASU/AA&MU or an HBCU in general. they were like deer in headlights. they barely knew what HBCUs were, much less anything about them. they were set on going to Arizona/AZ State "because there was more diversity there"(they grew up with lots of hispanics and asians and wanted that type of social college setting). How ironic the "diversity" preference coming back to bite HBCUs in the case of my cousins. :xeye:
unknown
New Member
Yea....everyone wanted equality and the ability to attend anywhere...now everyone wants to complain that more blacks go to PWC's than HBCU's.