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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 2017)
Page 10 The Skanner August 30, 2017 News One of the Oldest HBCUs in the Country Could Fold in September By Stacy M. Brown Washington Informer/ NNPA Member A ft er years of fi nan- cial trouble and heartbreaking en- rollment decline, Cheyney University, one of the oldest Black insti- tutions of higher educa- tion in America, is on the verge of fi scal ruin and in danger of losing its ac- creditation. Cheyney’s problems have sparked rallies, pro- tests and an outpouring of support and outrage from state senators, alumni and others. “On the one hand, it’s tragic. On the fl ip side, this didn’t happen over- night,” said Johnny Tay- lor Jr., the president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. “While there were all sorts of other factors, including a bad econo- my in 2008 and state and federal [agencies] that failed to help, this still re- fl ects badly on Cheyney’s board of trustees and the university’s president.” Founded in 1837, by Richard Humphreys, a reformed slave trad- er, Cheyney represents more than just a place of learning, said Pennsyl- vania State Representa- tive Stephen Kinsey, who recently joined students and others at a rally for the school. “Cheyney represents the struggle of being Black in America, fi ght- ing to be recognized, speaking up to be sup- ported, and a never-end- ing struggle to be treated equally,” Kinsey said. A report issued by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights noted that, although HBCUs only make up three per- cent of today’s colleges and universities, more than 20 percent of Afri- can-American college graduates attend an HBCU. “For years, these his- toric institutions have “ struggles as funding to the school decreased and tuition rose. Since 2010, enrollment dropped 50 percent from over 1,500 students to an estimated 746. Since 2013, Cheyney has borrowed over $30.5 million to stay solvent and, if school offi cials can’t deliver a plan that satisfi es the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the school could lose its ac- creditation in Septem- ber. This would be par- ticularly devastating, because the school’s ac- While there were all sorts of other factors, including a bad economy in 2008 and state and federal [agencies] that failed to help, this still refl ects badly on Cheyney’s board of trustees and the university’s president. produced amazing lead- ers, that not only con- tribute to their respec- tive fi elds, but who also pride themselves on their ‘lift ing while they climb’ attitudes,” said U.S. Senator Bob Casey, D-Pennsylvania. Cheyney has faced a myriad of fi nancial creditation is tied to its access to federal grant programs, including Pell grants. The Philadelphia Tri- bune reported that State Rep. Stephen Kinsey (D-Pa.) said that nearly three-quarters of the stu- dents are from low-in- come households and PHOTO COURTESY OF CHEYNEY UNIVERSITY Cheyney University, One of the Nation’s Oldest HBCUs, Could Lose Its Accreditation in September Cheyney University is in danger of losing its accreditation in September. qualify for federal Pell grants. State Rep. Stephen Kinsey (D-Pa.) said that he felt obligated to save Cheyney University, during a recent ral- ly about the fate of the school, according to the Tribune. Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Hughes, a Cheyney trustee, said work continues to pre- vent the loss of accredita- tion. “We’ve been work- ing with the governor and others,” Hughes said. “I wish I can guarantee things, but I also can’t al- low myself to think nega- tively.” Such notables to attend Cheyney include, the late “60 Minutes” journalist Ed Bradley; charismatic educator Marcus Foster; former Chicago Bears linemen James Williams; Emmy-winning anchor- man Jim Vance; and Phil- adelphia Tribune Pub- lisher Robert Bogle. “Cheyney Universi- ty of Pennsylvania has been an important con- tributor to the educa- tion of African- Amer- icans since before the Civil War, and the data shows that we need ev- ery HBCU in the country to continue their legacy of contributing to its ed- ucation outcomes,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, the president and CEO of the United Negro College Fund. “HBCUs continue to show their outsized impact, representing three percent of all two and four-year nonprofi t colleges and universi- ties, enrolling 10 per- cent of African-Amer- ican undergraduates, producing 18 percent of all African-American bachelor’s degrees and generating 25 percent of all bachelor’s degrees in STEM fi elds earned by African-Americans an- nually.” Lomax added that fed- eral and state govern- ments, alumni, corpora- Please re-use or recycle this newspaper. tions, philanthropists, and others need to invest more heavily in institu- tions like Cheyney Uni- versity. “The governor has been working closely with the state system and its board to create a path forward for Cheyney, that allows it to build off its history, continue as a degree-granting insti- tution, and address its fi nancial struggles,” said J.J. Abbott, a spokesman for Pennsylvania Gover- nor Tom Wolf. Pennsylvania Demo- cratic State Rep. Jordan Harris, a member of a task force formed to ad- vise Cheney’s adminis- tration, said the universi- ty has been underfunded for years and without permanent leadership. “The task force’s job is not to tell the university what to do, but to make recommendations,” Har- ris said. “For the past two years, the state system has provided a line of credit to Cheyney Uni- versity to be sustained fi - nancially. The State Sys- tem of Higher Education needs to forgive that debt immediately.”
