Yes, it was a year like no other. More than anything, 2020 was a year of change and continuous adjustment. COPING WITH COVID Higher education in North Carolina adapted in so many ways: A treatment for COVID-19 was developed. 50,000 classes shifted online in two weeks. A professor shipped virtual-reality headsets to students. 700 laptops… READ MORE
HELP WANTED: Teachers of Color
RALEIGH – What’s wrong with this picture? Last year, 53% of the public school students in North Carolina were students of color – yet nearly 80% of their teachers were white.1 “North Carolina’s educator workforce has been unable to match this rich diversity,” says a new report from the Developing a Representative and Inclusive Vision… READ MORE
Creating a college-going culture
RALEIGH (Sept. 24, 2020) – As much as it’s about specific policies or strategies, increasing college enrollment is about creating a college-going culture, national education leaders said in a virtual meeting hosted by NC State University’s Institute for Emerging Issues. NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson, who moderated the discussion, noted that higher education is trying… READ MORE
Attacking systemic racism in higher education
By James H. Johnson, Jr., Ph.D., and Donna-Marie Winn, Ph.D. CHAPEL HILL – In a previous essay, I shared personal experiences to give White colleagues examples of how systemic racism is intricately woven into the fabric of predominantly White institutions of higher education (PWIs). In this essay, Dr. Donna-Marie Winn, my research colleague, and I… READ MORE
How to expand Black faculty access
By James H. Johnson, Jr., Ph.D., and Donna-Marie Winn, Ph.D. CHAPEL HILL – The previous two essays in this series offered personal reflections on systemic racism in higher education and recommendations to ensure equitable access and treatment of Blacks and other people of color, especially students, moving forward. In this essay, we offer the leadership… READ MORE
Reflections on systemic racism in higher education
By James H. Johnson, Jr., Ph.D. CHAPEL HILL – Several of my White friends and colleagues have asked me recently what changes are required to address systemic racism in higher education institutions. After reflecting on personal experiences as an African-American professor for four decades in two predominantly White institutions, I will highlight activities that have… READ MORE
A message from UNCG’s chancellor
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff, To sustain our democracy, and enact our shared values of freedom, prosperity, equality, safety, and a brighter future for our children, we must solve our problems collaboratively. People are mistaken if they believe the outcry over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis is the singular cause of protests across… READ MORE
Martin: Diversity in the classroom and the boardroom
By Jim Martin Even at its most refined, governance is messy. There’s no perfect process that can guarantee the right decision. The closest we can come is to make sure every voice is in the room arguing about what’s right. Diversity of thought is a bedrock principle of this country. Nothing drives discontent more than… READ MORE
WSSU & NASCAR: ‘What a great marriage’
WINSTON-SALEM – At first it sounds unlikely – a historically black university training NASCAR team members? But it’s true: Winston-Salem State University, in fact, is the only public university in the country to offer a four-year degree in Motorsports Management. The program encompasses racing operations as well as marketing and management. “It is hard to… READ MORE
“The spoils will go to the better-educated”
NEW YORK (May 31, 2018) – Policymakers and college leaders from the across the country took the stage last week at The New York Times’ Higher Education Leaders Forum. UNC System President Margaret Spellings helped set the agenda during a morning panel about declining public trust in colleges and universities. She called for stronger accountability measures… READ MORE