(NAME-MCE) Maryland must spend more on its historically Black colleges and universities

[Anselmo Villanueva]

Maryland must spend considerably more on facilities and programs at
historically black colleges for them to overcome the impact of decades
of segregation, a special state panel has found. The Baltimore Sun
reported that the panel links this lack of funding to the relatively
low retention and graduation rates at the black colleges. At the same
time, noting the economic woes facing the state, panel leaders said
that the black colleges many need to make some improvements by shifts
in spending on funds they already have.

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Panel: black universities need funds - Schools lag behind white
counterparts, study finds

By Stephen Kiehl October 28, 2008

Maryland must spend more on its historically black colleges and
universities if they are to make up a wide gap in graduation rates and
campus facilities compared with other public universities, a state
panel has found.

The panel's 34-page report, released yesterday, identifies many ways
in which Maryland's four public historically black colleges have
fallen behind other state schools - in science and technology labs,
buildings, and retention and graduation rates.

"Substantial additional resources must be invested in [the
historically black colleges] to overcome the competitive disadvantages
caused by prior discriminatory treatment," the report said, without
specifying how much is needed. But the chairman of the panel, which
reported to key state legislators, said the colleges can also shift
money around and make better use of what they already have.

The report was prepared by a group of national higher education
experts who were asked to advise Maryland legislators on how to
improve the state's historically black universities. The panel
reported to the General Assembly's Spending Affordability Committee.

Del. John L. Bohanan Jr., the committee's co-chairman, warned
yesterday that the state faces its worst budget outlook in years and
that little new money will be available. So black colleges will be
asked to find inexpensive ways to boost their graduation rates, he
said.

"It could be in some cases they need so much that we're not going to
get there," said Bohanan, a Southern Maryland Democrat, so the
institutions will need to determine what's really important to them.
"There's not going to be a whole slew of new money."

Since 2001, the state has targeted $400 million to its black campuses
in an effort to make up for decades in which a dual system of higher
education neglected the black colleges - Bowie State University,
Coppin State University, Morgan State University and the University of
Maryland Eastern Shore. But the schools have failed to improve on key
indicators.

Graduation rates are 20 to 30 points below traditionally white
universities like Towson and the University of Maryland, Baltimore
County, and SAT scores at the black schools are 200 to 250 points
lower. This is partly a factor of the lower admissions standards at
black colleges, whose mission includes providing access to higher
education for students who would not otherwise have an opportunity.

The report found that more than 80 percent of students at black
colleges "need further preparation to succeed in college." So more
money is needed for academic advisers, summer programs that begin
after high school and other efforts to get students up to speed.
Already, the black colleges share $6 million a year under the Access
and Success program for those purposes.

"It hasn't been successful," said David S. Spence, chairman of the
black colleges panel and president of the Southern Regional Education
Board. "We've got to use that money and probably a modest amount more,
but it's got to be directed to the right thing."

The schools should propose specific programs to increase graduation
rates. They also must redirect money toward financial aid because many
students drop out simply because they can no longer afford college,
the report said.