Dr Boyce: What's Wrong with Howard University?

Today, I got with my co-host on Financial Lovemaking, Ms. S. Tia Brown, to talk about the situation at Howard University and the insanity of recent student protests. Tia, who is a Howard University alumnus, also has a brother who attends the institution. She openly and honestly breaks down the experiences that she had while attending the institution and discusses some experiences her brother has had as well.During this conversation, we came to the following conclusions:

1) Howard University is an outstanding HBCU, which is why we must have some degree of patience.

There is a reason the students love Howard, and the institution is responsible for producing some of our most productive citizens. For that reason, the school must be respected. No matter what critiques are thrust upon the institution, Howard will always be one of the most outstanding universities in the nation.

2) HBCUs don't have the same resources as predominantly white institutions.

We must remember that Howard and even the most elite black institutions simply do not have the funds that major white universities possess. So, we cannot expect to get the same results in all scenarios. Man and woman power, computers, and other infrastructure are expensive to obtain and maintain. Spelman and Howard have endowments of $291 Million and $524 Million, respectively, while institutions such as Harvard and Yale carry endowments of $36 Billion and $23 Billion. Due to the legacy of slavery and economic inequality in America, predominantly white universities have a lot more "cheese" to work with, which gives them a huge advantage.

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Howard University Pictures

Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Michael Steele speaks at a town hall meeting at Howard University in Washington on September 1, 2009. AFP PHOTO/Nicholas KAMM (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

AFP

Howard University Pictures

AFP/Getty Images

TO GO WITH AFP STORY: Science-US-religion. Paleontologists brought to tears, laughter by Creation Museum BY Britt Kennerly. Daryl Domning, professor of anatomy at Howard University, examines a display discussing atheism at the Creation Museum on June 24, 2009 in Petersburg, Ky.For a group of paleontologists, a tour of the Creation Museum seemed like a great tongue-in-cheek way to cap off a serious conference. But while there were a few laughs and some clowning for the camera, most left more offended than amused by the frightening way in which evolution -- and their life's work -- was attacked. AFP PHOTO / Britt KENNERLY (Photo credit should read Britt Kennerly/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

3) Enough if enough. It's time for an intervention.

The problem is that many concerns with our HBCUs go beyond the size of the endowment. Howard has a reputation for mismanagement of resources and administrative bungling that cannot be explained away by less money. These issues should be addressed openly and honestly if our institutions are going to get any better.

4) We need independent leadership.

Since it is incredibly difficult for most HBCUs to be fixed from the inside, an outside entity should be given the power to go into these institutions to determine ways in which they can be made to operate more efficiently. There are powerful people fully invested in the old way of doing things, and these individuals can stand in the way of effective progress.

5) The students need to be the voice of change.

The same way students of the sixties paved the way for better institutions today, the students of 2009 have an obligation to make Howard University more efficient for their children and grandchildren. If you give up the struggle today while knowing there is a problem, then you are paving the way for your kids to go through the same heartache you are experiencing right now. The same is true for conscientious black scholars and black students at other institutions.

The interview and conversation with Howard University alum, S. Tia Brown, is below. Enjoy!

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Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about College." To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.