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The universities approved for accreditation included Alabama State, Bethune Cookman, Grambling, North Carolina A&T, Prairie View, South Carolina State, Southern University-Baton Rouge, Xavier of New Orleans, Virginia Union and Winston Salem State University in North Carolina.
Universities must seek out accreditation once every 10 years. There are over 80 different standards that campuses must meet to be reaffirmed. Accreditation is important for every university, with some HBCUs struggling to make the mark. The struggle can be linked directly to a lack of resources, leading to many HBCUs hiring professors from other countries to fulfill research requirements. In fact, in business and the sciences, many HBCUs don't have more than one or two African American professors, which seems to defeat the purpose of attending an HBCU in the first place.
Endorsements by SACS matter primarily for one reason: money. Based on the SACS accreditation, universities are chosen by the federal government for financial aid programs, the economic lifeblood for most HBCUs. It can also make a difference for various types of fund raising, since it directly impacts a university's academic reputation. But even on a shoe string budget, some HBCUs are among the best institutions in the world.
Part of Tennessee State's problem stems from its inability to communicate the effectiveness of it's planning efforts and student assessment. After being placed on warning status, the university has been given time to address the problems raised by the committee. If they address the problems, they will likely be reaffirmed.
Fisk University is not in the same shape as Tennessee State. They recently failed the accreditation process for a second time, and have not properly addressed the problems brought up in the past. The school has until April to file additional information, particularly regarding the school's financial resources and stability. If the school fails again next spring, they may then be placed on probation.
One of the great challenges for Fisk, Tennessee State and other outstanding universities is that they are being evaluated on financial stability, while access to that stability is extremely limited. Unlike larger universities, like Harvard and Yale, who can benefit from hundreds of years of oppression and enslavement of people of color, HBCUs have far less to get them over the tremendous economic humps that come with being a struggling educational institution.
Fisk met controversy earlier this year when it tried to sell a valuable art collection in order to raise necessary funds. A judge ruled that they could sell the collection, but that a large percentage of the money must be put into a special account that goes to maintaining the collection. This prevents the university from using the funds to help with its serious financial problems. For the rich and powerful in a state like Tennessee, preservation of art is far more valuable than helping to preserve an important black university. The state government of Tennessee should be ashamed of its actions.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. 
Comments: (12)
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By: David Comeaux on 12/14/2010 3:29AM
This really troubles me! Why do we have only Black colleges? I feel that's discrimination. We have a Black History month but yet Black's who have contributed in areas are given recognition year round. Where is the equal justice without having a White History month we are not equal! I have alot of Black freinds who feel those who consider themselves African Americans should have to at least live half thier lives there. If you remember White's fought for the Black's freedom too! My Grandfather was from Nova Scotia, my Grandmother from Canada. Who were forced from Canada, because my Grandfather was from Nova Scotia. because my Grandmother was from Canada they were forced from the North. They traveled as far as they could which was the Gulf. They to were were basically slaves but because they were white they were not entitled to that claim. Poeple need to wake up! Dr. King would be ashamed of the direction some Black's have taken his TRUE intention. If this offens anyone I'm truely sorry. Please, remember this. Hiler's mind set was to seperate, divide and then conquer! Sounds fimilar? Until we are all Americans we are separated and we will be conquered. I'd bet money I have Black descendants. To be honest I use to dispise Black's because I didn't understand, I felt by had childern to receive more and more benefits, but I still believe that's whats going to bring down our nations foundation. But now i realize they don't understand. The Government owns them now. It is based on Hitler's stratege seperate, divide and conqure as long as they can keep us in turmoil we will never see what they are really doing. If you don't concider yourself an American your part of the problem. It's OK to know were you came from, but it's more important to know were you are. If what I wrote offened anyone I'm truely sorry! To close I ask would you be better off in Africa? It was your Kings who sold you into slavery. Alot of Whites gave thier lives to get your freedom! And then an offer was made to get you back to your homeland. Do you know every year George Washingtons slaves families gather for a reunion to honor him. When he left they were left in charge. The land, the crop, themselves, everything. I know to there were horrorable owners. They also existed when the Black's gained thier freedom! Check all this out, don't just take my word, nor call me a lair and discard it. This are facts. Things you'll never be taught in a history book. Infact locally a Black man named Edward Sam I'd know for 12 yrs. with the Lafayette Parish School Board wanted to do away with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln from the curriculum, basically anything that he felt had no significance. I have know reason to make any of this up, again reasearch it can only make you stonger knowage is power! May God Bless All who are Beleivers of the Word. I asked Christ to come into my heart June 16 2004. I'm still flesh and have trials, those of you know, IT ONLY MAKES YOU STRONGER AND IT WILL IMPOWER YOU. Always search for the truth and God will reveal it then someone will come and confirm the answer He has given to You. Always put God First and you'll alway's know where to go. Have a Safe and Blessed Holiday. Remember to do something for someone you don't know, be a blessing to someone and watch them glow..
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By: divatudenj on 12/14/2010 7:47AM
First let me say this, if you want someone to take what you say as "factual", proof read befor you hit send. Secondly, you should learn the reason why HSBCU's were created and why they are significant to the Black(African-American)experience. Whites in the past did not allow Blacks'(African-American)to get an education so we had to come up with our institutions. Your comment is full of rhetoric. I need you to do more research with race relation in America today to support your argument and once you have then resubmit your comment. Thanks!
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By: Lisa on 12/14/2010 9:45AM
To be very honest, you should first correct your spelling and grammar before you respond. You sound very ignorant to the fact of not knowing anything about our history. Historically Black Colleges is great institutions for anyone who wants to further their education. Black colleges have introduce us to some of the most influential educated African Americans. You are very ignorant you doesn't have a clue about our history, you mention for us to go back to Africa, if so why doesn't you go back to Nova Scotia. Please don't get mad at others who went to college to further their education and you failed to get your education and the proof is in the letter you posted. There are more whites who are on welfare than blacks, check your facts and remember you are on blackvoices not whitevoices.
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By: Allen on 12/15/2010 4:15PM
David Comeaux you really don't know what you are talking about. You do need to take your own advice and research the facts. Your response was a waste of your time...and you only prove that a mind really is a terrible thing to waste. Please read and comprehend what others have already espoused to you. You also need to ask God to open your mind. You seriously need a blessing in that arena.
Ask yourself why you ever posted a comment. Ask yourself why you feel threatened because there are Black Colleges or why you don't know the history of them. You should go back to Novia Scotia or Canada because you are a disgrace to what America stands for. I would be an embarrassed black man if I were considered one your friend. Is it your goal to brainwash them with your twisted truth?
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By: shabba on 12/16/2010 12:36AM
I don't know what fantasy island you're on, but you might want to get a life jacket. Since you're claiming to be of canadian ancestry, and you are consider and accepted as white in this society, you have your white priviledge based on your skin color. The original canadians were native people who were killed, and their land taken from them by people who classifies themselves to be white. Race has always been an issue since your people crawled out of their caves in europe, learned navigation skills from my ancestors, and decided you would not fall off the earth if you traveled too far. The whiteman set up his systems and decided to treat other people as inferior to cover up his own inadequacies, since you'll never created anything, but plagerized other groups works and claimed it for you own. You'll started this fight, dont cry foul and tell us to be nice and to think of Dr King. Dr King was coming into the realization that he was intergrating his people into a burning house, his exact words. That was why Malcolm and Dr King were killed, they would be too powerful a force combined. About white people giving their lives for blacks, they did not give enough of their lives, because slaverry lasted over four hundred years. If we were not stolen, with the sanction of the Cathilic church, and brough here to work for free, you would not have to worry about so called "good white folks" sacrificing their lives. We lost over fifty million black lives in the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade. Go tell the Jews to forgive the Nazi's and Hitler, if you will not tell them to do that why the hell should blacks be told to forgive and move on? You want forgiveness, go to your church and ask your priest for their forgiveness. The white man has blood on his hands that is calling out for justice, telling us to forget and move on will not cut it when we were never given reperations. The land most were given after slavery, were stolen back from them through this fraud govt and people like you, whose ancestors walked across the borders and took land without payment.
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By: SATANSGIFT219 on 12/16/2010 1:14AM
David, I just want to say that you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. The Civil War was fought to stop the spread of slavery, not because slavery was immoral. Think about it, if slavery had spread into the Northern states, a lot of white people would've been out of work. Why? Simple, why pay someone to do something when you can have a slave do what you want, and more, for free.
HBCU's were needed, and still are, because racist whites (I'm sure you know a lot of those) didn't want black people attending their colleges and universities. To be frank, they didn't want black people to have access to higher learning.Period. In this day and age, there are many black people who want to go to college, but lack the money to do so, this is where the HCBU's come in.
As for white history month, every month is white history month, but you already knew that.
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By: kingdavidlives on 12/14/2010 12:12PM
Tennessee State University is a good educational institution. I went there for a year and loved it. [I only left because I wanted to be with my girlfrient at the time. Traveling back and forth was a bit much.]
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By: Alexis Stodghill on 12/14/2010 9:30PM
Yes, thanks for educating this reader. As I assume a white person, he can't comprehend how much black people are left out of the mainstream media discourse, let alone other types of forums for sharing perspectives by the majority white culture, even today. And of course, it was much worse just a few decades ago. All forms of discrimination ensured that no black person could go to certain colleges, or ever be featured in any magazine. They were effectively "white" even if they were not called that. But of course we still had our own scholars, our own fashions, our own stars who deserved to be featured and an audience that wanted to know about them them. Black colleges trained black teachers, dentists, lawyers and doctors when no "white" school in America would let them in, just a few decades ago. It's so sad that white people who complain about these things think black people created them to exclude whites -- they were created because they were excluded by whites and they still provide a valuable nurturing influence for young black people to shield them from ignorance like that this user posted while they develop into adults.
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By: Marie on 12/15/2010 3:04PM
Please don't bring up Dr. King on a post about HBCU's seeing that he attend Morehouse College I doubt he would be on your side. Research as you say. . .
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By: Shabba on 12/15/2010 4:04PM
SACS became bold ever since they put Morris Brown, one of the only independent HBCU that was started by former enslaved blacks and not white liberals from up north, out of business. They went after Clayton County Schools which is predominantly black and now they are after Atlanta Public schools. These people are trying to institute segregation all over again and are going after the black schools and universities. A few years ago they were talking about combining Savannah State with Armstrong University and Alcorn State and Jackson State with Miss State. It is all about getting rid of our schools so we will not have anywhere to go when they re-instituted segregation. As for this clown "David Comeaux" talking about "white history", we are taught white history year round. Everything is about the founding fathers, Columbus discover the Americas, European history, Greek and Roman history and maybe one week of slavery and how Lincoln was the hero with the Emancipation Proclamation. Get over yourself, if you feel we are too hard on the white race, you are on the wrong blog, the aryan nation have their own that you can go on and feel comfortable.
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