WPG HBCU News

February 2021
WPI 2021 HBCU Forum

The Wesley Peachtree Institute Annual 2021 HBCU Forum


THIS YEAR’S MUST-ATTEND EVENT FOR:
• HBCU Presidents • Administrators • Board Members
• Staff • Corporate Partners • Friends and Advocates
THE FORUM FEATURES ACCESS TO:
• Higher Education Thought Leaders • Industry Experts • Over 30 Exciting Sessions
• Networking Opportunities • Interactive Platform • Corporate Partners • 

 

Click here for details or call (404) 874-0555.

 


Top Story


Winter Storms Add to Pandemic Challenges
Unusually severe winter storms temporarily eclipsed COVID-19 concerns across several states. At least 36 fatalities have been attributed to the storms. The majority of those deaths occurred in Texas, where the power grid came close to collapsing. News outlets lambasted politicians and utility companies, as many Texans were left without electricity, heat, food, and water in dangerously cold temperatures.

Colleges and universities were not spared. Their emergency response plans were put to the test. Critical challenges included providing heat, food, potable water, and water for flushing toilets while upholding COVID-19 prevention protocols.
 
Campus administrators also grappled with damage and structural problems caused by the freezing temperatures. Class schedules were disrupted. Most institutions cancelled in-person classes or moved them online. Virtual classes, however, also faced problems as power outages continued to occur.

HBCUs generally received high marks for their response. Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern Universities, in particular, were lauded for how quickly they moved to ensure their students had access to adequate water, food, and warmth. Read more.

In Other News
Top Degree Producers
Diverse Issues in Higher Education has released its analysis of the top 100 institutions that confer degrees to minority students. It analyzed data from the Department of Education reports to create a sortable table. Users can search by degree type, race, discipline, institution, and state. Results can be saved in PDF and CSV formats. Read more.

Publics Universities Face Reparations in Virginia
A bill, on its way to the senate, would require Virginia's public universities to offer full four-year scholarships or economic development programs to the descendants of slaves who built them. Longwood University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, the Virginia Military Institute and the College of William and Mary, would be required to identify enslaved people who built their properties. If passed, the rule may also impact HBCUs, particularly those in Virginia. Such institutions may be hard-pressed to counter the full-scholarship offer. The bill passed in the House. If it passes in the senate it would go into effect for the 2022-2023 academic year. Read more.

Orangeburg Massacre Commemoration
South Carolina State University announced it has created the Erasing Racism and Constructing Equity Center for Excellence and Justice (E-RACE) to honor victims of the Orangeburg Massacre. The Center will provide educational opportunities on social justice advocacy in collaboration with other institutions. Read more.

HBCU Research Group Releases First Report
The Center for the Study of HBCUs at Virginia Union University released A Pledge of Allegiance to Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Key Priorities of the Biden/Harris Administration, a report on the educational priorities of the federal government. This inaugural report from the Center, which launched in December analyzed the priorities of the current administration in light of historic inequities. Read more.

Universities Launch Consortium
The University of Houston, Texas Southern, Prairie View A&M, and Rice Universities announced they have created the Southeastern Texas African and African American Studies Consortium. The consortium will share resources and expand opportunities for scholarship. It hosts its first event online. Read more.



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HBCU Participates in Vaccine Outreach
The mayor of Baltimore announced the city will partner with institutions of higher education to address the public's concerns over the vaccine. Morgan State University will join the Maryland Institute College of Art Center for Social Design and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to focus on the concerns of specific groups including immigrant, ethnic, and religious communities, expectant women, the homeless, the aged, and the disabled groups. Read more.

Timeline for Knoxville College Revival
Interim President Leonard Adams unveiled in part, his 10-year vision for the college. He is working toward forging relationships that will help the college become a catalyst for revitalization of the Mechanicsville community. Read more.

Literary Magazine Publishes First Edition
Southern University's Department of Languages and Literature Baton Rouge has published the inaugural issue of its national online literary magazine. The magazine, Sangam, will be published biannually, in the spring and the fall. Read more.

Institutions Participate in Economic Mobility Collaborative
Several HBCUs are part of a partnership aimed at helping black and women-owned businesses in communities economically devastated by the pandemic. The partnership includes nine HBCUs, seven cities, the Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small  Businesses organization, and Hope Enterprise Corporation. The program will provide technical assistance, business support and other opportunities. Participating institutions include: Southern University A&M, Dillard University, Xavier University, Alabama State University, Jackson State University, Philander Smith College, Tougaloo College, Miles College, and LeMoyne-Owen College. Read more.

Pandemic Costs Continue to Rise
The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that losses affecting higher education will top $183,000,000,000, largely due to the pandemic. Although, the Chronicle of Philanthropy found that, on the whole, donations to institutions of higher education remained flat, more was help was needed to counter the losses. Declines in revenue and increases in costs, particularly health and safety costs, have continued into 2021. The situation has been exacerbated by declines in state support. Read more.

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Deadlines and Information
Deadlines and Info

COMPLIANCE

 

Mandatory Software Upgrade
Users must upgrade their TDClient or EDconnect SAIG software by April 17, 2021, to avoid an interruption in access. Read more.

 

Unclaimed Student Credit Balances
In cases where an institution has assigned the Coronavirus Indicator to a Pell Grant, Direct Loan or TEACH Grant disbursement but is unable to disburse the funds (electronic transfers fail or a students fail to cash or deposit checks), a process must be in place to ensure the unclaimed funds never escheat to a State or revert to the school or any other third party. Those funds must be returned to the Department. Read more.

 

Compliance Deficiencies May Delay Awards
Institutions that have not complied with CARES Act reporting requirements may experience delays in receipt of supplemental awards or may receive awards subject to restrictions until theCARES Act reporting deficiency is rectified. Read more.

 

William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program Reconciliation
Federal Student Aid republished guidance to assist institutions with mandatory monthly internal and external reconciliation of the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program. Read more.

 

Addendum to the 2020 Compliance Supplement 
The Office of Management and Budget's Addendum to the 2020 Compliance Supplement provides additional audit guidance for programs with expenditures of COVID-19 awards. Information provided includes advice on the treatment of donated personal protective equipment (see page 117) and guidance on special reporting requirements mandated by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (see pages 12 and 65). Read more.

 

Title IX Guidance
A memo from the Department of Education Office of the General Counsel has indicated that in some cases Title IX protections do not extend to LGBTQ students. However, the Executive Order on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation may result in a revision of FAQs and current interpretation of the law. Read more.

 

Lease Concessions
The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) provided guidance regarding compliance with the updated lease accounting rules during the pandemic. Read more.

 

Heightened Cash Monitoring
The Heightened Cash Monitoring lists have been updated. Institutions participating in Federal Student Aid on a HCM1 basis are permitted to pay student credit balances after drawing down Title IV funds. This permission expires at the end of the payment period that begins after the COVID-19 national emergency ends. Read more

 

Tax Guidance
The IRS has provided guidance on deferred payroll tax obligations under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. The Act extends the period that the deferred taxes are withheld and paid ratably. Read more.

 

Updated Clery Act Appendix for FSA Handbook
Other than the statutory and regulatory requirements included in the update, the contents do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public. The update is intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the applicable statutory and regulatory provisions. Read more.

 

Federal Pell Grant Program Reconciliation
The Department of Education provided specific information to assist financial aid and business offices in reconciling the Federal Pell Grant (Pell Grant) Program. View Announcement.

 

HEERF 

 

Expansion of Permitted Uses for Second Round Student Financial Aid HEERF Funds
Institutions must disburse the same amount of student financial aid that they were required to disburse in the first round of HEERF. Institutions are permitted to include students exclusively enrolled in distance education. Funds provided as financial aid grants to students can be used for any component of the cost of attendance including tuition, food, housing, health care, mental health care, and childcare. (See Section 314 Part c3) Read more.

 

Application for Round Two HEERF
Public and private non-profit institutions that have already been applied for and been approved to receive HEERF funds under the CARES Act do not need to apply for HEERF round two. They will be notified when their funding is available. Subsequent drawing down funds includes the acceptance of terms. Proprietary institutions are required to apply even if they were approved under the CARES Act. Read more.

 

Use of Previously Awarded Funds
An institution awarded funds under the CARES Act may use those funds under the revised terms and requirements included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act. (See Section 314 d (2)) Read more.

 

Mandatory HEERF Reporting
The reporting period for the first HEERF annual report is now closed. However, sample forms, contact information, and a HEERF Reporting Requirements Table are available on the Department of Education website. Read more.

 

Special Provision for Minority-Serving Institutions
MSIs may use prior awards provided under titles III, V, and VII of the Higher Education Act to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the pandemic. (See Section 314 Part d (1)) Read more.

 

DEADLINES 

 

Subject Direct Loan Closeout
The Direct Loan established data submission (closeout) deadline for the 2019–20 Program Year is Friday, July 30, 2021. This is the last processing day of the program year, so all school data must be received and accepted by this date to be included in a school’s final Ending Cash Balance for the year.Read more.

 

Coronavirus Indicator
The Department of Education extended the deadline for adding the Coronavirus Indicator for disbursements of Title IV funds for the 2020-21 Award Year to September 30, 2021. Note the Coronavirus Indicator should be set only after confirming no further changes to a disbursement will be necessary. Read more.

 

Return of Title IV Reporting
The deadline for reporting funds not returned under Return of Title IV (R2T4) requirements due to CARES Act relief is September 30, 2021, for all award years. The COD website will be updated with additional reporting functionality in the spring. Read more.

 

1098-T Tuition Statement Forms
Note that CARES Act grants are classified as disaster relief payments and therefore are not included in student gross income. They should not be reported to the IRS. The deadline to provide students with 1098-T forms is January 31, 2021. The Deadline to file Copy A with the IRS is March 1, 2021, if filing by paper or March 31, 2021, if filing electronically. Read more.

 

Audit Extension Under the Single Audit Act
The deadline for completing and submitting a Single Audit reporting package is up to six months beyond the normal due date in cases where the single audits have not been filed with the Federal Audit Clearinghouse as of March 19, 2020, and the normal due dates were from March 30, 2020, through June 30, 2020. Institutions that have due dates from July 31, 2020, through September 30, 2020, were granted an extension of up to three months beyond the normal due date. Institutions that submit their audits after the normal due date must do so no later than 30 calendar days after the date of the audit report. Institutions must maintain documentation of the reason for any delayed filing. Read more.

 

Campus-Based Deadline Dates for the 2021-22 Award Year
The Department of Education released deadline dates for the 2021-2022 award year for campus-based programs View the announcement and download the PDF format.

 

 

WAIVERS

 

Title IV Flexibilities and Waivers
Federal Student Aid published a table of flexibilities and waivers applicable to TitleIV programs. Read more.

 

Underuse Penalties
Institutions returning ore than 10% of total 2019-2020 Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant or Federal Work Study allocation will not be subject to an underuse penalty. Automatic waiver of underuse penalty applies only to 2020–2021 allocations. Institutions are permitted to continue paying FWS wages to students whose employment was interrupted by a COVID-19 related event until the end of the payment period that includes the last date that the COVID-19 national emergency is in effect. View Chart of Waivers.

 

Early Implementation
Institutions may implement the regulation permitting use of synchronous and asynchronous distance learning in the delivery of clock-hour programs by distance learning, if the relevant licensure body will accept distance learning hours to meet licensure requirements. (The regulation goes into effect on July 1, 2021.) Read more.

 

Financial Aid

Loan Death Discharges
The NSLDS Department of Education has updated the Death Status Conflict Report. The death discharge applied to one loan should be applied automatically to the student's other outstanding NSLDS loans in the system. Read more.

 

StudentAid.gov Website Enhancements
The Student Aid website had ben redesigned to provide :

  • Direct Loan entrance and exit counseling.
  • Updated loan simulator
  • Availability of e-version of TEACH Grant Disclosure Statements
  • Availability of the Borrower Defense to Repayment Application in Spanish

 

 

Application and Verification Guide
The Department of Education announced the Application and Verification Guide (AVG) of the 2021-2022 Federal Student Aid Handbook and the handbook itself are available. Read more.

 

Pell Grant Schedules
The 2021-2022 Award Year Federal Pell Grant Program Payment and Disbursement Schedules are available in PDF and Excel formats. Read more.

 

Work Colleges Program
The Department of Education provided information on the application process for institutions interested in participating in the Work Colleges Program. View Announcement.

 

Fiscal Year 2018 Draft Cohort Default Rates
The Department of Education distributed the FY 2018 draft cohort default rate notification packages . View Announcement.

 

HEAL Program Interest Rates
The maximum interest rates for HEAL Program Loans for quarter ending March 31, 2021, were posted on the Department of Education website. View Chart.

 

 

Grants, Awards, Gifts

Harris-Stowe State, Fort Valley State, and Alabama State Universities were among 25 HBCUs to receive support from Diageo North America. Through its African Heritage Business Resource Group, the company funds permanent endowments and creates innovation hubs. Read more.

Morgan State University alumnus, Calvin E. Tyler, Jr., and his wife Tina committed $20,000,000 to the Calvin and Tina Tyler Endowed Scholarship Fund. The fund originally provided full scholarships only for students in Baltimore but it is now national in scope. It was established in 2002 by the Tylers, who in 2016 committed an additional record-breaking $5,000,000 to the endowment. This latest gift is the largest ever received from an alumnus by the university. Read more.

FedEx Corp. committed $5,000,000 to Tennessee State University, Jackson State University, Mississippi Valley State University, and LeMoyne-Owen College to offset the economic impact of the pandemic on students, faculty, and staff. Read more.

North Carolina Central University School of Law received $5,000,000 from Intel to establish a tech law and policy center. Intel will provide student internships, faculty training, and access to its pool of executives. The university will be the first law school in the country to have a tech law center that focuses on technology disparities and social justice. Read more.

The HBCU Cultural Heritage Stewardship Initiative partnered with Wunsch Americana Foundation, Chipstone Foundation, and the James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation to award more than $650,000 to eight HBCUs to preserve their campuses. The grantees are: Benedict College, Jackson State University, Lane College, Morgan State University, Philander Smith College, Spelman College, Stillman College, and Tuskegee University. Read more.

Fisk University received $500,000 from the Brewer Family Foundation. The funds will be used to renovate and upgrade science labs at Talley-Brady Hall. The building is named after former chemistry department chairs, Professors Thomas W. Talley and St. Elmo Brady. Both professors were also alumni of Fisk. Read more.

Top
Prairie View A&M University announced it received a $500,000 grant from the Lumina Foundation to support the Ruth J. Simmons Center For Race and Justice. The center will establish an Activist in Residence Program and host a symposium on justice. Read more.

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s Small Farm Program received a $600,000 three-year grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture's Beginning Farmer and Rancher program. The grant will be used to train and provide assistance to disadvantaged beginning farmers and ranchers. Read more.

Philander Smith College received two high profile awards. The Methodist Foundation donated $250,000 to support the Dr. Joycelyn Elders School of Allied and Public Health. Those funds will be used to provide scholarships, upgrade labs and clinical spaces, and pursue accreditations. Microsoft awarded the college a $300,000 three-year grant to support its WISE P3 workforce development initiative. Read more.

Voorhees College received $2,000,000 in technology resources from IBM. The resources include curriculum and educational tools, and other aids aimed at providing students access to the skills needed for technology-based careers. Read more.

Texas Southern University received $4,750,000 from Houston Endowment, a private foundation. The award is aimed at strengthening the university's critical research and work in environmental and social justice. It provides $1,500,000 to the university's Center for Justice Research; $500,000 to the University Museum, $1,500,000 to the Earl Carl Institute, an advocacy think tank that Texas Southern's Thurgood Marshall School of Law; and $1,250,000 to support the establishment of the Robert D. Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice. Read more.

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff received $50,000 to establish the Kevin D. Collins Endowed Scholarship Fund. Named for Mr. Kevin D. Collins, who was killed in the line of duty, the gift was made by his family and friends. The scholarships will be awarded to students in programs related to criminal justice. Read more.

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Appointments

The Board of Trustees of Fisk University named Dr. Vann Newkirk, Sr., president of Fisk University. Dr. Newkirk has been interim president there since August 2020. Prior to that, he was provost. Dr. Newkirk is credited with launching several cutting-edge programs in areas such as bioinformatics, data science, and social justice. Read more.

The University of North Carolina Board of Governors named Darrel Allison, JD, chancellor of Fayetteville State University. Mr. Allison has experience in administration and advocacy. He comes to the university from the American Federation for Children, where he served as vice president of governmental affairs and state teams. Read more.

The Southern University Board of Supervisors named Dr. James H. Ammons, Jr., chancellor of Southern University at New Orleans. He has been leading the institution on an interim basis since November 2019. His experience includes serving as president of North Carolina Central and Florida A&M Universities. Read more.

The Alabama Community College System named Dr. Kathy L. Murphy Gadsden State Community College's president. Dr. Murphy is currently superintendent of Hoover City Schools. Read more.

North Carolina Central University named Attorney Fenita Morris-Shepard chief legal counsel. Ms. Morris-Shepard will head the office of legal affairs and serve as the chief legal advisor to Chancellor Johnson O. Akinleye. Her experience includes service in the Clinton administration. Read more.

The Higher Education Leadership Foundation named Dr. M. Christopher Brown II, a senior fellow. Dr. Brown is president of Kentucky State University. As a senior fellow, he will contribute to the development of material for the organization's annual strategic planning retreat. Read more.

North Carolina A&T University named Dr. Lonnie Cockerham interim executive director of community engagement. The institution is designated as a community-engaged university by Carnegie. It is currently pursuing the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities  designation in the area of Innovation and Economic Prosperity. Read more.

Bowie State University announced Brigadier General Twanda Young will serve as an executive-in-residence at the College of Business. General Young will teach organizational leadership. She is an alumna of Claflin and South Carolina State Universities and holds master's degrees in adult education, executive development and strategic studies. Read more.

Clinton College announced Jocelyn Biggs will serve as associate vice president of enrollment. Ms. Biggs comes to the college from Virginia Union University. Her experience in admissions and enrollment management includes service at Bennett College, Livingstone College and Johnson C. Smith University. Read more.

Talladega College announced it has named Dr. Kristie L. Kenney as vice president for institutional advancement. Dr. Kenney is an experienced fundraiser with several successful campaigns to her credit. Read more.

Xavier University named Kerri Alexander assistant vice president of student affairs and chief inclusion officer. Ms. Alexander is experienced in advocacy for veterans and abuse victims. She has served at the National Women's History Museum and at Kingdom Fellowship A.M.E. Church. Read more.

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Kudos

Freelance journalists David Dennis, Jr., and Michelle García have won the 2021 American Mosaic Journalism Prize. Each of the co-winners will receive an unrestricted $100,000 cash prize. David Dennis, Jr., is the Morehouse Visiting Professor of Journalism and Leadership Studies. Read more.

Students from Miles College and Lawson State Community College participated in a virtual panel discussion hosted by the American Heart Association. The students shared their research in topics including myocarditis in children, COVID-19 and kidney injury, obesity and ventricular assistive devices, and pediatric heart transplant complications. Miles and Lawson State Community Colleges are working with the American Heart Association to increase the number of their students that go on to pursue graduate degrees. Read more.

Meharry Medical College President Dr. James E. K. Hildreth was appointed by President Biden to the Biden-Harris COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force. Dr. Hildreth is an infectious disease expert. Since 2015, he has been president and CEO of Meharry Medical College, which has been at the forefront of COVID research and response. Read more.

Morgan State University became the first HBCU to earn recognition by the Institute of Management Accountants Higher Education Endorsement Program. Recognition indicates an institution's accounting program has met the institute's standards for academic excellence. It also affords networking and other opportunities to students at recognized institutions. Read more.

Alabama State University joined Reebok and the ACLU to relaunch the Reebok Human Rights Award Program. Active from 1988 through 2007, the program honors and provides grants of $100,000 to human rights activists under 30 years of age. Read more.

Talladega College has been named to the inaugural prestigious PR News 2021 Education A-List. The list includes the country's top 35 institutions for advancing careers in public relations and communications. Howard University was the only other HBCU on the list, which included journalism powerhouses Columbia, Northwestern, and Johns Hopkins Universities. Read more.

Bishop State Community College announced President Dr. Reginald Sykes will be inducted into the Meridian Community College Hall of Fame. Honorees are alumni or former employees who have excelled in their career and distinguished themselves through professionalism and community service. Read more.

Assistant Professor Calvin, T. Williams, Jr., of Voorhees College was named chair of the USA Track and Field Masters Inclusion subcommittee. The committee organizes national and international competition for athletes 35 years of age and older. The appointment is for four years. Read more.

Benedict College President Roslyn Clark Artis was interviewed by author Emad Rahim. The interview was part of a Higher ED Thought Leadership Series. Read more.

The record-breaking donations made by MacKenzie Scott have not changed the trajectory of the minority institutions that received them. Rather, they have helped the institutions pursue long-term goals and strategic plans. In some cases, they are being used to fund existing programs. In other they are being used to support program launches. They are also being used to boost endowments, with a view toward increasing institutional capacity to fund future projects. Read more.

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Programs

Wiley College and Prairie View A&M University have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that makes it easier for the college graduates to continue their studies at the university. The agreement waives application fees, and test score requirements. It also offers students stipends for on-campus housing. Read more.

Drake State Community & Technical College and North Alabama Homebuilding Academy have entered an agreement under which students who complete the initial course at the academy can receive college credit for it when they apply and are accepted at the college. Students who do not meet admission requirements will be eligible to receive college preparatory training at no cost. Read more.

Bowie State University has partnered with the award-winning studio, LAIKA, to build the first stop-motion animation studio at an HBCU. The studio will enhance the university's animation curriculum and provide students with internships. Read more.

Tennessee State University has entered into a 2+2+2 program. The program creates pathways for qualified Motlow State Community College students to complete a bachelor's degree from Tennessee State and a master's degree from the University of Tennessee Knoxville while enrolled in the college. Successful students would graduate with three degrees in engineering. Read more.

The Alabama Shakespeare Festival has entered into an agreement with Alabama State University. Under the agreement, they will provide internships, training, mentorships, and other opportunities for students in the Theatre Department. Read more.

Albany State University announced has signed an articulation agreement with Wiregrass Georgia Technical College to provide a pathway for qualified students of the college to continue their studies at the university. Read more.

Grow with Google HBCU Career Readiness Program added sixteen institutions to its roster of participants. The program works through the Thurgood Marshall College Fund to provide HBCU career centers with digital skills workshops. Read more.
 
Maryland General Assembly moved closer to settling with the state's public HBCUs. The senate passed a measure approving the $577,000,000 settlement. The bill now goes to the House of Delegates where it is expected to pass. Last year, a similar bill passed both the Senate and the House of Delegates, but was vetoed by Governor Larry Hogan. Because stipulations contained in the bill itself made reversing the veto counterproductive, it was reintroduced. Read more.

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Sports

Delaware State University will end athletics at newly acquired Wesley College. The decision was influenced by the results of analysis by independent management consulting firms and input from NCAA officials. Read more.

The NFL Sponsored the first Madden NFL 21 x HBCU Tournament. The event was streamed live on the Twitch platform. The event featured 16 players from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Competitions were streamed live during Super Bowl weekend. Winner won cash prizes. Read more.

The Dallas Mavericks will help launch a bachelor's program in leadership and sports management at Paul Quinn College. The NBA team will provide a $500,000 grant to the college. The program will include coursework in leadership, innovation, sports management, technology, entrepreneurship, and networking. off to a rocky start due to COVID-19 issues at member institutions.Several games have been cancelled or postponed. Read more.

Bethune-Cookman University released its fall 2021 football schedule. This will be the university's first season as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The schedule includes a rival from the university's days as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, South Carolina State. Read more.

NCAA clarifies that opting out of competition does not mean a team must forego practice. Complaints began pouring in after Alcorn State University opted out of competition but continued to practice. The NCAA Division I council approved a 12-hour schedule for teams that had opted out of competition. Read more.

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) cancelled spring football. The update was necessary as institutions continue to opt out of playing due to the pandemic. The rules that state if at least half the members cannot participate in a sport, the championship for that sport will be suspended. Read more.

NBA TV to feature HBCU basketball. The NBA TV will broadcast collegiate games for the first time. The first broadcast will be a doubleheader. Read more.

North Carolina Central University declared it will discontinue baseball. The decision took into consideration a the finding of a task force created to review the the institution's sports portfolio and analyze operational costs and sustainability prospects Read more.

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Events


Event: African American Board Leadership Institute Board Talks
Date:On Demand
Location:Virtual
Information:Details


Event:Campus Technology Distance Learning Summit
Date:On Demand
Location:Virtual
Information:Details


Event:NASFAA Leadership Virtual Symposium
Date:February 2-March 2, 2020
Location: Virtual
Information:Details


Event:HBCU Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Date:February 25, 2021
Location:Online (Webinar)
Information:Details



Events


Event:WPG HBCU Forum 2021
Date:March 8-9, 2021
Location:Virtual
Information:Registration


Event: American Association of University Administrators Leadership Seminar
Date:June 7-10, 2021
Location:Virtual
Information:Details


Event:National HBCU Business Deans Roundtable Summit
Date:June 3-5, 2021
Location:Virtual
Information:Details


Event:TurningLeadership in Higher Education Conference
Date:October 11-December 31, 2021
Location:Virtual
Information:Details

 



WPG Special Report

Introducing the Wesley Peachtree Institute

 

 

Our Roots

If the Wesley Peachtree name sounds familiar, it is because the Wesley Peachtree Group, CPAs (WPG) has been in the business of providing financial, accounting, staffing, and consulting services to institutions of higher education for over 30 years. The Wesley Peachtree Institute (WPI) is the research and training arm of WPG.

 

Although it was formed several years ago, WPI is one of the industry's best kept secrets.  It was formed to provide the staff and administration of minority-serving institutions access to cutting-edge higher education research, training, and data.

 

Our Vision

Working with institutions on ordinary day-to-day operations, WPG CEO and founding associate, Don Murphy, noticed how difficult it was for small to mid-sized non-profit minority-serving institutions, particularly for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), to achieve stability.  The frequency of sanctions, leadership failures, and accreditation loss, created a sense of urgency. He wanted to help. 

 

His vision led to the establishment of the Wesley Peachtree Institute. WPI is a non profit organization whose mission is to provide hands-on training in financial compliance, audit preparedness, student recruiting, and philanthropy keys to growth and stability.

 

Our Past

Over the last 20 years, WPI provided in person, regional education, and training to their clients. These initial forums were day long events with 50 plus attendees designed for CFO, comptrollers and accountants. They were conducted under the WPG name for clients. Over the years, due to popular demand, WPG expanded the forum and opened it to non-clients. 

 

The Present
Due to Covid-19 and its disparate impact on Black Americans, the Wesley Peachtree Institute (WPI) has pivoted to a virtual national event. The format expands what we are able to offer in terms of the number of speakers, the types of post-forum networking opportunities, and the number of corporate sponsors available to share information about their services. This year's forum will be held under the banner of WPI. 

 

The Future
WPI goals include establishing a central library of materials relevant for and accessible to minority-serving institutions. We will continue to focus our research on improving retention and graduation rates, developing strategies for improving administrative financial management, and establishing methods of enhancing leadership capabilities, and refining customer service practices.

 

A key component of these services is information sharing. We hope to ignite and inspire dialogue that strengthens the entire sector. Be sure to attend the annual WPI HBCU Forum where we share strategies for success.

 

 

 

About This Publication
WPG HBCU News is a monthly email published by the Wesley Peachtree Group, CPAs (WPG) as a service to the sector. It provides short summaries of news articles, government regulations, and announcements found online.

WPG HBCU News is available at no cost to HBCU administrators, trustees, and senior stakeholders. It is not intended as legal or financial advice. WPG's staff, writers, editors,  publishers, web hosts, e-mail distributors, and others involved with the production and presentation of this newsletter are not liable for errors, omissions, losses, injuries, or damages arising directly or indirectly from use of this newsletter or any information presented therein.

WPG is a full-service accounting firm with clients in the private business, education, government, faith-based, and not-for-profit sectors. We specialize in higher-education with a particular emphasis on minority-serving institutions. Our support for HBCUs includes the WPG HBCU News (this publication) and the Annual WPG HBCU Forum. We welcome your feedback.
The Wesley Peachtree Group, CPAs

Atlanta Office:
1475 Klondike Road, Suite 100,
Conyers, Georgia, 30094
(404) 874-0555
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