It is imperative that the nation has a diverse Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce that represents its population. A source for this diverse workforce is Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). HBCUs are one of the key producers of minority STEM graduates. According to the National Science Foundation (2017), HBCUs are the common baccalaureate institution for Blacks science and engineering students. Moreover, approximately 30% of doctorate recipients obtained their baccalaureate degree from an HBCU.
About HBCUs
HBCUs are institutions of higher learning that were founded before the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The purpose of these colleges and universities was to provide Blacks with higher education. Prior to the Civil Rights Act, Blacks were not welcomed at a majority of predominantly White institutions. The education of Blacks in certain parts of the nation were prohibited due to statutory provisions or policies. As such, the first set of HBCUs were established by Black churches with the support of the American Missionary Association and the Freedmen’s Bureau. Some of the classes were held in church basements, people’s homes, and old schoolhouses. The second Morrill Act of 1890 required states with racially segregated public higher education systems to provide land-grants to institutions serving Black students whenever a land-grant institution was established for only White students. The passage of the Act allowed exiting institutions to build their own campuses, and for the establishment of public-land grant institutions for Blacks in the southern and border states.
The Higher Education Act of 1965 created the HBCU designation. An HBCU is defined by law as any historical institution established before 1964 with the primary mission to educate Black Americans. Federal funds are allocated to enhance HBCUs.
The oldest HBCU in the United States is Cheyney University which was established as the African Institute by Richard Humphreys in 1837. Between 1865-1900, a majority of HBCUs were established with the greatest amount occurring two years after the Emancipation Proclamation in 1867. Similar institutions founded after 1964 are known as predominantly Black institutions (PBI). Nevertheless, they are included in the HBCU count of 101 institutions.
According to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (2019), the criteria to classified as a PBI are:
- 1.
of the students enrolled, 40% are to be African American;
- 2.
1,000 minimum population for undergraduate students;
- 3.
50% of the students must be first-generation degree seeking or low-income; and
- 4.
The full-time expenditure per student must be low in comparison to other institutions offering similar programs.
The technical definition of a PBI, as established in the Higher Education Act of 2008, includes the following criteria: at least 40% African-American students, minimum of 1,000 undergraduates, have at least 50% low-income or first-generation degree seeking undergraduate students, and have a low per full-time undergraduate student expenditure in comparison with other institutions offering similar instruction. These qualifications reflect conditions in which HBCUs operate, and indicate that since their founding, HBCUs have continued to serve their core constituencies: students who are of African descent, and/or first-generation, and/or low-income.
HBCUs are primarily located in the southern region of the United States with 12 in Alabama, 11 in North Carolina, and 7 in Louisiana. The University of the Virgin Islands is the only HBCU located outside the contiguous United States. Although all HBCUs has serving the Black community as part of their history in common, they are all very diverse. Differences exist in the following classifications: private, public, research-based, single-gender; land-grant, independent university systems, small and large, and enrollment numbers ranging from 300 to over 11,000 students.
As stated previously, many HBCUs serve a high percentage of low-income students. Therefore, many Blacks and non-Blacks find HBCUs attractive because of the cost to attend. Tuition and fees at HBCUs are usually lower than that at predominantly White institutions (PWI). Also, HBCUs serve students with various academic and college preparatory backgrounds. To help students achieve their academic potential, HBCUs tend to have developmental centers, tutorial services, and reading laboratories. Additionally, faculty at HBCUs traditionally placed more emphasis on teaching and service-oriented activities rather than research. These activities allow for quality student-teacher interactions.