Exploring Historically Black College and University Sustainability and Internationalization with Africa: A Study of Selected HBCU Leaders' Perspectives

Location

Ballroom

Session Format

Presentation

Abstract

A former United States government senior policy advisor recommended that each university ought to formulate an Africa strategy within its long-term strategic objectives. This multi-phase study explored the relationships between historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), sustainability, and internationalization with Africa and the African Diaspora. It introduced an original conceptual framework, the SAHAREN™ model, envisioning pathways to HBCU sustainability. The study utilized AutoHBCUology™, an originally constructed methodological design combining assessment of institutional documents, a survey of HBCU senior-level leaders, and interviews with HBCU senior-level leaders. Results revealed that HBCUs do not typically include language that is explicitly inclusive of Africa and/or the African Diaspora in their institutional mission statements, vision statements, or strategic plans. However, most HBCU leaders expressed openness to partnerships with Africa and/or the African Diaspora. While fiscal resource allocation ranked low, student recruitment from Africa and/or the African Diaspora received higher priority. Despite constraints, targeted Africa and/or African Diaspora engagement may promote HBCU sustainability. The study suggests implications for future research replicating this focus from African and African Diaspora institutional perspectives. Overall, it initiates critical dialogue on typically unexplored sustainability dimensions for HBCUs and global partners.

Keywords

Africa, African Diaspora, HBCUs, Internationalization, Sustainability, Educational Leadership

Professional Bio

BIographical Sketch for Dr. Kelisha Graves Dr. Kelisha B. Graves is an executive, scholar, author, and educator. A native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, she was born the eldest child of Kelvin and Carletta Graves. She is an adjunct assistant professor in the department of Educational Leadership at Virginia State University. Her expertise spans disciplinary realms, including educational leadership, black history and culture, philosophy, religion, and educational technology. She has authored multiple scholarly publications elucidating critical issues and figures in civil rights history and educational theory. Her book, Nannie Helen Burroughs: A Documentary Portrait of an Early Civil Rights Pioneer, 1900-1959 (University of Notre Dame Press, 2019), delivered groundbreaking research on a pivotal, yet overlooked civil rights leader and educator. She serves as an Ambassador with the esteemed Council on Foreign Relations Education - Higher Education Program, where she contributes to conversations to deepen understanding of global affairs, helps shape and improve CFR Education’s award-winning educational products, and exchanges ideas with fellow Ambassadors about teaching global affairs topics in the classroom. Chief Research, Education, and Programs Officer at The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (“The King Center”), where she leads strategic advancement, operational efficiency, digital transformation, and global influence within the Center's research, education, and programs unit. During college, Noran L Moffett began his educational career as a school bus driver, community coach, and community neighborhood servant as a double major in history education and middle grades education. His journey from P12-higher education roles includes classroom teacher, school administrator, academic dean, and tenured college professor in educational leadership. Noran’s passion is rooted in the facilitation of higher education and p12 leadership studies that seek to explore and investigate research based on newly developed methodological designs. Dr. Moffett is the editor of the textbook on the research journey titled Creating a Framework for Dissertation Preparation: Emerging Research and Opportunities (Moffett, N. L. (Ed.). (2020). Creating a Framework for Dissertation Preparation: Emerging Research and Opportunities. IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-9707-0).

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Feb 2nd, 8:45 AM Feb 2nd, 10:15 AM

Exploring Historically Black College and University Sustainability and Internationalization with Africa: A Study of Selected HBCU Leaders' Perspectives

Ballroom

A former United States government senior policy advisor recommended that each university ought to formulate an Africa strategy within its long-term strategic objectives. This multi-phase study explored the relationships between historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), sustainability, and internationalization with Africa and the African Diaspora. It introduced an original conceptual framework, the SAHAREN™ model, envisioning pathways to HBCU sustainability. The study utilized AutoHBCUology™, an originally constructed methodological design combining assessment of institutional documents, a survey of HBCU senior-level leaders, and interviews with HBCU senior-level leaders. Results revealed that HBCUs do not typically include language that is explicitly inclusive of Africa and/or the African Diaspora in their institutional mission statements, vision statements, or strategic plans. However, most HBCU leaders expressed openness to partnerships with Africa and/or the African Diaspora. While fiscal resource allocation ranked low, student recruitment from Africa and/or the African Diaspora received higher priority. Despite constraints, targeted Africa and/or African Diaspora engagement may promote HBCU sustainability. The study suggests implications for future research replicating this focus from African and African Diaspora institutional perspectives. Overall, it initiates critical dialogue on typically unexplored sustainability dimensions for HBCUs and global partners.