Page 13 - Florida Sentinel 2-28-17

HBCU News
Bethune-Cookman University President To Meet With President Donald Trump
100% Of Lincoln University’s 2016 Nursing Grads Pass Licensing Test; Get Employed
Daytona Beach, FL.- President Edison O. Jackson, the sixth leader of Bethune-Cookman Univer- sity (B-CU), is one of many Historically Black College and University (HBCU) pres- idents headed to Washing- ton, D. C. next week.
The presidents have been invited to have a sit-down with President Donald Trump and his administra- tion. President Jackson and his colleagues will share their concerns, propose solu- tions and hope for the 45th President’s support. Presi- dent Jackson chatted with media outlets on the campus
Three years after earning state approval to offer an un- dergraduate degree in nurs- ing, Lincoln University’s inaugural class of nurses has achieved perfection in earn- ing professional licenses and employment following grad- uation.
All 17 of the program’s December 2016 graduating class have passed the Na- tional Licensure Examina- tion (NLEX) and have secured positions in hospi- tals and medical centers throughout the Mid-Missouri region.
“I am extremely proud of the accomplishments of the December Graduating Class of 2016. The success of the first BSN cohort of gradu- atesC reflects the hard work and dedication of the nursing
Lincoln University located in Jefferson City, Missouri. The 17 2016 graduating nursing students all passed the li- censing test and are now employed.
DR. EDISON O. JACKSON ...President, Bethune Cookman University
of B-CU Thursday (February 23rd) to share his plans and how the Trump administra- tion can help B-CU and other HBCUs.
faculty and staff.
“We look forward to con-
tinued excellence in the fu- ture,” says Dr. Ann McSwain, Dean of the Lin- coln University School of Nursing.
The four-year nursing de- gree program replaced Lin- coln’s long-standing associate’s nursing degree in 2014, following increasing
research signaling a shortage of professionals in the nurs- ing industry throughout the country, and specifically in Jefferson City, MO.
Lincoln joins Fayetteville State University, Coahoma Community College on the list of historically black col- leges to earn perfect marks on the national exam in the last two years.
Grambling Student Creates App To Match Best HBCU To You
Jonathan Swindell is the apps creator.
Hampton University President Blasts ‘The Quad’ For Inaccurate Portrayal Of Black College Life
Debra Lee, BET president and the star of ‘The Quad’ and FAMU grad, Anika Noni Rose.
A Grambling State Uni- versity student has created an app that helps students identify historically black col- leges that could be a good match for them.
The app keeps a database of several HBCUs across the country, providing detailed information people look for when trying to find the right HBCU match. A “Report card” is also included in the app for each school that lists academics, costs, and the overall ranking of HBCU’s on a scale from A to F.
“It’s a lot easier to get in- formation on a PWI,” said the inventor, Jonathan Swindell, to Southern Di- gest. “They’re a lot bigger and have a lot more resources be- hind them, whereas, at an HBCU, the information can be a bit scattered, so I saw a pain point within our com- munity and HBCU HUB serves to fix that.”
“We offer a free service called HUB Packs where the user is asked to answer ques- tions such as, are you ‘High School Faculty, High School Student, Transfer Student, Graduate Student’, from there we make the transition easy by sending the informa- tion they need to apply for said HBCU of interest,” said Swindell while explaining who can use the app.
Additionally, the app pro- vides information on scholar- ships, allows users to participate in an online chat community, helps students get tips for resumes and job interviews, and much more.
Since it’s release, the HBCU HUB App has more than one-thousand down- loads and is being used in more than 32 states and five countries.
HBCU HUB is available on both Android and Apple devices for free.
A leader in the historically black college community has blasted BET’s The Quad for distorting HBCU culture and leadership on TV, calling the new drama “fake news” and “a bogus representation of very important and historic institutions.”
Hampton University President William R. Har- vey penned a three-page let- ter to BET President Debra Lee in early February.
“Devoid of any reference to academics, The Quad is about a president who is promiscuous, trustees who are unwilling to deal with a rogue band director, and a band director who condones criminal activity on the part of his drum major,” the letter reads:
The Quad will lead many to believe that HBCUs exist because of marching bands; that our presidents are un- ethical; that our boards are
dysfunctional and have mis- placed priorities; that our faculty, students and admin- istrators are driven by sex, alcohol, marijuana, low self- esteem, parties and a preoc- cupation with music; that it is acceptable to disrespect women; that university pol- icycanbesetbyabanddi- rector; and that there are no standards of conduct or penalties for bad behavior.
This depiction seems more analogous to a dis- gruntled, adolescent and un- realistic point of view that some may have. It also feeds a false narrative about the irrelevance of HBCUs.
We cannot afford this kind of storytelling.
BET President Responds
BET’s Chairman and CEO Debra Lee responded to criticism of The Quad, which
takes viewers inside the fic- tional Georgia A&M, after the president of Hampton Uni- versity called the show an in- adequate depiction of HBCU culture and leadership.
Insisting that The Quad is a fictional story, Lee re- sponded in an exclusive EBONY magazine interview by pointing out that fictional TV has drama. Lee stated:
“I hope students, admin- istrators, and parents will take the issues that we’re dealing with on ‘The Quad’ seriously and discuss them during and after the show be- cause we are dealing with se- rious issues that happen on all campuses, not just HBCUs,” Lee concluded.
Anika Noni Rose, a product of FAMU’s theatre department, also addressed criticism of The Quad.
“The show is a fiction, but the show is a fiction based, in fact.”
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