Table Of ContentSTRONGER
TOGETHER
A BRIEFING OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM
THE 2020 HBCU ACTION NATION TOWN HALL
A Breath of Freedom, Jonathan Green, 2015, Acrylic on archival mat board, 10 ½ X 14”, Courtesy of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
1 WELCOME FROM THE ONLINE LEARNING CONSORTIUM
4 WELCOME FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTANCE LEARNING ASSOCIATION
6 WELCOME FROM TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY (TSU)
8 WELCOME FROM THE NATIONAL ACCREDITING COMMISSION FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
9 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
10 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
12 STUDENT SUPPORT
20 FUNDING
26 OPERATIONS
30 CONCLUDING CALL TO ACTION
32 ENDNOTES
33 ABOUT THE PAINTING
WELCOME FROM THE ONLINE
LEARNING CONSORTIUM
Dr. Kim Cliett Long
Online Learning Consortium, Board of Directors
Two people came together in mid-March 2020, to discuss the unfolding pandemic and how the
sudden closures might impact the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
The initial conversation was held between Dr. Robbie Melton and myself. From there, we decided
to invite Drs. Reggie Smith and Arlethia McSwain. This became the core planning group with
support from many others, including Dr. Glenda Glover, President of Tennessee State University
and Mrs. Virginia Harris, National President, National Coalition of 100 Black Women. The planning
group initially decided to organize a half-day virtual conference that evolved into two full days of
keynote addresses and panels discussing vital topics pertaining to the sustainability and viability
of HBCUs.
Many HBCUs were struggling to pivot suddenly to fully remote and online operations especially
when most had been operating in traditional, face-to-face modes, we rallied to search for
resources to support these efforts. Dr. Melton worked tirelessly to expand her work with HBCUs
and Apple. As a board member of the Online Learning Consortium, I knew that OLC had training
resources and information that could be helpful to the institutions. In fact, at the initiative of Dr.
Jennifer Mathes, OLC’s Chief Executive Officer, and Ms. Angela Gunder, OLC’s Chief Academic,
the organization was able to obtain an emergency grant from the Sloan Foundation to be able to
offer specialized training to HBCUs and other minority serving institutions to enable them to
quickly adapt to teaching and learning online. By collaborating in this HBCU virtual conference
with the United States Distance Learning Association, we were able to centralize the information
HBCUs were seeking.
Barbara Dunn Harrington, Principal of Dunn, LLC and Former Executive Director of the Tom
Joyner Foundation, paints the picture of the event as follows:
“The HBCU Action Network Town Hall in May 2020 symbolized my ability and commitment
along with all participants to move into the support space of our institutions. A sharing of
creative, scientific, and financial knowledge has presented opportunities to elevate higher
education to its highest plateau. COVID-19 at that time was only two months into its storm
and with continuous action from the best and brightest, HBCUs will be able to stay the
course.”
This white paper is a result of these collaborative efforts and the important themes which
emanated from the conversations held May 13-14, 2020. It was important to codify this information
as the mission of HBCUs has become more exigent in these challenging times. The conversation
continues!
1
Dr. Jennifer Mathes
Chief Executive Officer
Beginning in early 2020, the education world experienced many changes that forced us as
administrators, faculty and students to adapt and rethink how we connect and learn. This was not
always easy and in many cases actually highlighted the inequities that exist in our education
system. In fact, the pandemic that forced colleges to social distance and move to remote learning
exacerbated the struggles many HBCUs have faced in trying to meet the broad needs of their
students.
However, these challenges also brought an opportunity for leaders in education, business,
government and other organizations to come together and engage in meaningful discourse to
strengthen the future for their learners. This white paper elevates many of those voices heard
during the HBCU Action Nation Town Hall in an effort to capture these discussions. It provides
critical insight into the contributions of HBCUs now and their potential for the future.
OLC has always maintained a strong focus and belief that online learning can serve as a conduit
to provide quality learning experiences for all students. The experiences shared at the HBCU
Action Nation Town Hall and in this report provide very real actions that can serve to direct and
address the inequities within higher education.
Ms. Angela Gunder
Chief Academic Officer
After many years of service as a volunteer of the Online Learning Consortium, I joined the
organization as the VP of Learning in January 2020 with the duty of contributing to the
advancement of quality in online, blended and digital learning amongst educators across the
country. This work was closely aligned to the OLC’s formation in 1992 when the Alfred P. Sloan
Foundation established the non-profit as a means of “reaching and engaging the modern learner—
1
anyone, anywhere, anytime” COVID-19 brought this mission to the forefront in momentous and
grave ways, calling leaders, educators, advocates, and students to converge in the reimagining of
educational access amidst pandemic closures, social distancing, and mass migration into the
digital learning environment.
1.https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/about/mission-vision/
2
As my colleagues and I rallied together in support of continuity of instruction rooted in quality and
inclusion, we knew two critical truths - 1) that the challenges caused by the pandemic were not
new to all students but rather the aggravation of endemic inequities in education; and 2) that these
inequities have historically disproportionately impacted Black students through deficit-centered
educational practices, systemic racism, and a dearth of resources to support student access and
success for all learners. This double bind has left countless Black students with no recourse for
their extant struggles that were only amplified by the pandemic.
When Dr. Kim Cliett Long, a member of the OLC Board, approached OLC’s CEO, Dr. Jennifer
Mathes, and I with news of the HBCU Action Network Town Hall, it was clear that the event would
redefine the path to centering student care for the HBCU community in our new pandemic reality.
The thought leaders assembled would create a transformative call to action that would assert the
collective demand that all students be provided with the necessary tools to succeed, and not just a
privileged few. In support of the momentous convening, and the many who labored to bring it to
life (including Drs. Arletha McSwain and Dr. Reggie Smith, III of USDLA, and former OLC Board
Member and longtime personal mentor, Dr. Robbie Melton), OLC was humbled to lead the
coordination of this white paper, “Stronger Together,” to amplify the voices of the leaders of the
HBCU community engaged in pivotal dialogue on the equitable, inclusive, and sustained support
of students at our Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Indeed, the findings from that event
as featured in this report will serve as transformative to the entire field, with HBCUs leading us to
a brighter future of education through the critical analysis of the barriers in front of us. I am
buoyed by the generous contributions of the visionaries and advocates assembled here in this
work, particularly for their courage in addressing ubiquitous challenges within our teaching and
learning environments. As James Baldwin once wrote, “Not everything that is faced can be
changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
3
WELCOME FROM THE UNITED STATES
DISTANCE LEARNING ASSOCIATION
Dr. Reggie Smith, III
Chief Executive Officer
On behalf of the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA), I would like to extend a
heartfelt thank you to all of our partners that made last year’s first of its kind Historically Black
Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Action Nation’s Virtual Town Hall a huge success. Other event
co-hosts included Dr. Glenda Glover, President, Tennessee State University; Dr. Robbie Melton,
HBCU C2; Dr. Kim Long, Board and External Affairs Committee Member, Online Learning
Consortium (OLC); Mrs. Virginia Harris, National President, National Coalition of 100 Black
Women; and Dr. Arletha McSwain, Chair, USDLA Certification Committee, President Elect-USDLA
and formerly Bethune Cookman University. Without their unwavering support and network of
HBCUs, this two day event would not have been pulled off in record time.
HBCUs have been the cornerstone of education for the African-American community for more than
150 years. These institutions have prepared graduates to compete with the best and brightest
minds globally, and I, as a graduate of Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, I stand as a testament to
their transformative power. In addition, distance learning has existed for more than 120 years, with
the origins of distance learning within the HBCU community being traced back to the Black College
Satellite Network (BCSN), founded in 1981 by Dr. Mabel P. Phifer and Dr. Walter C. Barwick. Even
though the network is no longer around today, it set the stage for HBCUs to provide distance
learning globally. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic forced all of us and especially HBCUs to
double down on distance learning holistically and strategically.
COVID-19 was the forcing factor to hold such an historic virtual town hall for HBCUs. The
pandemic has impacted nearly every country around the world with millions of cases confirmed
and over three million deaths with over 500,000 of those deaths taking place here in the United
States. In addition, countries around the world including the United States have either shut down
or are beginning to re-open with some level of uncertainty due to an anticipated resurgence of
COVID-19 in conjunction with the deployment of vaccines. No one knows for sure how long this
pandemic will last, and it put distance learning in the spotlight on a global scale.
Most HBCUs did not have the structure in place to immediately implement a fully online learning
environment. The past year or so has been a learning experience for university administrators,
faculty, staff, and students with the convening of the HBCU Action Nation’s Virtual Town Hall to
provide valuable information, along with potential solutions. Expert panels spoke on a variety of
topics key to the overall strategic needs and urgencies of HBCUs now and moving forward.
4
Flash back in time to 2007, the APLU-Sloan National Commission on Online Learning surveyed 42
National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO)-member college
presidents and chancellors. Of the respondents, slightly more than 84 percent said online
education was critical to their long-term strategy. Almost 71 percent saw it as a way to attract
students from outside the traditional service area, and almost 64 percent tied it to increasing
student access. Nearly 78 percent of the respondents believed that students need more discipline
to succeed in online courses, 70 percent saw higher costs to develop classes online and almost 60
percent found a lack of acceptance of online instruction by faculty.
Fast forward to 2020, COVID-19 brought all of this into focus for everyone, flipped those
previously mentioned data points on its head for HBCUs. Distance learning includes e-learning,
texting, social networking, virtual worlds, game-based learning, webinars. It’s the Internet. It’s
Google. It’s broadband and satellite and cable and wireless. Corporate universities. Virtual
universities. Blended learning, mobile learning. It’s using our phones and computers and whatever
technology comes next, in new ways.
For the next five years, higher education will need to focus on a blending approach that will enable
the industry to provide a quality education either in person or via distance learning. Ten years from
now, we will see a much different job market, possibly accelerated by the pandemic to focus on
smaller / micro stackable credentials. The currently unemployed / underemployed will consider
career changes, and higher education will need to accommodate that now and into the future,
which will be critical for HBCUs.
Please enjoy this “Stronger Together,” report with recommendations and continue to engage with
all of our organizations to leverage lessons learned and scale to deliver the rigorous learning
environments that HBCUs are known for, whether via “brick and mortar” or “virtual” avenues.
These are the HBCUs that created legendary giants like Langston Hughes, Oprah Winfrey, Rosa
Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and, of course, me.
Dr. Arletha McSwain
USDLA President Elect and Credentialing Committee Chair
As USDLA President Elect and Credentialing Committee Chair, I was honored to serve as a
member of the steering committee for the HBCU Action Nation Virtual Town Hall last May 14-15,
2020. The event was historic in that it was the first multi-day virtual Town Hall ever held that was
focused solely on historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The Town Hall signified a
clarion call to action to devise an actionable plan to assist the nation’s HBCUs with the challenges
faced as a direct result of the global pandemic and a long-term sustainability discussion. We
considered solutions around various themes affecting the HBCU enterprise. This white paper is a
codification and aerial view of the discussions that took place. I am very proud that the United
States Distance Learning Association was a leading partner in this effort.
5
WELCOME FROM
TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY (TSU)
President Glenda Baskin Glover
Tennessee State University
The virtual Town Hall was a call to action from among a comprehensive group of interested
parties, national and local organizations, and influencers. Tennessee State University was proud
to help co-host the virtual Town Hall in calling together our historically black colleges and
universities (HBCUs) and stakeholders to address the impact of the pandemic on higher learning
across all areas. As of the release of this ‘White Paper’ (March 2021), the devastating ripples
continue to affect our students, faculty and staff, as well as our communities. This past year has
been a learning experience for our HBCUs. Together, through the convening of the HBCU Action
Nation, we provided valuable information, along with challenges, potential solutions, strategic
needs, and urgencies facing HBCUs today; that will surely impact us for the next couple of years.
“I called for a comprehensive approach to helping all our stakeholders of alumni, faculty,
students, staff and community. We are not leaving anyone out, since COVID-19 hasn’t left
anyone out. Many people have lost their jobs or been furloughed because of the virus.
Therefore, Tennessee State University wanted to share, at no cost, to our sister HBCUs, our
partnership with Apple’s ‘Everyone Can Code and Create’ to help retool or gain digital
literacies and new technology STEAM skills so that our communities can get back into the
workforce and be even more competitive.” https://www.tnstate.edu/hbcuc2/index.html
Tennessee State University (TSU) is a public and historically black land-grant university (HBCU) in
Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1912, it is the only state-funded historically black university in
Tennessee. It is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Tennessee State
University offers bachelor’s degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees. It is classified
among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".
6
Dr. Robbie Melton
Associate Vice President SMART Technology Innovations & Graduate Dean
Recognizing the impact of COVID19 on our HBCUs and the mission critical need for us to come
together during this pandemic, I had to join this ‘Call to Action’ to contribute everything possible to
help support and share resources. The pandemic required an immediate transition to virtually
teaching and learning across the world without adequate time for preparation and training. I was
honored to accept the ‘Call’ to co-host this event, as well as help identify solutions and resources
such as the HBCU Affordable Solutions (AL$) Open Education Resources (OER)
(http://www.hbcuals.org) created to provide free and affordable teaching and learning resources
such as FREE eTextbooks, adaptable online courses, virtual labs, ePortfoilos, webinars regarding
the range of topics and disciplines for teaching online, free tools and software for virtual teaching,
and online student support services through the educational partnership of MERLOT and funding
by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
7
WELCOME FROM THE NATIONAL ACCREDITING
COMMISSION FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Mr. Anthony Boger
Vice President for Business Development
Our team at the National Accrediting Commission for Diversity and Inclusion (NACDI) is most
honored to be able to support this effort of producing an Online Learning Consortium (OLC) white
paper on the topic of historically black colleges and universities. We commend the OLC for
partnering with the HBCU community’s production of a brilliant virtual Town Hall event last May
with diverse discussions around the organic HBCU enterprise.
NACDI is a membership organization that strives to elevate and expand the global capacity of
diversity, equity and inclusion. Our team is committed to supporting professional development and
the evaluation of diversity and inclusion practices globally. Our work is directly aligned with the
mission of HBCUs. Moreover, we recognize that upholding the work of HBCUs and the students
they produce ensures more diverse workforces, workplaces and global communities.
8
