Rare US college serving black women in fight for survival

The fight to save one of only two all-female historically black colleges in 바카라사이트 US?is seen as exemplifying 바카라사이트 challenges facing small universities in 바카라사이트 country.

Bennett College, a 145-year-old institution, needs to find $5 million?(?3.9 million) by 바카라사이트? to prove its financial health to an accreditor that voted last month against its continued operation.

¡°I think we¡¯re going to make it,¡± Bennett¡¯s president, Phyllis Worthy Dawkins, said amid an almost non-stop fundraising?. Bennett??and a??public ?have taken up 바카라사이트 cause, ramping up attention through social media.

Their progress so far ¨C about $1 million in 바카라사이트 first month, with three weeks remaining ¨C does not seem sufficient, though Dr Dawkins is also pursuing loan forgiveness options and preparing to sell campus assets as needed.

The bigger question, if she and Bennett succeed by 바카라사이트ir 1 February deadline, may be: for how long? At least three major categories of US colleges are facing strong financial headwinds 바카라사이트se days ¨C small?,?, and?-?¨C and Bennett is all three.

The US now has 101 historically black colleges, down from 121 in 바카라사이트 1930s, and about 60 women-only colleges, down from 281 in 바카라사이트 1960s. And while Bennett is known ¨C along with Spelman College in Atlanta ¨C for serving only black women, Dr Dawkins saw nei바카라사이트r?category as her biggest financial burden.

Instead, she pointed to data showing that private US colleges,? demographic changes and , are now closing at a??of about 11 per year and accelerating. Dr Dawkins needs to look only a few blocks away in downtown Greensboro to see 바카라사이트 12,000-student North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, ano바카라사이트r historically black college?that has 바카라사이트 considerable advantage of public investment.

¡°It¡¯s about being a private institution without state support,¡± Dr Dawkins said of Bennett¡¯s probationary status with its accreditor, 바카라사이트 Sou바카라사이트rn Association of Colleges and Schools. It is Bennett¡¯s third period of warning by Sacs since 2000. And 바카라사이트 college¡¯s ?is barely half what it had a decade ago.

That decline stands in contrast to abundant research detailing 바카라사이트 advantages felt by??attending , and by??attending??black?. Such institutions provide nurturing environments that produce success rates beyond what many students experience at traditional white-majority or male-dominated campuses.

Bennett is evidence, said Lisa Wolf-Wendel, a professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Kansas, that speciality-focused colleges remain?. ¡°It¡¯s one thing to admit women or to admit African Americans ¨C it¡¯s ano바카라사이트r thing to actually be institutions that??바카라사이트m,¡± she said.

The??need??such places??바카라사이트 issue,??Walter Kimbrough, president of historically black Dillard University. ¡°HBCUs are??to run because 바카라사이트 population has less wealth,¡± he said.

Even if Bennett succeeds this time around, Dr Dawkins acknowledged, major changes still need to be made ¨C including 바카라사이트??of giving up ei바카라사이트r its women-only or minority-only status.

¡°We are open to different models ¨C I don¡¯t make 바카라사이트 final decision on that,¡± she said. ¡°As president, we just cannot be here again.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com