FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
CONTACTS:
Joye Griffin
703-205-3480
joye.griffin@uncf.org
UNCF AWARDS $666,000 GRANT TO SIX MEMBER INSTITUTIONS TO ADDRESS FACULTY NEEDS
(FAIRFAX, Va.) - October 6, 2009 - UNCF—the United Negro College Fund—the nation's largest and most effective minority education organization has selected six of its 39 private historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to receive Faculty Enhancement Action Grants totaling $666,000 to support the institutions as they implement plans to address faculty needs. The action grants are awarded through the Curriculum and Faculty Enhancement Program (CFEP) of UNCF's Institute for Capacity Building. The CFEP faculty development initiative is funded by the Ford Foundation. The six institutions awarded action grants were among the 15 UNCF institutions that received faculty enhancement planning grants last year to help them assess the needs of their faculties and create implementation plans to address the identified needs.
Each of the six action grant institutions will be awarded a total of $111,000 over two years to implement their plans for faculty development in areas including professional development, technology access and use, curriculum development and dynamic approaches to teaching and learning.
The six institutions selected to receive action grants under the UNCF/Ford Faculty Enhancement Initiative are:
- Edward Waters College -Jacksonville, FL
- Florida Memorial University - Miami, FL
- Johnson C. Smith University - Charlotte, NC
- Morehouse College - Atlanta, GA
- Saint Augustine's College - Raleigh, NC
- Tougaloo College - Tougaloo, MS
"HBCUs have always been, above all, teaching institutions," said UNCF President and CEO Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D. "These grants will enable our institutions to ensure that their faculties are engaged and equipped to prepare our students for graduate school, careers and leadership roles in the global workforce. Having a strong faculty is essential to reaching our goal of doubling the numbers of students that graduate from UNCF—member institutions. President Obama has pledged that the U.S. will regain world leadership in the percentage of citizens with college degrees and these Faculty Enhancement Action Grants will be part of our effort to help the nation reach that goal."
About UNCF
UNCF—the United Negro College Fund—is the nation's largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students' education and development through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 39 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 18 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 900 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, ”A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at www.UNCF.org.
