Helping HBCUs Succeed

Since its 2006 inception, the Institute for Capacity Building (ICB) has worked with and provided assistance to dozens of HBCUs and other institutions seeking to build and sustain capacity.

We’re proud of this because it makes clear that we’re fulfilling an important need. We’re even more proud of the outcomes we’ve helped these institutions achieve. Here is a sampling:

Institutional Advancement

  • Alumni referrals at Jarvis Christian College from its inaugural Alumni Ambassador Program resulted in 13 students enrolling in the college in fall 2010. These 13 students represent 11 percent of the fall 2010 cohort.
  • Thanks to greater fundraising “bench strength,” Virginia Union University increased corporate giving by 280 percent and foundation giving by 523 percent from fiscal year 2007 to fiscal year 2009.
  • At Wiley University, enhanced trustee engagement and support have helped the board raise funds to purchase and renovate a former nursing facility for use as a student residence hall.

Enrollment Management

  • Dillard University added five recruiters and increased enrollment 114 percent from fall 2007 to fall 2009.
  • Oakwood University expanded recruitment efforts to include, for the first time, markets outside its traditional Seventh-day Adventist markets. Largely as a result of these efforts, applications increased 54 percent from fall 2007 to fall 2009, as did the percentage of students accepted.
  • Texas College increased first-time African American male enrollment 20 percent from fall 2007 to fall 2008.

Curriculum and Faculty Enhancement

  • Edward Waters College developed and implemented five unique faculty development workshops, including two on writing and an advanced workshop on using MOODLE for classroom instruction.
  • Florida Memorial University appointed a coordinator to manage evening academic programs, thereby consolidating  the administration of evening courses and increasing interaction with adjunct and part-time faculty.
  • During a pilot program for the UNCF Math and Science Teacher Education Initiative, Virginia Union University increased its capacity to support students achieving nursing degrees and provided scholarships to 10 students pursuing math and science teaching degrees.

Fiscal and Strategic Technical Assistance

  • Johnson C. Smith University commissioned an independent assessment of its business operations management system to streamline timely recording, summarizing and reporting of financial information.
  • LeMoyne-Owen College developed a detailed, fixed-asset subsidiary ledger that agrees with its general ledger.
  • Saint Augustine’s University expanded use of computer software to more efficiently manage institutional research, planning and assessment activities.

Facilities and Infrastructure Enhancement

  • The number of buildings and structures on minority-serving institution campuses that are registered for LEED certification has increased 30 percent.
  • 96 percent of mini-grant recipients have successfully completed a preliminary college action plan.
  • All 23 grantees participated in climate action plan training executive leadership and governance.

Executive Leadership and Governance

  • A collaboration with the Harvard Graduate School of Education enabled leaders from ICB-grantee institutions to receive professional development assistance at Harvard.
  • Six UNCF-member institutions sent new leaders to the Harvard Seminar for New Presidents, which familiarizes them with opportunities and hazards they are likely to face.
  • Two institutions—Talladega College and Edward Waters College—took advantage of technical assistance offered through the Association of Governing Boards of Colleges and Universities by convening full-day education workshops for board of trustee members.