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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 1984)
Page 4B/The Battalion/Thursday, January 19, 1984 Black colleges here to stay, say educators United Press International n sc v k million debt that * ■ • i .. r .,,.11 „— .. „ rc i„ui„ r c : United Press International /Vhen a Nashville, Tenn., gas :ompany threatened last April o cut off the heat at Fisk Univer- ity because of an overdue £ 170,000 bill, there was reason or administrators of black col- eges across the country to ihudder. One of the nation’s most pre- higious predominantly black ichools was in the fiscal cold with a $2.8 million debt that threatened to close its doors. Some educators had been pre dicting an end for the black schools for years. But none had ever failed. In contrast, this month ground was broken at private, predominantly black Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C., for a new $3.5 million domitory. TEXAS A&M CAMPUS CRUSADE FOR CHRIST Fisk’s problems, while not unre lated to the times, are isolated ones and the nation’s black schools are going to weather the recession, Reaganomics, and de clining enrollments. “The doubting Thomases sit ting on the sidelines for 25 years or more and speculating the pri vate black schools are going to die should give up that negativ ism, realize these schools are here to stay and get on board positively,” said Christopher F. Edley president of the New York-based United Negro Col lege Fund. The fund set a fund-raising goal of $28 million in 1983 for 42 black private schools and re ports that it is hopeful of meetin- when all donations from last for college, a solid, affordable college education.” According to the U.S. De partment of Education, there are 103 tradiionally black accre dited colleges and universities in the country. Some 42 of them are private, and nine-tenths are located in the South or its border year are m. “While virtually all of the A dynamic opportunity to grow in your Christian faith. schools have very tight budgets and are engaging in belt tighten ing, they’re making it,” Edley said. “They will continue to offer underprivileged students, those with little capital re sources, and students who have attended high schools that didn’t properly prepare them states. Many of the schools, the pri vate ones in particular, live on the brink of a financial quag mire with one eye on falling en rollments and the other on the student aid and grant programs proposed by the White House and Congress. Black college enrollment has tripled in the past 20 years, but the percentage of black students attenditing traditionally black schools has fallen by nearly one- half. At the same time, competi tion among major universities for top black students has be come intense. Dr. Robert Albright, a for mer U.S. Department of Educa tion policy official who now heads Johnson C. Smith, echoed the sentiments of other adminis trators saying situations like the one at Fisk can be expected from Harrington Room 108 \ Thursday, Jan. 19th 7:00 pm xxz XiC ^oc xtc eveiopment oundatSon “Meeting the Needs of Texas A&M Today and Tomorrow” Office of Development Texas A&M University 610 Evans Library ? 845-8161 f| ik s=bfkr====XK time to time. Edley said never has one of his organization’s 42 members failed, but some have looked over the edge. Albright said the umbrella organization, the Washington- based National Association for Equal Opportunity in Educa tion, identifies four schools in addition to Fisk that are facing considerable financial difficul ties. He said five to 10 others are experiencing “trauma of some kind.” School officials are reluctant to talk about their finances and decline to name the schools since adverse publicity hurts critical enrollment figures. Fisk offi cials, for instance, worked quiet ly behind the scenes during years of financial trouble, saying little up front until the school went in debt by $2.8 million. "At any given point in time we always have two or three- schools facing financial difficul ties that which could lead to pre liminary closings,” said Ealey. “But it has never occurred.” There are a number of exam ples. Knoxville College, found ed by the Presbyterian Church in 1875 in Knoxville, Tenn., was unable to meet its payroll two years ago and was on the brink of closing. Enrollment in 1983 was up 19 percent over the pre vious year. “We were sort of like Chrys ler,” said Knoxville President Clinton Marsh. "If we had not come along with some good moves it could have reached a state of financial collapse some years ago.” Albright said Johnson C. Smith rode a rocky road several years ago, but now operates in the black. Many believe Fisk, with renewed efforts, also will its institutions come from fami lies with less than $13,700 in annual income. The average annual income for the average American college student is $24,024. Ninety percent of the stu dents enrolled at the 42 Fund institutions rely on financial aid. The organization says its educa tion is a relative bargain, with tuition fees and housing costing one-third less than the average for private schools overall. Because some members of their constituency would have ‘'The doubting Tho mases sitting on the sidelines for 25 years or more and speculat ing the private black schools are going to die should give up that negativism, realize these schools are here to stay and get on board positively.” — Christopher F. Edley, president of the New York-based United Negro College Fund. Vfer the Wildest Spring Break Ever survive. While most civil rights groups don’t give President Reagan high marks, many black educa tors feel the administration is with them and that he believes black schools are meeting a real need of the underprivileged. According to the United Negro College Fund, nearly half the 45,000 students enrolled in problems surviving in the main stream of higher education, black college officials say the small black private school has found its place in the modern educational system. “Today’s challenge deals essentially with even more fun damental matters: assisting young black men and women of ability and promise to free them selves of the self-stereotypes that have been transmitted to them by the American culture and helping them to face the resist ance that custom puts in the way of their legitimate aspirations,” said Fisk President Dr. Walter J. Leonard. Celebrate with Tropical Blend '■ v:'’ : 1 ' . "Because of these goals,ali- beral arts college catering toihe unique needs of black student} of talent is more important to day than at any time in the his tory of higher education.” 1 Reagan this fall issued] White House “iniative” in whicji he pledged support for the schools and a belief they art needed. But two years ago he nearly dealt a fatal blow whenhc proposed massive cuts in stir dent aid and loans. Reagan re versed fields, and now plans® in aid to the middle-incomesttr dents, while actually increasiti the aid available to those neat the poverty line. "1 think he tried locuttht money two years ago and intj with such resistance from tht entire academic communiijj both black and white, that ^ backed away,” said Albright, noting small private predomi nantly while schools face matij of the same problems as tht black schools. "But 1 really think there's a change in philosophy. He be lieves that people who can pat their own way should.” To illustrate the impact got- eminent student aid has, tht United Negro College Fund said freshmen enrollment at in member schools dropped by? percent after Reagan threatened student aid cult Overall private school enrol ment fell only 3.1 percent. | Albright, who helped draft policy in the Carter adininistn lion, said the problem is in deal ing with the bureaucraq itself and not with the White House; particularly in trying to gel grants for capital improve ments. "The money is still flowing,' said Albright. “It’s just harderic get. You have to jump through the hoops." To deal with the enrollraea problem, school administrators say they must become more competitive. “With equal opportunity in existence white schotudents ip fill their classrooms,’' said Df Walter Walker of Lemoynt Owen College in Mempnis, Tenn. “The top black studenu are at a premium.” He Businesses may receive loans from Ur HC Post < there bureai of Bar tainin Centr; Th by the Co., a government r 1 United Press International "On racks for your convenience' Mr ’ •v ^ V/SA ^ Shoe Box AUSTIN — South Texas businesses hard hit by Decern ber’s record freeze may be eligi ble for federal disaster loans of up to $500,000, the Texas Eco nomic Development Commis sion said Wednesday. Director Charles B. Wood said his agency will provide tech nical assistance in the form of loan packaging for Rio Grande Valley area businesses that qua! ify for federal Small Business Administration loans. Wood said TF.DC workers will be available at the Weslaco Chamber of Commerce and ai the agency’s temporary office in Pharr to provide assistance. iSSBi Hidalgo, Willacy, Cameron and Starr counties were de dared federal disaster areas in the wake of the freeze that des troyed much of the Valley’sdt; rus crop. y - ■' i ~T~I • 11*9 This year whether it s on the Florida Coast, Malibu Beach or Padre Island, have the best Spring Break ever! You and Tropical Blend, for a tan thats deep, dark, and wild. And to help celebrate good times, a special tee-shirt offer! .... •"h.' ‘vVirT - ’ • • A’ -X' 1 '- f< '•'ie- ?V- • V v ‘ ■'Jr* The official 1984 Spring Break Tee-Shirt from Tropical Blend An $8.00 retail value—yours for only $3.50 ■ - - ' v • • r? \ ; • . - . . Send this coupon with your name, address, zip code and check or money order for $3.50 to: Requests must be postmarked by 2/10/84 for shirt delivery by 3/15/84. Offer expires March 30,1984. Void where prohibited, taxed or restricted. Good only in U.S.A. Make checks payable to: Plough. Inc. Please do not send cash. Plough, Inc. P.O. Box 377 Dept. TBTSO Memphis, TN 38151 NAME ADDRESS CITY (Size) SM □ STATE MEDD LG □ ZIP X-LG □ Please personalize with the following Spring Break location: Ft. Lauderdale □ Daytona Beach □ Ft. Walton Beach □ Padre Island □ Unless a specific location is designated above, the tee-shirt will be printed with only the Tropical Blend/Spring Break '84 logo. (The Tropical Blend Tee-shirt is a black muscle tee-shirt in a polyester and cotton blend. The design is multi-colored.) Annual Shoe 4 boot Sale Sale Prices on Every Shoe 4 boot in Stock Dance Sports Cloqs Fleece Mocs Lt. Wt. Hikers 9 6 Wolverine Walkers RockSports Also included Assorted Clothina , Housewares, Knives^ents , Framepacks,Kayaks, and many other items - \0 a lo off Sale Ends Sat. Jan.Zl ~ Ml Sales F inal Open Every Thurs. Til 9FWV Whole Earth Provision Co. 105 boyett @46-8794 HIMVMlilWHWhMnOI I HTTWi Nrfil h'lUMP-HIHtf Wi lUlCI *