HBCU Digest » Politics

South Carolina State Facing Scrutiny Over Transportation Center Spending

HBCUDigest.com — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:21:13 +0000

South Carolina State University is facing increasing pressure from state lawmakers to provide documentation on how more than $20 million in funding was spent over 12 years for a now-defunct transportation center. From the Post and Courier:

State Sen. Robert Ford, R-Charleston, who initially called for the audit council investigation, and Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, also said S.C. State should not withhold public documents.

But as the state’s watchdog agency is gearing up to launch an investigation into how the university spent the transportation center money, it remains unclear how much of a paper trail exists.

University officials for months have given varying explanations on which records the university has kept and where they are stored.

The unaccounted spending preceded the tenure of recently rehired SCSU President Dr. George Cooper, who faced criticism from the board prior to being fired a month ago for the lack of accountability over the transportation center. Calls and emails to the university from the Digest were unreturned as of press time.

New Website Law Could Adversely Affect Prairie View, Texas Southern

HBCUDigest.com — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:37:09 +0000

Texas state legislation has passed a law requiring all public universities to make information about class enrollment, costs, descriptions and faculty evaluations available within three clicks on each school’s homepage. While lauded for transparency and information access, the measure could be harmful to Prairie View A&M University and Texas Southern University, the state’s only public HBCUs already adjusting to budget cuts in higher education. From the Chronicle:

No one has calculated the cumulative cost of complying with the law, which requires information about class assignments, the curricula vitae and student evaluations of faculty teaching the class, as well as information about department budgets, to be made public for every undergraduate class. That’s thousands of classes every semester at the state’s largest universities.

“It’s a large-scale technical problem,” said Gretchen Ritter, a vice provost at the University of Texas at Austin. “It’s lots and lots of man hours.”

Most of the information already is available if one knows where to look or whom to ask, but the law is intended to make it easier for students — or anyone else – to judge what a class will cover and how qualified the instructor is to teach it.

“My impression is, the Legislature did it to help students shop around,” said Don Davison, a faculty member at Galveston College who serves on the Texas Faculty Association’s governing board. “But I teach economics. In economics, one of our core beliefs is, the more mandates you put on the supply of anything, the harder it is to supply it. It takes away from our core mission, which is spending time with students.”

Editorial: Diversity on Capitol Hill: HBCU’s Should Take the First Step

HBCUDigest.com — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:22:18 +0000

The following is an editorial by Elesia Summers-Thomas, an alumnus and current graduate student at North Carolina A&T State University and congressional intern.

November 4, 2008 was a remarkable day. We had new leadership, President Obama, the first African American President. After that day many believed America had arrived and all were accepted. We had overcome that someday sung by so many of our ancestors, so some thought. Many have had and have a false reality of what truly exist.

On a recent trip to Capitol Hill in one of the House of Representatives Office Buildings, I became increasingly excited by the number of young people working with the policies that affect our daily lives. Yet, I noticed young African Americans were few and far between. My excitement shifted to curiosity as I wondered where all the young people like me were. Where were the political science majors, Young Democrats, and even student government association members? Then it dawned on me, they weren’t there. Don’t get me wrong, there are some young black people working in policy on Capitol Hill. But from what I saw, it just wasn’t many.

My excitement was restored when I met a young lady all suited up. I assumed she worked somewhere in the building which gave me some piece of mind because I hadn’t seen any African American females. Unfortunately, after speaking with her I found out she was a college student and was just visiting.

As the generation that is speaking out more than ever, voting more than ever, and eager to change the world, why are we underrepresented? Does our generation not understand the very things we complain about would be easier to change if we played a direct role in the policies being made?

We are more than capable to play the role of the policy maker or at least work for one. We should be knowledgeable of our politicians and hold them accountable to keep our generation in mind as they are voting. We can do more, and we need to do more or I’m afraid twenty years from now the policies being made won’t represent us at all. We complain and tell ourselves we are making big strides, but truthfully, we are not taking the steps to make the difference we claim to be making.

How can HBCU’s help? There are so many ways to gain experience and exposure to the political world. Congressional internships are a great way to get your feet wet. The Congressional Black Caucus offers great opportunities for minorities. I believe HBCU’s could help enormously by pushing politics beyond political science majors. People on Capitol Hill have various degrees. HBCU’s should influence students to use their degrees to advance our community.

There is a great need for more young African Americans on Capitol Hill. Someone has to continue to speak for us when no one will. One African American president can not do it by himself. After him, who else will make the difference? Who better to step up to the plate than students of the institutions that spoke on our behalf when no one else would?

Howard Alum Kamala Harris Wins Democratic Nomination for California Attorney General

HBCUDigest.com — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:55:37 +0000

Howard University alumnus Kamala Harris overcame a spending spree from her primary opponent to capture the Democratic nomination for the position of California Attorney General. If elected, the first African-American female district attorney in San Francisco history will hold the same distinction for the state AG post. From the Los Angeles Times:

Among a crowded field of Democratic contenders, the race was dominated by an expensive battle between Harris and former Facebook executive Chris Kelly.

Kelly pumped more than $12 million of his personal fortune into the campaign, triggering accusations from Harris’ campaign that he was trying to buy the office. Kelly hit back with ads highlighting an unfolding scandal in which Harris’ office has been criticized for failing to give defendants evidence about the criminal convictions of police employees.

A career prosecutor, Harris has been listed on multiple occasions as one of California’s Top 100 Lawyers and has been named among Ebony Magazine’s “100 Most Influential African-Americans.”

Paine to Host Congressman James E. Clyburn

HBCUDigest.com — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:12:55 +0000

Paine College will host a discussion on “Impacts of the New Laws on Higher Education, Healthcare and Energy” with U.S. Congressman James E. Clyburn, this evening at 5:30 p.m. in the Gilbert-Lambuth Memorial Chapel. From the release:

“Paine College welcomes Congressman Clyburn to the campus and to the state of Georgia. We look forward to being a venue where citizens can discuss issues pertinent to our health, education and environment regardless of political affiliation,” said Brandon Brown, Vice President of Institutional Advancement.

Congressman Clyburn recently made headlines by referring to the debate for health care reform as the “Civil Rights Act of the 21st Century.” The event is free and open to the public.

With Merger Bill Scrapped, Lousiana Lawmakers Poised to Grant State Regents Total Higher Ed Oversight

HBCUDigest.com — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:44:43 +0000

Despite his killed proposal to merge Louisiana’s three governing boards of higher education, House Speaker Jim Tucker’s rewritten proposal to make the boards beholden to the state Board of Regents has earned the approval of the House Education Committee despite concerns from House legislators. The bill would place the Southern University System, the only HBCU system in the country, under the Board of Regent’s oversight along with the LSU and University of Louisiana systems. From The Advocate:

The substantive language in the substitute House Bill 996 would allow Regents “to adopt any policy that it deems necessary or appropriate to govern postsecondary education in the state.”

Because his proposal to consolidate all the university boards had been rejected once, Tucker opted for what he called a “mirror” of a statutory bill by state Sen. Ben Nevers, D-Bogalusa, that attempts to clarify and strengthen the Regents authority.

But Tucker admits his bill goes further in the language and the constitutional nature of the bill.

“Accountability — that’s what I’ve been after,” Tucker said. “The problem with accountability was in the Constitution.”

LSU Board of Supervisors member Hank Gowen, of Shreveport, called Tucker’s rewritten bill a “sneak play” and an “underhanded” move.

“To turn everything over to the Board of Regents is ridiculous,” Gowen said.

The bill comes just weeks after the SUS board hired former Jackson State University President Ronald Mason Jr. as its new president. Mason departed Jackson State under intense scrutiny for developing a secret proposal to merge Mississippi’s three public HBCUs.

Former Detroit Mayor, Florida A&M Alumnus Kwame Kilpatrick Sentenced

HBCUDigest.com — Wed, 26 May 2010 03:10:13 +0000

Florida A&M University graduate and disgraced former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was sentenced to 18 months to five years for a probation violation. His highly-publicized exploits of infidelity, indiscretion with public funds and perceived arrogance turned a city against him, and struck down one of the fastest ascensions to public influence in recent years. From the Detroit Free Press:

The judge appeared to give no weight toKilpatrick’s lengthy and emotional court oration, in which he apologized for his lies in the text-message scandal, but said he is a different and better person today.

As Kilpatrick spoke, the judge mostly looked at papers on his desk.

“Probation is no longer an option,” Groner said when Kilpatrick had finished. “That ship has sailed.”

Kilpatrick, the judge said, had shown a lack of candor, remorse, humility and forthrightness, during the course of the on-again, off-again restitution hearing, which plodded on for roughly a year.

In one particularly biting passage in his remarks, the judge noted that Kilpatrick and his family had settled into a $1-million home outside Dallas, continued to drive expensive vehicles, and had spent thousands so that Carlita Kilpatrick, the mayor’s wife, could have elective surgery.

Morgan State Hosts Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

HBCUDigest.com — Tue, 25 May 2010 13:42:52 +0000

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf decried economic and political corruption at a recent town hall meeting held on the campus of Morgan State University. Organized by Liberians for Ellen, an organization working for Sirleaf’s reelection in 2011, Sirleaf addressed an audience of Liberians from around the United States on her efforts to create economic opportunities for civil workers in Liberia, while condemning corrupt business and civic practices. From the Liberian Journal:

“Improved salaries will help to reduce some of the problems. How do you expect a tax collector, who generates thousands of US dollars, to be honest when he or she earns US $30 monthly?” she wandered. The minimum monthly wage for civil servants in Sirleaf’s Liberia is $80.

The President also said her administration is working on the transformation of the nation’s judiciary. She said to win the war on corruption, the government needs an efficient, and honest judiciary.

She, however, regretted that “the judicial system in this government remains our weakest link”, saying that the government has lost several high profile cases in recent years because of ineptitude and fraud in the judiciary. “For now”, the President continued, “we have started the removal of judges and court officials, who engage in acts of impropriety.”

Photo Courtesy of the Liberian Journal

U.S House of Representatives Recognizes North Carolina Central

HBCUDigest.com — Fri, 21 May 2010 13:15:06 +0000

With momentum created by North Carolina Central University alumnus Rep. G.K. Butterfield and Rep. David Price, the United States House of Representatives passed a resolution yesterday “Recognizing North Carolina Central University on its 100th Anniversary. A portion from the resolution reprinted in the Herald-Sun:

“People frequently talk about the “Big 3″ universities in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina — referring to Duke University, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — but I like to remind them that it is actually the ‘Big 4.’ North Carolina Central is fully as integral to the historical fabric of our state as its three peer institutions; it is one of the oldest and most prestigious Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the nation; and it has rapidly assumed an important role as a research institution…

“Now an integral part of the University of North Carolina system, N.C. Central offers bachelor’s degrees in more than 100 fields of study and graduate degrees in about 40 disciplines to a student body of about 8,500. U.S. News and World Report recently ranked N.C. Central the top public HBCU [historically black colleges and universities] in the nation and one of the top ten HBCUs overall. The N.C. Central School of Law has been named the ‘Best Value Law School’ in the nation by National Jurist magazine for two consecutive years.

The only representative to vote against the resolution was Alaskan Republican Rep. Don Young.

Langston Professor to Run for Liberia Presidency

HBCUDigest.com — Tue, 04 May 2010 13:50:14 +0000

A professor at Langston University is returning to his native Liberia for a run at the country’s presidency. Edmund Kloh hopes to obtain the seat with a platform focus of resources and education that he hopes will draw attention away from the incumbent Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. From the 5News Report:

Edmund Kloh came to the United States in 1975 to further his education and has taught English at the rural Logan County university for more than a decade. He says he now feels called to return to Liberia to run for the presidency, even though he has no political experience or financial support.

He says he wants to make sure food and schools are available to everyone in his war-torn homeland and that he can help bring democracy to Liberia, using what he’s learned as a teacher.