HBCU 2017–2022 

 

Improving Academic Quality – IAQ 

Activity Director Academic Administration – Dr. Karen Benn-Marshall 

Title III Rep: Karen White, kwhite@oakwood.edu 

 

Partnership for Student Services – PSS  

Activity Director Student Services – Mr. David Knight 

Title III Rep: Marcia Lucombe, mlucombe@oakwood.edu 

 

21st Century Campus Through Technology – 21st CCT 

Activity Director Technology – Mr. Kirk Nugent, CIO  

Title III Rep: Gina Nelson, gnelson@oakwood.edu 

 

Financial Independence and Institutional Viability – FIIV 

Activity Director Financial Administration – Ms. Sabrina Cotton 

Title III Rep: Chasity Pettigrew, cpettigrew@oakwood.edu 

 

Enhancing Advancement and Development for Increased Institutional Revenue – EAD 

Activity Director Advancement and Development – Ms. Cheri Wilson 

Title III Rep: U’Rainnah Broussard, urainnah.broussard@oakwood.edu 

 

Enhancing Campus Infrastructure – ECI 

Activity Director Mission and Enrollment Services – Dr. David Richardson 

Title III Rep: Kennee Moore, kmoore@oakwood.edu  

 

Supporting 21st Century Technology Mediated Curriculum – TMC 

Activity Director Faculty Research and Employee Services – Dr. Prudence Pollard 

Title III Rep: Traci Preston, tpreston@oakwood.edu 

 

SAFRA 2017-2022 

Resourcing Environments for STEM Instruction and Research – RESIR 

Activity Director Academic Affairs – Dr. Karen Benn-Marshall 

 

Enhancing Technology: Educational Access and Delivery – e-TEAD 

Activity Director Faculty Research and Development – Dr. Prudence Pollard 

 

Healthy Campus 2020 – HC2020 

Activity Director – Dr. Shirna Gullo 

 

Program Administration – PROG 

Activity Director Title III – Mrs. Michelle Ramey  

 

• Purchase, rental, or lease of scientific or laboratory equipment for educational purposes, including instructional and research purposes;
• Construction, maintenance, renovation, and improvement in classroom, library, laboratory, and other instructional facilities, including purchase or rental of telecommunications technology equipment or services;
• Support of faculty exchanges, faculty development and faculty fellowships to assist in attaining advanced degrees in their field of instruction;
• Academic instruction in disciplines in which African Americans are underrepresented;
• Purchase of library books, periodicals, microfilm, and other educational materials;
• Tutoring, counseling, and student service programs designed to improve academic success;
• Funds and administrative management, and acquisition of equipment for use in strengthening funds management;
• Joint use of facilities, such as laboratories and libraries;
• Establishing or improving a development office to strengthen or improve contributions from alumni and the private sector;
• Establishing or enhancing a program of teacher education designed to qualify students to teach in a public elementary or secondary school in the State that shall include, as part of such program, preparation for teacher certification;
• Establishing community outreach programs which will encourage elementary and secondary students to develop academic skills and the interest to pursue postsecondary education; and
• Establishing and maintaining an institutional endowment to facilitate financial independence.

Strengthening SAFRA Program Allowable Activities

• Purchase, rental, or lease of scientific or laboratory equipment for educational purposes, including instructional and research purposes;
• Construction, maintenance, renovation, and improvement in classroom, library, laboratory, and other instructional facilities, including purchase or rental of telecommunications technology equipment or services;
• Academic instruction in disciplines in which Black Americans are underrepresented;
• Purchase of library books, periodicals, microfilm, and other educational materials, including telecommunications program materials;
• Establishing or enhancing a program of teacher education designed to qualify students to teach in a public elementary or secondary school in the State that shall include, as part of such program, preparation for teacher certification, and
• Other activities, consistent with the institution’s comprehensive plan and designed to increase the institutions capacity to prepare students for careers in the physical or natural sciences, mathematics, computer science or information technology or sciences, engineering, language instruction in the less-commonly taught languages or international affairs, or nursing or allied health professions.

• Activities that are not included in the grantee’s approved application;
• Activities described in paragraph (a)(12) of section 608.10 that are not approved by the Secretary;
• Activities described in paragraph (a)(12) of section 609.10 that are  not approved by the Secretary;
• Activities which are inconsistent with any State plan for desegregation of high education to the institution;
• Activities which are inconsistent with a State plan for desegregation of higher education that is applicable to the institution;
• Activities or services that relate to sectarian instruction or religious worship;
• Activities provided by a school or department of divinity.  For the purpose of this section, a “school or department of divinity” means an institution, or a department of an institution whose program is specifically for the education of students to prepare them to become ministers of religion or to enter upon some other religious vocation, or to prepare them to teach theological subjects; and
• No award under this part may be used for telecommunications technology equipment, facilities or services, if such equipment, facilities or services are available pursuant to section 396(k) of the Communications Act of 1934.

Other Limitations
Funds awarded under the HBCU Programs must be used to Supplement and to extent practical, increase funds that would otherwise be made available for the purpose listed in 608.10 and 609 of the program regulations and in no case Supplant those funds.

Supplement is defined as using grant funds to correct a deficiency in an existing activity or service, or to improve, enrich, or enhance an existing service or activity through the addition of new services or activities.

Supplant is defined as substituting grant funds to pay for personnel, activities, services, or other cost thatwere supported from other sources prior to the receipt of a grant or such costs that are contained in the current institutional budget.

A grantee shall not use more than fifty percent of its grant for constructing or maintaining a classroom, laboratory or other instructional facility.

Activities under the Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program and the Strengthening Historically Black Graduate Institutions Program are strongly advised to carefully read the regulations applicable to the program.  These regulations are the Institution Aid – Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program regulations (34 CFR 608), and Strengthening Historically Black Graduate Institution Program regulations (34 CFR 609).

In 1973, President Calvin Rock sent Dr. Timothy McDonald and the Development Officer Dr. Rick McKinney to a Technical Assistance Workshop at Alabama A&M University in Normal, Alabama. Dr. Audrey Dickerson one of the founders of Title III in Washington, D.C., presented information to the HBCU Title III Directors and representatives regarding grant policies, procedures, and the application process for becoming a recipient of the award.  The program began in 1965.  However, Oakwood College had no knowledge of this funding until that day.

All HBCU’s could apply for funds to Strengthening Developing Institutions (SDIP) by completing the application, meeting all requirements and submitting the proposal before the deadline.  Drs. McDonald and McKinney came back fired up that evening and started discussing, praying, writing and developed The Quin C Center – The 5 C’s of Institutional Development:  Communication, Community, Curriculum, Coordination, and Culture.  They prayed over the proposal and mailed it off.  A few weeks later, the institution was awarded its first large Federal Grant Award of $100,000.  The monies were used for project funding staying compliant with the U.S. Dept. of Education.

Several directors followed Dr. Timothy McDonald and continued making strides with the assistance Title III Funds. Dr. Ellen Anderson became the director in 1978 and was followed by Dr. Rose Yates from 1981-1990, most of her achievements were academic driven to impact the following Departments: Business, Nursing, Physical Education, Family and Consumer Sciences, Institutional Research, and Inner College (DLRC, CSS).  Inner College was geared toward tutoring, academic advisement and personal social development. Their first tutor was Dr. Delbert Baker who returned in 1995-2010 as President of Oakwood College (University) and currently serves as the vice chancellor of Adventist University of Africa.

In 1990, Hattie Mims, Directed Title III Funds and Dr. Garland Dulan, V.P. of Academic Affairs, redirected the Title III Activities Director responsibilities to the V.P.’s of each Division. Funds grew from $100K to $1.2M+.  We moved from eleven activities to five:  Student Services, Academic Affairs, Technology, Provost, Program Administration, and Financial Affairs was added later. Professors attended conferences for professional growth and development. Several computer labs were developed for varied academic departments.

The campus Enterprise Resource Planning administrative software system (Jenzabar EX) was upgraded to enhance constituent satisfaction, achieve operational excellence, and maximize institutional success.  Campus-wide fiber optics infrastructure backbone installation was completed. The campus core switch was upgraded from 1GB to 10GB backbone. Three hundred plus wireless access points were implemented campus-wide. Also, an electronic time keeping system was implemented to better manage employee’s time. In early 2000, Oakwood’s Endowment was fully matured.

Hattie Mims retired and Ivy Starks became the Title III Director in 2008.  Title III continued to move the Institution into the 21^st century with enhanced technology and fiber optic capabilities. Funds enabled development and implementation of campus closed circuit CATV channel for emergencies and public announcements, including the installation of 30 LCD televisions in academic buildings, library,
residential halls, and other public areas. Technology increased above and below ground making the campus totally wireless.  Inclusive of all funds (Title III HBCU, CCRAA/SAFRA) we were awarded $2.5M.

Ivy Starks was promoted to Assistant Executive Director for Development in 2013 and Michelle Ramey, the former Budget Analyst became the Title III Director.

Michelle Ramey continued to move Title III forward in 2013 with the implementation of the Quality Enhancement Program (QEP). During 2014-15 a Ebook database was purchased which includes: RLIM Abstracts (Music) to meet the research needs of faculty and students. Lexis Nexis Academic and Lexis Nexis State Capital to meet the History and Political Science Department needs. EBSCO host collection, Ebrary Academic Complete, Springer and Ovid Nursing titles.

The initial phase of the virtualization project began in 2015, the development of the virtual infrastructure prepared the foundation for utilization of the Cloud Computing through Microsoft Office 365 leveraging all the capabilities of a virtual environment. A Faculty Research Symposium was patterned after the National Institutes of Health Process for research administration designed to develop scholarly activities of the faculty. Also, Desire2Learn (D2L) an innovative learning management system was purchased for creating, hosting, and editing online learning resources.

During the fiscal year 2015-2016, the STEM departments were allocated funds from Title III SAFRA to improve the class and laboratory facilities.

Several faculty (including OU research students) within our department used the research equipment purchased on microbial- and molecular-based research projects including cancer biology and virulence regulation mechanisms in pathogens. These studies resulted in published abstracts and research presentations. Manuscripts are currently in preparation for submission for publication.

Improvement to the fume hood exhaust fans enabled the Chemistry Department to incorporate basic lab protocol that requires efficient fume hoods. Students and faculty now have a safe environment to perform experiments that require a hood.

Instruments were purchased to allow students to become familiar with and use modern equipment. The number of students enrolled in upper division labs have increased. With the new instruments graduates are more competitive candidates for graduate school.

Finally, the Passport system allows the department to keep track of chemicals and supplies, assist with inventory and quantities on hand thus minimizing running out of chemicals or supplies or purchasing unnecessary items.

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Sciences (MACS) purchased 33 thin client computers for the downstairs computer lab. This lab is used to instruct students who are enrolled in computer science courses. Prior to purchasing the thin clients, the lab did not have enough working or usable computers to accommodate class sizes; now the students have access to updated software necessary for accomplishing course objectives. All students enrolled in developmental mathematics courses can now complete their assignments using the required online portal, MyMathLab.

Funds were allocated to the Nursing, History, Allied Health and Communications departments for major renovations to facilities and upgrades in computer equipment and software for instructional labs and class rooms.

OMB Uniform Guidance

EDGAR

U.S. Dept. Ed.

Awards

HBCU Directory

White House Initiative on HBCU

National Assoc. of HBCU Title III Admin.