Tag Archives: UNCF

March 28, 2012, 6:33 am

Claflin University and Alumni Engagement: They Get It!

This post is co-authored by Nelson Bowman III, director of development at Prairie View A&M University.

Recently, Claflin University, located in Orangeburg, South Carolina, reported that 45 percent of its living alumni had given to the institution. Not only is this the highest giving rate recorded by Claflin, it is one of the highest among all colleges and universities. The institution is determined to reach the 50-percent mark in the near future, which would make it the first HBCU to boast an alumni giving rate of 50 percent.

Other HBCU’s, as well as colleges and universities overall, are probably wondering how Claflin achieved its success. We have outlined the institution’s strategy below:

First, Claflin received a $1.5-million grant from the United Negro College Fund’s Institute for Capacity Building (ICB). The ICB has a proven track record for strengthening various as…

May 2, 2011, 5:00 am

‘Students Speak’ About Their Experiences at HBCU’s

By Marybeth Gasman

This past week, the United Negro College Fund’s Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute released a new report entitled “Students Speak! Understanding the Value of HBCUs From Student Perspectives.” The report examines the reasons why current students chose to attend HBCU’s, and what they valued most about their experiences while in attendance. Below I summarize the report’s findings and offer my own perspectives on these findings.

Students attended HBCUs because:

• They felt a “strong desire for a sense of belonging.” In particular, students wanted access to a small environment that welcomed them. They also wanted to be a part of college campus that empowered them both culturally and academically. Research, most recently that of Terrell L. Strayhorn (The Ohio State University), shows that a “sense of belonging” is absolutely instrumental to the success of…