Media Alert
HIGHER ED INSTITUTIONS PARTNER TO LAUNCH HISTORIC ALLIANCE
WASHINGTON, DC (OCT. 30, 2008) Spelman College is one of eight historically Black colleges and universities along with Ohio University meeting today at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to officially announce an a new educational partnership -- The Interlink Alliance. The unique alliance will address some of the most pressing issues facing these and other higher education institutions.
Members of the alliance are pledging to work cooperatively in three key areas: faculty development, student leadership and an African-American male initiative that engages and motivates prospective college students as early as middle school.
"There is nothing more important to all our institutions than figuring out how to reach, retain, educate, graduate and facilitate the success of students -- especially those who continue to be underrepresented despite other efforts. And we want to make sure that all our students have everything they need to be competitive at the highest levels," Ohio University President Roderick J. McDavis said. "To do that, we must give our faculty the tools to be exceptional. In addition, our institutions must be better at building our infrastructures and conducting business."
The alliance includes small, medium and large institutions, all with different characters. Chancellor Charlie Nelms of North Carolina Central University thinks that's one of its greatest strengths.
"A lot of times, institutions partner with others most like them. This is the only partnership that we've been involved in with this kind of diversity. There are opportunities to connect in ways that would not otherwise be possible," he said.
The Interlink Alliance includes Ohio University in Athens, Ohio; Spelman College in Atlanta; Hampton University in Hampton, Va.; Wilberforce University and Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio; Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C.; North Carolina Central University in Durham, N.C.; South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, S.C.; and Virginia State University in Petersburg, Va.
Although many consortia pair traditionally White schools and historically Black colleges and universities, they have tended to focus on specific research areas or projects. Or they have been recruitment conduits, primarily funneling undergraduates from HBCUs into post-baccalaureate programs at traditionally White institutions. The Interlink Alliance core group put special emphasis on a peer structure that benefits all participating institutions and offers collaboration opportunities for multiple institutions at once.
"This agreement represents something new in higher education," McDavis said. "Every institution in this alliance brings talent, successes and research expertise to bear on these challenges. We're only successful if every member benefits."
Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph.D., Spelman College president said this collaborative sharing of resources and honing of talent is a win-win for students and faculty.
“This united opportunity within The Interlink Alliance allows us to collectively raise the bar of excellence for our individual institutions,” said Dr. Tatum. “While our mission at Spelman is to educate and inspire women to change the world, our shared Alliance goals of equipping students with skills necessary to compete in today’s global society and promoting faculty development and research are the same.”
Among outcomes members have discussed so far are increasing the number of students earning graduate degrees, increasing campus diversity at all institutions, and sponsoring faculty and student exchanges that foster deeper understanding of cultural perspectives on educational policies, laws and resources.
Consortium initiatives include, but are not limited to:
• Initiative for African-American males -- Establishes partnerships with K-12 schools, focusing on projects to support access and opportunity for African-American males to pursue a college education.
• Faculty development -- Integral to the consortium is the opportunity for faculty training, advancement and the pursuit of doctoral degrees.
• Student leadership development -- This initiative will pursue a multipronged approach to preparing students for high-level careers in educational institutions, corporations and governments in the global economy.
• Research collaboration -- This alliance will bring researchers together from multiple fields, with special emphasis on cancer and biomedical research.
• Infrastructure -- Member institutions will collaborate on infrastructure improvement through sharing best practices of successful programs, services and partnerships.
###
Spelman College:
Founded in 1881, Spelman College is the only historically Black college in
the nation to be included on the U.S. News and World Report's list of top
75 "Best Liberal Arts Colleges — Undergraduate," 2005. Located in Atlanta,
Ga., this private, historically Black women's college boasts outstanding
alumnae, including Children's Defense Fund Founder Marian Wright Edelman;
U.S. Foreign Service Director General Ruth Davis; authors Tina McElroy Ansa and
Pearl Cleage and actress LaTanya Richardson. More than 83 percent of the
full-time faculty members have Ph.D.s or other terminal degrees and the
student-faculty ratio is 12:1. Annually, nearly one-third of Spelman
students receive degrees in the sciences. The students number more than
2,186 and represent 43 states and 34 foreign countries. For more
information regarding Spelman College, visit: www.spelman.edu.
