Are HBCUs being left behind in the tech revolution?

By Michal Ortner

Undergraduate and graduate degrees are widely available in partial or completely online classes that are offered by for-profit institutions of higher learning. In the 21st Century, online learning is the best way to keep up with an ever-moving generation and an even quicker-moving career pool.

The question that has been posed by authors Janue Johnson, Ph.D., and Crystal A. deGregory, Ph.D., is whether or not historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are keeping up with the technology age when it comes to educating African Americans. They address this question in their article, “The Online Revolution: Friend or Foe of HBCUs?”

Currently, big name personalities like Steve Harvey and Phylicia Rashad are supporting their alma maters, which happen to be big proponents of online learning. Harvey attended Strayer University, and Rashad graduated from the University of Phoenix – both widely known for their online degree programs.

For nearly two centuries, HBCUs have been making quality higher learning for African American students available. Johnson and deGregory note that there is not a singular voice for HCBUs, though there is a definitive cause.

“The ability of HBCUs to nurture and develop mostly minority, and often underserved, first-generation students amid an asynchronous environment now hinges on their ability to redesign this experience for a new paradigm. Chief among its reinvention, must be greater participation in the online revolution,” their article states.

Because students who have been nurtured through HBCUs are typically an asset to their community and the professional world, it is important that these students are given the same opportunity to seek education via online courses.

In 70 percent of colleges and universities, online learning is a part of the long-term curriculum base, and nearly 7 percent of students were full-time online participants says a survey from the Online Learning Consortium. According to the Digital Learning Lab, HBCUs only offered around 31 percent of blended programs, though that is a 3 percent rise since 2014.

Winstom-Salem State University’s president, Elwood Robinson, suggests that incentives be provided for students who complete online degrees. Jackson State University is also on board with making digitally updated coursework and tools for their student population. Dr. Robert Blaine is leading the way with the CyberLearning Initiative, which utilizes iPads and other technology for lectures.

“If HBCUs are to thrive in the twenty-first century, they cannot afford to sit on the sidelines of the online revolution. Quite frankly, the current generation of African-American students can’t afford them to either,” concludes Johnson and deGregory’s article.