HBCU Think Tank seeks to advance quality of education, funding and collaboration

Education dean from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) across the United States met at Rutgers University to strategize on how best to strengthen teacher education programs at their respective institutions.

Amid deep financial cutbacks and mounting challenges over graduation and retention rates within higher education in general, the deans spent two full days last week engaged in discussions over how to improve academic standards, generate outside funding to support new programs and initiatives, and find ways, when necessary, to collaborate with each other.

Dubbed the HBCU Education Dean’s Think Tank, the annual event is the brainchild of Dr. Fred A. Bonner II, who currently holds the endowed Samuel DeWitt Proctor Chair in Education at Rutgers.

Since its inception, the HBCU think tank has already proved successful in advancing the dialogue and “moving the needle” on the issue of how the educational institutions can better prepare students to become career educators.

Read more: Diverse