In a landmark event that promises to redefine the future of higher education, UNCF (United Negro College Fund) and six historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) including Jarvis Christian University, signed a historic consortium agreement ushering in the first official partnerships on HBCUv®. The digital learning and community engagement platform—designed by HBCUs, for HBCUs—was unveiled last week during UNITE 2024: UNCF Summit for Black Higher Education, marking a transformative moment for champions of Black higher education.
Presidents and senior leaders from Benedict College, Clark Atlanta University, Jarvis Christian University, Lane College, Shaw University, Talladega College, and the UNCF took the stage to celebrate this monumental achievement. These institutions, along with Claflin University, Dillard University, and Johnson C. Smith University, embarked on a multi-year journey to harness digital technologies that would amplify the enduring legacy and impact of HBCUs.
This visionary project began with over 3,000 hours of exhaustive research involving students, faculty, and staff to uncover the key drivers of HBCU student success. The insights from this user experience research shaped the development of the platform, which is designed to mirror the authentic, culturally affirming, and supportive environments found on HBCU campuses.
William Chetlin, an HBCUv student champion from Jarvis Christian University, captured the essence of the new technology: “When I first saw HBCUv, I was instantly captivated. Most technologies I have used in school don’t resonate with my lived experience as an HBCU student. But the moment I signed in and saw ‘The Yard,’ I was like, Wow! This feels like an HBCU!”
The signing ceremony follows the successful development of the HBCUv® platform earlier this year. HBCUv integrates cutting-edge digital learning and collaboration tools to facilitate course delivery, course sharing, social engagement, and career advancement in one unified, HBCU-inspired interface. HBCUv is now set to foster collaboration and success among HBCU students, faculty, and staff this Fall. While this pilot semester will feature a set of curated tools, additional capabilities, and resources are coming online later in the year. The HBCUv team also announced its plans to invite all HBCUs and a broad range of partners to join the platform in the coming years.
“I am profoundly grateful to our institutional and technology partners, as well as the dedicated team from UNCF, for their commitment to reaching this unprecedented milestone,” said Ed Smith-Lewis, senior vice president of strategic partnerships and institutional programs, at UNCF. “HBCUv is not just about education; it’s a bold move to revolutionize revenue generation and ownership for HBCUs, challenging persistent inequities in venture capital and technology development experienced by the Black community. Together, we are setting a new standard, creating a future where both HBCUs and the students they serve can thrive, innovate, and lead in a way that truly reflects their unique experiences and aspirations.”
Beyond the platform itself, HBCUv offers shared service opportunities to participating HBCUs, leveraging the individual strengths of participating institutions alongside new resources supported by UNCF and other partners. This includes online course design services rooted in research-based best practices and pedagogical approaches unique to HBCUs. HBCUv will also create a digital “one-stop-shop” model for holistic student support services, deploying evidence-based intervention strategies optimized for the HBCU context, including the latest advances in Generative AI tools.
Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of UNCF, reflected on the significance of this moment: “As we celebrate UNCF’s 80th anniversary and the tremendous accomplishments of our HBCUs, we look toward the future with enthusiasm and confidence. We believe in a future where all HBCUs will be able to come together through HBCUv to share their legacy and longstanding history of perseverance, preservation, and education with the world.”
The HBCUv signing ceremony concludes the project’s initial design and development phase and initiates an exciting new chapter in UNCF’s effort to reimagine Black higher education. This visionary future, shepherded by UNCF’s Institute for Capacity Building, seeks to promote the development and adoption of tools, resources, and strategies that strengthen the missions of Black colleges and universities. HBCUv is actively recruiting other HBCUs, both public and private, to join the initial cohort of founding HBCUv institutions. Representatives from HBCUs are invited to join HBCUv Institutional Interest Webinars on Thursday, Sept. 26and Friday, Sept. 27 to learn more about options to join this groundbreaking initiative.
