As a new school year looms in uncertainty, United Methodist-related historically Black colleges and universities are struggling with how to re-open campuses to a segment of the U.S. population – the Black community – that has proven unusually susceptible to the novel coronavirus.
Politico reported July 28 that “Black people are dying at 2.5 times the rate of white people, according to the Covid Racial Data Tracker. And nearly a third of deaths among nonwhite Americans were in people younger than 65, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, compared with 13 percent among white people under that age.”
Black College Fund
Logo of the Black College Fund
The United Methodist Church officially supports 11 historically Black colleges and universities through the Black College Fund, one of the seven apportioned funds for which local congregations are assessed annually. The fund is administered by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, which also handles scholarships for United Methodist students.
A survey of the colleges’ websites showed that some of the HBCUs, as they are known, have developed detailed guides for re-opening their campuses while others are opting to remain closed, opting for online learning. All face common challenges of the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
United Methodist HBCUs also were found to rely much more on scientific data about the coronavirus pandemic than do public systems managed by politically motivated school boards. Following are excerpts of colleges’ plans gleaned from their websites.
Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tenn., occupies a unique position among UMC-related HBCUs, being both a college focused on health sciences and a vital public health resource for the surrounding Nashville community. Its campus is open, but classes that don’t require lab segments are being held online, according to the college’s website.
Meharry is also distinguished for the accomplishments of its president and CEO James E.K. Hildreth Sr., Ph.D., M.D., a noted researcher in HIV/AIDS. The college’s website features a 3-minute video by Dr. Hildreth explaining how COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, is transmitted. Dr. Hildreth points out a startling fact: 1 infected person can be the source of transmissions that can infect as many as 1 million people within 60 days. To encourage people to use practices that will slow the spread of coronavirus, the college is using the motto, #DontBeAVector.
In addition to Dr. Hildreth’s video, Meharry students have been volunteering around the Nashville area to conduct drive-up COVID-19 tests. Their service helps shore up one of the major gaps in the national coronavirus pandemic response: increasing access to COVID-19 testing.
The other 10 United Methodist HBCUs have announced plans to hold fall classes online or by “hybrid” modules involving some on-campus attendance. The colleges’ plans:
Bennett College, Greensboro, NC: Bennett’s website says the college “is launching alternative systems to deliver classes and programs for the Fall semester.” Named for Methodist educator Belle Bennett and devoted to educating Black women, the college says its Senior Leadership Team and Board of Directors specifically have heeded research showing that COVID-19 has affected Black women disproportionately compared to other parts of the U.S. population. “… We were equally concerned about faculty and staff–many who are in demographic groups that are more likely to be at risk of negative outcomes from COVID-19,” says the college website. …We looked at dozens of scenarios and determined that there was no way for us to bring students back to campus and keep them safe from the pandemic.”
Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona Beach, Fla.: A university founded by renowned Methodist educator Mary McLeod Bethune, B-CU has developed a detailed 32-page re-opening guide that relies on public health guidelines including physical distancing, enhanced hygiene protocols, wearing masks, and regular monitoring. The fall semester begins Aug. 17 and ends Nov. 20, with classes conducted via a “hybrid modality,” a combination of online and in-person sessions. Faculty, staff and students will be asked to sign an agreement acknowledging receipt of “preventative health information (including guidance for high risk individuals), public health protection of the campus community, and expectations for individual responsibility.”
Claflin University, Orangeburg, S. C.: Claflin’s president, Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack, says the university had hoped to reopen its campus in August, but instead will begin the fall semester with online classes on Aug. 10. “Our current plans call for the reopening of campus on September 21, 2020, for in-person and hybrid instruction. For those who prefer all courses will continue to be available in a fully online modality,” according to the university website. Claflin has a COVID-19 online Resource Center on its website.
Clark-Atlanta University, Atlanta, Ga: CAU president Dr. George T. French Jr. announced “with a heavy heart” that the university has moved to “a remote and online learning format for the entire CAU student body in the fall, with faculty and staff continuing to telework.” Classes for the fall semester will begin on Aug. 19 and end on Nov. 20. Clark-Atlanta also announced a 10 percent discount on tuition and reduction of mandatory fees to $325 in light of “the financial burden that the pandemic has had on students and parents and the change in instructional delivery,” according to Dr. French’s letter.
Dillard University, New Orleans, La.: Dillard is another school that plans to use a “hybrid” method of online and in-person classes for its fall semester. Like other colleges, Dillard has compiled a 20-page guide for re-opening based on “mask, cleanse and distance” practices. Fall classes begin on Aug. 18 as part of a phased re-opening that aims to reduce the number of crowds that could increase person-to-person exposure.
Huston-Tillotson University, Austin, Texas: President Collette Pierce Burnette announced June 18 that instruction for the fall semester will remain online. Texas is one of the states reporting some of the highest COVID-19 infection rates in the country. Classes begin Aug. 24, and the college has provided online guidance for both students and faculty. Huston-Tillotson is making all campus resources available online for remote study. “Additionally, all students enrolled in the 2020 Fall Semester will receive a tablet computer fully equipped and specifically designed to meet the technical needs of online instruction,” Dr. Burnette says in her letter.
Philander Smith College, Little Rock, Ark.: Philander Smith begins classes on Aug. 18 with what it calls CHOICE, a program of three options for instruction: fully online, hybrid/blended instruction combining online classes with limited on-campus attendance, and traditional on-campus attendance. Philander Smith also acknowledges the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic on its students and their families, offering students “eligible for federal financial aid a PSC COVID CARES Act Grant of up to $500 based on remaining need to cover his/her cost of attendance.” The college has a COVID 19 resource page.
Paine College, Augusta, Ga.: Paine President Dr. Cheryl Evans Jones states online that "Paine College's initial plan was to reopen the campus for face-to-face instruction for Fall 2020," but the latest spikes in coronavirus nationwide detailed that plan. “Out of an abundance of caution, the decision has been made to continue instruction by remote delivery,” Dr. Evans Jones said. Classes will begin remotely Aug. 3 and will conclude Nov. 24. The website says that “faculty and staff will maintain office hours and work to support student success.”
Rust College, Holly Springs, Miss.: Rust has produced a detailed 50-page guide describing the parameters of re-opening the campus. Rust will have two modules, Aug. 10 – Oct. 2 and Oct. 5 through Nov. 25. Classes will be divided into two groups to allow for sufficient physical distancing. All Rust employees and students will be given “two washable face coverings” for the fall semester. College president Dr. Ivy B. Taylor notes: “The COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the world, especially impacting African Americans and other communities of color. Also, society finally appears to be willing to begin the process of changing its position on the long-standing racial injustice that African Americans have endured for centuries. The heaviness of this global weight is real. … This too shall pass!”
Wiley College, Marshall, Texas: Made famous by the 2007 film “The Great Debaters” about its debating victory over Harvard University, Wiley begins its fall 2020 semester Aug. 3 with continued all-virtual instruction. Wiley has a three-page re-opening plan. According to a letter from Wiley president and CEO Herman J. Felton, Jr., “On this day (July 2), Texas has experienced its highest rate of infection (over 7K) and is one of 32 states now putting the reopening efforts on pause. While we have yet to experience the ‘peak,’ it is imminent and according to the state epidemiologist, ‘we will likely rollout of the first wave in late August-early September and right into the second wave and the flu season in the fall.’ Wiley also will put all its campus resources online for students and has purchased laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots for students who need them. “Throughout our history, Wiley College has faced and conquered many challenges. Without a doubt, we will survive COVID-19. Please be vigilant, wear face coverings, practice hand-washing, hygiene, and physical distancing,” Dr. Felton wrote.
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.