March 12, 2009

Recent reports show that after six years, only 40% of Black students in Maryland’s university system earn a degree, while 65% of the general population of students do so. At Coppin State University, only 17% of students earn a degree after six years. At Morgan, the rate is 39.3%. Why are black students struggling to graduate, and why are historically Black colleges and universities showing some of the worst graduation rates? We’ll discuss the challenges facing Black students and HBCUs.

We’ll speak with

  • Dr. Reginald Ross, Coppin State University’s Vice President for Enrollment Management
  • Joseph Popovich, Vice President of Planning at Morgan State University
  • Leonard Haynes, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities
  • Dedrick Muhammad, Senior Organizer and Research Associate for the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at the Institute for Policy Studies.