90 Miles of Space and Opportunity for HBCUs
In the United States there is a divide in academic performance among students. When looking at standardized test scores, it reveals a disparity usually between racial groups and social- economic classes. This disparity is widely identified as the achievement gap and continues to be a contentious issue within the American education system. The academic gap historically evaluates academic performance however, at the collegiate level we see a different achievement gap emerge which evaluates participation in study abroad programs. An achievement gap in K-12 education leads to a wider discrepancy at the college level which impacts international education opportunities, specifically at the historically black colleges and universities. Normalized relations with Cuba could prove to overturn international education policy and HBCUs should be at the forefront of this discussion.
According to the Institute of International Education (IIE), only 5% of Black American undergraduate students studied abroad in the 2013-2014 school year. This unsettling statistic illustrates the gap not based on test scores but study abroad programs availed. When looking at the issue of low study abroad participants among Blacks, it is critical to look at the institutions which were created to serve them. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were established after the Civil War with the purpose of educating Black citizens. The Penn GSE report states 11 percent of Blacks are enrolled in historically black colleges and universities with the choice of more than one hundred HBCUs. Findings in the Penn GSE reports that 58% of HBCUs offer study abroad programs, yet study abroad numbers presents a challenge for the narrowing of the academic gap. A major source that should be evaluated is the value placed on international opportunities from the leadership of these colleges and universities.
To address the overall low percentage of study abroad participants the Institute of International Education, or IIE, has implemented Generation Study Abroad, an initiative whose aim is to double study abroad numbers by 2020. IIE has brought in various partners to help support this initiative including HBCUs. To date, only seventeen historically black colleges and universities are affiliated partners of Generation Study Abroad, this is less than 5% of all Universities and colleges registered as committed partners. A study by the American Council on Educations looks at challenges and opportunities for internationalization of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Institutions such as North Carolina A&T University, Dillard University, and Virginia State University have strategic plans but like many universities lacks investments across the universities. This is an example of an inconsistent commitment to internationalization.
Negligence for a imperative internationalization plan has many effects on student participation. One fundamental effect is a lack of exposure to these opportunities. Tennessee State University has offered passport fairs where students can apply for passports on the spot at their university provided they have proper documents and the application fee. Tuskegee University offered fee waiver on passport applications for attendees of their global education fair. Unfortunately, events like this is the exception and not the majority. Students do not have access to a wide variety of study abroad programs. For the programs that are offered, curriculum integration is lacking. Students that require higher level core subjects are subjected to basic level classes that does not transfer equally to their home institution.
On December 17th, President Obama announced that the United States will reestablish diplomatic relations with Cuba. This has opened up the flood gates for academic exchange opportunities in this country. When forming educational partnerships with Cuba, HBCUs should be at the forefront of the discussion. One reason being the social and cultural linkages embedded into our history. At the turn of the twentieth century, Tuskegee University and Cubans of African descent forged a relationship based on industrial education. Like many students before, students today could be looking for deeper connections to the african diaspora even in the selection of their study abroad destination.
Some maybe skeptical to collaborate with a country that is cited as having little relevance in the education stage. Jeffrey Puryear, senior fellow with the Education Program at the Inter- American dialogue once stated that Cuban education policy doesn’t get much respect in Latin America and is not seen as a model. Additionally, the world bank discussion papers no. 257 on Improving the quality of Primary Education in Latin America and the Caribbean does not ever use the word Cuba in its investigation. However, Cuba is cited by the World Bank as having one of the best educational systems in Latin America and the Caribbean. Similarly, critics of HBCUs question the relevance of these institutions in American higher education. Jason Riley of the Wall Street Journal says “...these students are better off exercising their non-HBCU options.” Yet, forty percent of black members of congress, fifty percent of black lawyers, and eighty percent of black judges all attended these historic black institutions. A partnerships between Cuban universities and Black Universities could yield influence on the global stage and become stakeholder in education reform policy.
The achievement gap can be seen not only in K-12 education but within the tertiary level as well. This gap begins at a early age then expands into college years and then erupts when we look at statistics on international education. Normalized relation with Cuba could serve as a tipping point for the widening or narrowing of the study abroad achievement gap. The response of higher education administrators, policy makers, practitioners, and congress in forming academic relations with Cuba will expose the priority to close the achievement gap. Let’s hope their efforts tip in the favor of Black colleges and universities. With only 90 miles between Cuba and the United States, there is nothing but space and opportunity for HBCUs.
- Javonni McGlaurin