University to host meeting of Virginia's Historically Black Colleges and Universities, join the Virginia-Nebraska Alliance

Virginia Tech will host a meeting of Virginia's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The meeting will take place on May 19 and 20 at The Inn at Virginia Tech.

Also in attendance will be Oakwood University from Huntsville, Ala.

During the event, which is sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Office for Equal Opportunity, and The Center for Academic Enrichment and Excellence, representatives from each of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities will have the opportunity to meet with deans, directors, and department heads from Virginia Tech.

These meetings are designed to explore, develop, or enhance collaborative initiatives such as joint academic degree programs, faculty research development, and student internship and research opportunities between the institutions and Virginia Tech.

Members of the group in Virginia include: Hampton University, Hampton, Va.; Saint Paul’s College, Lawrenceville, Va.; Virginia State University, Petersburg, Va.; Virginia Union University, Richmond, Va.; and Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Va.

The meeting of Historically Black Colleges and Universities will coincide with the signing of an agreement for Virginia Tech to join the Virginia-Nebraska Alliance.

The Virginia-Nebraska Alliance includes the five Historically Black Colleges and Universities within Virginia. Louis W. Sullivan, chairman of the President’s Advisory Committee on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and president emeritus of Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Ga., will be on campus for the signing.

The agreement provides four key opportunities:

• Student exchanges to cultivate undergraduate students’ interest in pursuing graduate education in health and basic sciences;
• Research and clinician faculty exchanges;
• Faculty research collaboration; and
• Institutional collaboration for funding opportunities.

While the ultimate goal of the alliance is to increase the number of minority health professionals and researchers nationwide, there is also hope of promoting better health outcomes for underrepresented minorities.

According to the University of Nebraska Medical Center Virginia-Nebraska Alliance website, “Today, African Americans, Native Americans and Hispanic Americans make up more than 25 percent of the United States population, but represent only 9 percent of nurses, 6 percent of doctors, and 5 percent of dentists.” The alliance will provide opportunities for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities to engage in partnerships across many disciplines at Virginia Tech.

The Virginia-Nebraska Alliance includes

• Hampton University, Hampton, Va.;
• Virginia Union University, Richmond, Va.;
• Saint Paul’s College, Lawrenceville, Va.;
• Virginia State University, Petersburg, Va.;
• Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Va.;
• J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, Richmond, Va.;
• University of Richmond, Richmond, Va.;
• Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Va.;
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va.;
• University of Nebraska, Omaha, Neb.; and
• The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.