The historically Black university is receiving $80 million in private money as part of the Mayor's Racial Equity Initiative. The goal is to vault the school to be one of the top ten HBCUs in the country and a recruiting ground for businesses.
Johnson C. Smith officials held a reception Wednesday to report on the school’s progress. Since the announcement two years ago, the university has hired a new president, four deans and six academic coaches for students.
President Valerie Kinloch, who started in August, said JCSU needs to put students first.
“That means we need to have a strong academic enterprise. That means we have to have transformation in every single thing, area, unit that we engage in, and that we do,” said Kinloch.
The plan includes growing the school’s academic offerings, focusing on careers such as data analytics and pre-med. For a smooth transition after graduation, JCSU now has agreements to help place students with five graduate schools.
The plan also includes recruiting top faculty and more students. It has partnered with four community colleges to make transferring easier, created five merit scholarships and began awarding retention grants.
Johnson C. Smith is currently ranked 29 among HBCUs nationally by U.S. News and World Report.
