Southern, HBCUs takes advantage of Title III grants

Southern University and other Historically Black Colleges and Universities receive federal aid in the form of a Title III program that grants those universities funds to keep up with the government regulations of a higher education establishment.
In 1975, Kathryn Jordan, the Title III coordinator at Southern was asked by university heads to write a grant for federal funds called the Advanced Institutional Development Program (AIDP).
Eventually the AIDP became the Strengthening Development Institution Program (SDIP) and finally became the Title III program.
The university was granted $3 million dollars in federal funds during the first year of the AIDP program.
The Title III program was established to “bring black schools up to standards and keep them up with the mandate of our government,” Jordan explained. In the past, “black schools were given a piano and had to make due,” she finished.
Today’s Title III program grants the university $6.2 million dollars which is allotted to several departments under the university’s umbrella. The programs will last for three to five years, from 2008 – 2012.
“One of our main problems is to retain students until graduation; the program assists in recruiting, retaining and making sure they graduate,” Jordan explained.
The Title III grant has been divided into 15 separate educational departments at Southern. The specific amount of money allotted to each department varies due to university need and influence.
Title III funds have several uses in these departments including building upkeep, laboratory modernization, technological innovation, new university courses, new course material, and the funds provide necessary material that students require.
According to a White House release September 9-15, the White House Initiative on HBCUs coordinated a national conference to celebrate these national treasures. This conference also provided a forum to discuss issues of particular importance to the HBCU community.
President George W. Bush issued a proclamation honoring America’s HBCUs. The conference also honored HBCUs by designating the week of Sept. 9-15 as National HBCU Week.
Baton Rouge native and Southern graduate Leonard L. Haynes III has been named executive director of the White House Initiative.
According to a Diverse Education 2005 release, Haynes will be tasked with repairing riffs between the Initiative and the President’s Board of Advisors on HBCUs, whose work the Initiative oversees.
Secretary of Education Margaret Spelling believes Haynes “is the right man for the job. His vast experience in higher education coupled with the leadership he has demonstrated as director of the Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education will be tremendous assets to his work on behalf of historically Black colleges and universities.”