Saint Augustine’s University Enhances Its Partnership With Wake Tech Community College

Historically Black Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh are expanding their educational partnership allowing associate degree graduates more opportunities to pursue bachelor’s degrees.

Wake Tech Community College enrolls more than 21,000 students. African Americans make up 22 percent of the student body.

Since 2012, the two institutions have offered transfer options for Wake graduates in business administration and criminal justice technology. According to the new agreement, graduates of any associate degree program at Wake Tech can now transfer up to 64 credits toward a four-year degree in an applicable degree program at the private historically Black university.

Under the new transfer agreement, students must complete an associate degree at Wake Tech with an overall grade point average of 2.0, and earn a grade of “C” or better in transfer courses. Students who meet the minimum transfer qualifications are eligible for a $2,000 per year scholarship. Students with a 2.8 or higher GPA with 40 hours of documented community service are also considered for the Community College Tuition Transfer Grant, a value of nearly $9,000 per year.

“This agreement reaffirms our commitment to our common goals, opening new pathways for students and creating new learning opportunities,” said Christine Johnson McPhail, president of Saint Augustine’s University. “We want to replicate the quality students receive at Wake Tech when they come to Saint Augustine’s University.”

Higher Education Grants or Gifts of Interest to African Americans

Mississippi State University received a $347,959 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for development of a hands-on, research field school for students to help preserve a historic Black cemetery near campus. The cemetery was used by the Black community in Starkville from the late 1800s to the mid-1950s, with the oldest marker dated 1882. Students will learn Geographic Information System and Ground-Penetrating Radar analysis while also delving into archival searches and oral histories within the community. The project is under the direction of Jordon Lynton Cox, an assistant professor of anthropology

Coppin State University, the historically Black educational institution in Baltimore received a $2 million grant from Truist Financial Corporation to establish the Truist Hub for Black Economic Mobility. The hub will enhance the quality of advising, programming, and technology related to educational opportunities and career pathways for Coppin students. The $2 million grant is the largest corporate commitment in Coppin’s history.

Historically Black Fayetteville State University in North Carolina received nearly $400,000 from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to enhance the Collegiate Recovery Community Program. The funding will create the Bystander and Mental Health First Aid training programs, enhance alcohol/drug-free social activities for students, and increase involvement of student groups and peer mentorship.

Saint Augustine’s University, the historically Black educational institution in Raleigh, North Carolina, received a $490,000 federal grant to fund the Public Health Education Center at the university. The Public Health Education Center will support health and wellness education, student research regarding the long-term effects of COVID-19, and related programs. Funding will also support faculty, establish smart classrooms for students, and purchase research and lab equipment.

The University of Georgia received a $5 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development for the implementation of a program entitled Higher Education Conservation Activity in the Republic of Liberia in Africa. The program aims to strengthen forest management and conservation in Liberia through education, training, and technical assistance.

Historically Black Morgan State University in Baltimore was awarded a $420,000 grant by the Army Research Office to conduct pioneering, interdisciplinary research integrating mathematics with computational science, mechanical engineering, and medical research in the study of respiratory conditions and other lung diseases. Using high-performance computing, including mathematical equations, and lung geometry, researchers in the School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences will pursue simulations of respiratory mechanics that can replicate the condition of lungs, and provide knowledge about respiratory patterns and rates that lead to pulmonary fibrosis, as well as asthmatic, chronic breathing conditions.