HBCU News, Commentary and Information
Tuesday
February 2013
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Fort Valley State University, Georgia, Leadership
“Things are tight,” Rivers said, “but we have not gone into a deficit, we’ve had to furlough in some cases, we’ve had to lay off people, but at the end of the day, we’ve balanced out books.”
Monday
February 2013
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Fort Valley State University, Georgia
Friday
January 2013
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Fort Valley State University, Georgia, Sports
The future special teams star of the Oakland Raiders.
Monday
January 2013
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Fort Valley State University, Georgia, Sports
Fort Valley State University women’s basketball coach Lonnie Bartley won his 624th career game last week, becoming the all-time winningest coach in black college women’s basketball history. Bartley has a well-earned place among the greatest sports coaches in NCAA history, and is already a legend in the black college ranks.
But how many more Lonnie Bartley’s will black college sports yield in the future? And to a more sobering point, does the big business of NCAA athletics even lend itself to any schools, particularly black colleges, enjoying the career and longevity of a one-team lifer anymore?
Monday
January 2013
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Fort Valley State University, Georgia, Sports
Fort Valley State University head women’s basketball coach Lonnie Bartley is one game away from breaking the all time wins record for black college women’s basketball. Bartley and the Lady Wildcats defeated Kentucky State 73-63 last week to bring his total career record to 623-216 over 28 years at his alma mater. From the Macon Telegraph report:
Bartley is fourth on the Division II wins list of active coaches, 11 wins behind Tom Shirley of Philadelphia University, who is 634-295. Bartley is eighth among active Division II women’s head coaches with a 74.3 winning percentage. He is 15th all-time in percentage and eighth in wins.
Friday
November 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Albany State University, Fort Valley State University, Georgia, Leadership, Students
Credit: Mike Haskey – Ledger-Enquirer
Student leaders from Albany State University and Fort Valley State University at a pediatric hospital.
Thursday
November 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Fort Valley State University, Georgia, Leadership
“These almost seven years have offered exhilaration and challenge, but I feel that our university has been able to move forward and that the goals I set upon my arrival have been met,” said Rivers. “I owe thanks to my administrative team and to all members of the FVSU family.”
Thursday
October 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Finance, Fort Valley State University, Georgia
About 100 part-time and temporary employees at Fort Valley State University will lose their jobs, the Macon Telegraph today reports.
Tuesday
August 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Fort Valley State University, Georgia
Fort Valley State University held a ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday to commemorate the grand reopening of Ohio Hall and the Miller Building. The two buildings, school officials say, will aid in returning vibrancy to student life through the housing of its honors program and honors student body.
Tuesday
July 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Albany State University, Fort Valley State University, Georgia, Savannah State University
Georgia’s public historically black colleges and universities generated more than $430 million dollars for the state economy in 2011, according to a report from the University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth.
Friday
June 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Community, Fort Valley State University, Georgia, Students
Students from Fort Valley State University recently joined local high school students and community members in a special car wash fundraiser. The event raised money to support families in Warner Robins with holiday meals at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Friday
April 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Faculty, Fort Valley State University, Georgia, Headlines, Leadership
[mpoverlay]
Fort Valley State University faculty today voted overwhelmingly to rescind a ‘no confidence’ vote in president Larry Rivers. The Macon Telegraph reports that more than 90 faculty members attended today’s vote, a substantial increase from the 13 members who issued the initial vote against Dr. Rivers.
The faculty voted 77 to 15 with one abstention to rescind the senate’s no confidence vote, exceeding the necessary two-thirds vote needed. That vote was followed by another motion to issue a vote of confidence in Rivers’ ability to manage and lead the university, which was approved 57 to 3, with 16 abstentions in a vote taken by show of hands.
“I thank the FVSU faculty for their overwhelming vote of confidence in my leadership at the University,” Rivers said in a statement to The Telegraph. “At this time, I sincerely would like for things to settle down, for the FVSU family to come together to educate our students and to continue to move our university forward.” (Macon Telegraph)[/mpoverlay]
Thursday
April 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Fort Valley State University, Georgia, Headlines, Leadership
[mpoverlay]Controversy continues to swirl around the Fort Valley State University campus, as the school’s faculty senate has appealed to state legislature to intervene after alleging intimidation and censorship tactics from the administration following their vote of no-confidence in FVSU President Larry Rivers.
The university faculty senate, comprised of elected representatives, voted April 19 to approve a resolution of no confidence in Rivers. That led to members of the administration deeming the vote null and void and later a motion to impeach the senate during an emergency faculty meeting.
The letter states that the school’s recent faculty senate vote of no confidence is indeed valid, and university administrators have sought to intimidate senate members since that vote.
“It is our belief that the current budget situation, our problem with accreditation, and recent developments on campus call for action beyond the university level,” read the letter sent from Seyoum Gelaye, president of the faculty senate. (Macon Telegraph)
The vote was 13-6 with two abstaining. Other members of the FVSU faculty are seeking to repeal the no-confidence vote.[/mpoverlay]
Tuesday
April 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Clark-Atlanta University, Fort Valley State University, Georgia, Headlines, Health, Jackson State University, Louisiana, Mississippi, Morehouse College, North Carolina, North Carolina Central University
[mpoverlay]
Several HBCUs, including Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, Southern University – Baton Rouge, North Carolina Central University, Fort Valley State University and Jackson State University, were commended in a recent entry on the federal HIV/AIDS blog.
The author, Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of HIV/AIDS in the Department of Health and Human Services, said that historically black colleges are leading the way in addressing prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS for African-American communities.
A number of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are engaged in significant efforts to educate students and promote HIV awareness across their campuses. These efforts are particularly important given that African Americans face a very severe and disproportionate burden of HIV disease in the United States. Despite representing only 14% of the US population in 2009, African Americans accounted for 44% of all new HIV infections in that year, according to the CDC.
Alarmingly, CDC also reports that more new HIV infections occurred among 13–29 year-old black gay and bisexual men who have sex with men (MSM) than any other age and racial group of MSM; further, new HIV infections among young black MSM are trending up, increasing by 48% from 2006–2009. Of the total number of new HIV infections in U.S. women in 2009, 57% occurred in blacks, and the rate of new HIV infections among black women in 2009 was 15 times that of white women. These realities make the HIV prevention efforts of the nation’s HBCUs all the more important.[/mpoverlay]
Wednesday
March 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Community, Fort Valley State University, Georgia, Headlines
Fort Valley State University today hosted its fifth annual Small Business Expo, providing financial tips and networking to regional entrepreneurs.
Thursday
March 2012
COMMENTS
Written by HBCU Digest, Posted in Faculty, Fort Valley State University, Georgia, Headlines, Research
Fort Valley State University professor George Mbata, recipient of a 2011 grant from the Georgia Peanut Commission, recently presented data from his funded research on protecting peanut crops. Dr. Mbata along with David Shapiro-Ilan, a USDA-ARS, Southeast Fruit and Tree Nut Research Unit researcher, gave new insight on protecting one of the largest peanut sources in the United States.
Last year, Mbata, and Shapiro-Ilan, received a one-year, $28,000 grant from the peanut commission to develop environmentally friendly methods to control the bug. The pair presented findings from their study in February, suggesting the use of microbials, nematodes (parasites that feed on the insect), fungi and insecticides to reduce the pest population and to keep peanut crops healthy.
“It was a great opportunity for us at FVSU to give back to the district in the area of improving crop production and protection,” said Mbata.
