Senate Leader wants to merge HBCUs

Published on December 1, 2008 by AlumniUnit · 4 Comments

Republican Seth Harp wants to save money by putting HBCUs with white-majority schools

The chairman of the state Senate Higher Education Committee told University System leaders they should consider merging two of the state’s three historical black colleges with nearby white-majority schools to save money.

With the state looking to cut spending up to 10 percent this year because of the economic slowdown, Senate Higher Education Chairman Seth Harp (R-Midland) suggested historically black college Savannah State University be merged with Armstrong Atlantic University in Savannah, and black college Albany State be merged with Darton College in Albany.

Harp said the separate schools were set up during a time when whites didn’t want to go to school with blacks and education was segregated in Georgia.

“The white schools were begun as segregation schools. It’s time Georgia closed that ugly chapter,” Harp said during a budget hearing on the University System’s budget Monday.

Any decision to merge the schools would have to be made by the University System’s Board of Regents. The system receives about $2.3 billion in annual state funding, but the governing body makes decisions about the system’s 35 schools.

System Chancellor Erroll Davis said merging historically black colleges is more than an economic issue because the schools have a long history of providing education to African-Americans in Georgia. The idea would probably face strong opposition from supporters of historically black colleges nationally.

“I would need some political sense (from lawmakers) that there is support for that,” Davis said.

Harp responded, “A 10 percent cut may be an incentive to do that.”

The third historically black college in the state, Fort Valley State, is probably located too far from any other University System school to be a candidate for merger.

By JAMES SALZER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Tags: hbcus, james salzer, merging, public, republican seth harp, state funded, university system's board of regents

Readers Comments (4)

Rev. Anthony Herring says:

December 4, 2008 at 6:56 pm

I totally disagree with merging these great historically blacks with white institutions simply due to a temporary bad economy and the lack of suppose money. Our historically black colleges and university are still in need by great demand all across the country for various needs: education, black culture, fellowship, and it’s ours. The HBCU’s are leaders in putting out more Black Leadership throughout this country in the past and still in the future!

It’s interesting that our Republican Alumni would attempt to suggest such a solution. I am quite sure there could be several other great recommendations that could be made to help these institutions financially. I would hate to ask the question, “what have JCSU done for you, it’s culture, heritage, and quality education” in his decision-making.

Maybe my Republican Alumni could begin to help raise more money from it’s alumni, friends, and business community. I do believe that JCSU is a proven example, when great leadership is in place.

Proud Alumni of JCSU and Hood Theological Seminary
Class of 1982 and Class of 2000 respectively
M Thomas says:

December 4, 2008 at 7:26 pm

I find it interesting that things of white influence continues to be the “standard” and anything non-white is unnecessary.

I don’t know what planet this Senator lives, but the in the planet that I live, some whites still don’t want to go to school with, work with, or live around, black people. That will never change.

There will always be a need for these schools. I transferred from a predominately white, state university to attend an HBCU

We all must fight hard to keep preserve these schools.
Sheila Lott says:

December 5, 2008 at 11:41 am

In essence historically black colleges and universities carry a legacy in their own right and to merge them takes away from their fundamental purpose and identification. We are not like white folks here in america in that our history , origination and matriculation in America dictate that. White folks did not have to fight to go to predominately black schools nor did they have to fight for the right to vote.
Seeviffliaimi says:

May 19, 2009 at 1:47 pm

Hi,
I’m new to the forum and just saying hello.

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Senate Leader wants to merge HBCUs

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