Journalism at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Book excerpt: Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are facing challenges to their continued existence on several fronts. One is fiscally, as federal funding for education has been cut and the responsibility for paying for higher education has been levied on students and parents. Another challenge is the amount of endowment dollars available to them and lastly, there are questions today as to if HBCUs are still needed in a society that has allowed African-Americans to attend Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). The third are the challenges placed on institutions, as a whole, and specific departments, in attaining and maintain accreditation. Finally, how are administrators handling these challenges during the pandemic and their own health and well-being? This book explores journalism accreditation at HBCUs and is informed by many years of research into how journalism units have acquired and lost accreditation. The book also examines Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) and how they are navigating accreditation and financial challenges. The book will be of interest to faculty, students, scholars and administrators of journalism studies.