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Education Dive
President Speaks: How one HBCU president managed the coronavirus shutdown
Before the pandemic, Talladega College was on a roll. Its leader wanted to make sure the crisis didn't slow its momentum.
Billy Hawkins
May 4, 2020
Talladega College, Alabama's first private historically black liberal
arts college, has overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. When I
began my tenure as president in 2008, we were in danger of losing
accreditation and enrollment was so low that our doors were on the
brink of closing.
Fortunately, after years of labor, the college was transformed. We
recently cut the ribbon on three new buildings; launched our first-ever
graduate program; took 23 students on a tour of Japan; and celebrated
the return of Hale Woodruff's critically-acclaimed Amistad Murals to
the campus. We also enjoyed record-high enrollment in both the
2018-2019 and the 2019-2020 academic years.
When rumblings about the possibility of a nationwide coronavirus
outbreak began, I sensed that protecting our campus community from its
ravages could prove to be one of the greatest challenges of my life.
Long before the first case was reported in our county, I directed our
leadership team to establish and maintain contact with local and
national health authorities; increase sanitization campuswide; keep me
apprised of changes related to the outbreak; and begin sharing safety
precautions with students, faculty and staff.
Being in a relatively rural community was a plus for Talladega, but I
knew our location did not guarantee our safety. I devoured information
about everything from proper hand-washing to the value of a
contact-free greeting in my effort to remain ahead of the problem. I
canceled all campus events, and all nonessential faculty and staff
travel was postponed or canceled.
As chair of the 37 presidents of UNCF (United Negro College Fund)
member institutions, I felt it was critical to maintain frequent
contact with other HBCU (Historically Black Colleges &
Universities) presidents and exchange information that might help each
of us to better protect our students, faculty, staff and community
during this tumultuous season. The phrase "when America gets a cold,
black America gets the flu" may sound cliche, but it often rings true.
Shutting down residence halls and sending all students home immediately
might have been a wise decision for some institutions. However, it
wasn't the right choice for Talladega because exercising wisdom without
compassion could have proven detrimental to our students.
We have students from California and New York and other high-risk areas
whose parents urged them to remain on campus where they were less
likely to be exposed to the deadly virus. We have international
students who might not have been allowed to return to the U.S. if they
left the country. We have homeless students who had no place to go.
Some of our students could not afford to put their furnishings in
storage. Many could not afford airfare home. More than a few were
anxious about studying remotely because they did not own computers.
Inability to pay for Wi-Fi was another concern. Some students were
fearful that leaving their campus jobs would lead to food insecurity.
While these issues can affect students at any campus, they are often more prevalent among HBCU students.
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