Policy Resolution TST-20-09

WHEREAS, the United States is home to many Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that are significant economic engines in the United States;

WHEREAS, HBCUs have made many significant contributions to our nation, including having historically served as the only option for African Americans interested in pursuing higher education, and will continue to play important roles with regard to access, education, research, and service;

WHEREAS, there are more than 100 HBCUs across our nation, and while these schools represent just 3 percent of our country’s institutions of higher learning, they graduate nearly 20 percent of African Americans who earn undergraduate degrees;

WHEREAS, according to the United Negro College Fund, HBCUs generate 25 percent of all bachelor’s degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields earned by African Americans;

WHEREAS, HBCUs award 14 percent of all African American engineering degrees at less than half the cost of other four-year colleges and universities;

WHEREAS, the nation’s HBCUs are also home to innovation and technology hubs, entrepreneurship centers, pre-accelerators, accelerators, incubators, angel investors, and venture investors such; and

WHEREAS, studies are needed to better understand how the nation’s HBCUs can make an impact on placing more students in STEM related careers and becoming an essential part of the technology community, including:

• examining ways in which HBCUs can partner with the state to foster more diversity in entrepreneurship and state contracts
• studying and tracking the placement of HBCUs students in STEM jobs
• examining ways to fund curriculum design and faculty in STEM sectors
• collect data for HCBUs graduates who enter STEM careers.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) fully supports Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the nation and therefore encourages the creation of state study committees within the state legislature to study ways on how states can partner with HBCUs to provide support;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NBCSL calls on Congress to make them permanently extend the $255 million annually for Minority Serving Institutions to encourage science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) development, including $85 million for HBCUs, as this funding is crucial to ensuring the success of these programs; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the Unites States, members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and other federal and state government officials and agencies as appropriate.

• SPONSOR: Representative Dar’shun Kendrick (GA)
  
• Committee of Jurisdiction: Telecommunications, Science, and Technology Policy Committee
  
• Certified by Committee Co-Chairs: Representative K.C. Ohaebosim (KS) and Senator Audrey Gibson (FL)
  
• Ratified in Plenary Session: Ratification Date is December 6, 2019
  
• Ratification is certified by: Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter (SC), President