I hear a common statement that Historical Black Colleges and Universities are not as challenging as a predominately white institutions. Do you feel that is true? Do you think professors at HBCUs are more relaxed in there grading efforts towards HBCU students?
Well, I did go to an HBCU for a couple semesters and sat in alot of classes with my mom years back when she went to an HBCU. I graduated undergrad from a small PWI and grad I'm in an exec. program at Syracuse. I would say that it depends on the HBCU. There are some that would be much more demanding than my schools and others that probally wouldn't. Plus, if you put all of you into it, you will get the best education regardless.
I would say though, a lot of my undergrad professors didn't care what you did. There wasn't a sense of community or inclusion of our culture outside of one cultural center unadvertised and standing alone.
We didn't have a lot of unity. We were scattered in different cliques without one tie. Undergrad is an extention of highschool. I think community and being nurtured into that adult stage is equally as importiant as the quality of professor and of academic rigor or reputation for it anyway. I missed that. I would encourage my kids to go to an HBCU.
Actually your question is as easily answered as one might think. First of all, you have to ask yourself are you compareing the right kind of institutions. The one that i attend and work at is a Research 1 institution. The faculty members here conduct research that is changing the globe. This is not to say that there are not some HBCU that have that kind of operation but they are not the norm. The HBCUs are actually teaching colleges that enable students to learn how to learn and then obsorb the information. Research one institutions are teaching some but their main focus is research and teaching students how to become researchers. Additionally, the level of support that Black students receive at HBCU is phenomenal and campus wide (for the most part.) At PWIs, you have culture centers, retention services, black studies depts. etc.
It is a proven fact that the rigor of most PWIs is higher than most HBCUs. (Please note the usage of the words most in both instances.) The biggest difference and what makes a difference are the financial resources available at both types of institutions. We do not like to admit it but whites alums are usually give more to their alma mater and are usually in a better position to do so than their black counterparts that are alums of HBCUs. This impacts the computer labs, libraries and study areas available to students as well as the quality of faculty and staff on each institution. Again, I want to be quick to point out that there are some very rigorous HBCUs out there such as Howard University, Morehouse University, Spelman College and Hampton University to name a few.
