Johnson C. Smith University and New Urban University Coalition partnership buoyed by Gates Foundation grant
|
Posted By: Reginald Claremont on December 09, 2015 The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded a grant to bring together three mission-driven, visionary universities focused on improving undergraduate completion rates and advancing the quality of life for neighboring schools and communities. The three partner institutions—Johnson C. Smith University, Drexel University in Philadelphia and National Louis University in Chicago—have formed a New Urban University Coalition (NUUC) based on a shared interest in revitalizing the urban communities and Pre-K-12 public schools that surround them. Through innovation, entrepreneurship, and resource and infrastructure development, President Ronald L. Carter, President John A. Fry and President Nivine Megahed will leverage priorities, successes and lessons learned to explore what it means to be a “mission-driven, new urban university.” The NUUC hopes to address issues of community engagement, student support systems, college completion and security on campus. The grant, courtesy of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will finance the costs associated with three conferences and idea-sharing. The grant will also support the creation and promotion of a white paper describing the key characteristics and strategies of the NUUC. “Though we may be unlikely partners considering our geographical locations and student populations, we are all urban universities transforming higher education for underserved communities,” said Dr. Carter. “Working together, we will create meaningful systemic change both locally and nationally.” ### About Johnson C. Smith University Founded in 1867, Johnson C. Smith University is an independent, close-knit urban university located in Charlotte, N.C. It has a growing national reputation for integrating the liberal arts with business, the sciences and technology in ways that empower tomorrow’s diverse entrepreneurial citizens and leaders. Offering 23 fields of study, including a master’s degree in social work, to more than 1,400 students from a variety of ethnic, socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds, the university’s excellent academic programs focus on servant leadership, civic engagement and global responsibility. For more information about JCSU, visit www.jcsu.edu or follow the university on social media sites Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
 |
Reginald Claremont
President, Fulfillment and Web Services, HBCUCONNECT Clark Atlanta University class of 1998 Member Since September 2000 |
Comments
More From This Author
| Register Now For MissionTech: Virtual Hiring Event For Military Veterans, Transitioning Service Members, and Military Spouses |
| HBCUConnect Releases Summer/Fall 2026 Alumni Magazine Celebrating HBCU Excellence, Career Opportunities, and Culture |
Latest News
 |
In Case You Missed It: Connect with Employers You Missed Speaking with At Our Fall Conference & Career Fair!HBCU CONNECT's free Fall Virtual Conference & Career Fair drew more than 3,800 member logins and visits to the platform on Wednesday, October 21, as 49 employers and organizations recruited college st ...more
Cata Rizzle • 1,643 Views • October 26th, 2026 |
 |
📣 Introducing the MS-CC Student Community of Practice (CoP)!Connect with fellow students, share your ideas, and explore what’s next!
The MS-CC Student CoP brings undergraduate and graduate students together across institutions to explore research, technolog ...more
David Lockett • 173 Views • October 22nd, 2026 |
 |
Virginia State University Breaks All-Time Enrollment Record With Largest Class in Its HistoryVirginia State University has enrolled more than 6,350 students for the 2026-27 academic year, the largest in its documented history, along with the biggest first-time freshman class ever at 1,725 stu ...more
Roger Gates • 251 Views • October 21st, 2026 |
Popular News
 |
Louisiana Upholds Life Sentence to Black Man For Stealing Hedge Trimmers in 1997While this may not be HBCU related news, as an AFrican American male, I had to share this appalling decision by the Louisiana court system to keep a man in jail with a life sentence for such a petty c ...more
Roger Gates • 406,209 Views • August 6th, 2020 |
 |
Blonde Instagram Model Goes Viral for Graduating from HBCU and Pledging Delta Sigma Theta!A blonde woman is going viral this morning, for graduating from A Historically Black College while pledging a Black sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated.
@Blonde_HBCU
The woman, an IG ...more
Roger Gates • 190,569 Views • November 30th, 2020 |
 |
Apple to Invest over $40 Million Dollars into HBCUs - Time to major in Computer Science!!!On Tuesday Johnny C. Taylor, President and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund stopped by “NewsOne Now” to make a major announcement that could literally change the lives of thousands of HBCU st ...more
Roger Gates • 131,280 Views • March 11th, 2015 |
 |
North Carolina HBCU Unity DayShaw University - Elizabeth City State University - Johnson C. Smith University - Fayetteville State University - Livingstone College - North Carolina A&T State University - North Carolina Central Uni ...more
Reginald Claremont • 119,653 Views • August 8th, 2016 |
 |
Black Billionaire Robert F. Smith to Donate $50 Million to Support STEM Students at HBCUsThe Student Freedom Initiative announced today a $50 million personal gift from Robert F. Smith, philanthropist and Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners. This gift matches the initial fu ...more
Roger Gates • 86,922 Views • October 22nd, 2020 |
