Keynote speaker Michael L. Lomax, president and chief executive officer of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) and previously president of Dillard University (LA), discussed challenges faced by leaders at historically black colleges and universities and how the UNCF is working with them to address those issues. He also described the evolution of the UNCF as a case study in organizational development, with implications for CAOs and CFOs.
     “HBCUs have always operated in a harsh environment with fewer resources to educate low-income, first-generation college students. In the early days, the Ku Klux Klan was a major impediment [to recruiting and retaining students]; today, a rigorous and unforgiving accrediting body has reduced the number of students at many HBCUs and may eliminate other HBCUs.… At the most basic level, the failure of one institution has an adverse impact on all HBCUs.”
     If HBCUs are to prosper, Lomax said, the UNCF "will have to do more than provide money—we will have to engage actively with members and work…in a collaborative way." The UNCF is designing new areas of operation within the organization to address these challenges, he said. "We will work with and support colleges that are interested in capacity building and understand the values of mission, planning, and strong governance. Our goal is to ensure stronger enrollment at HBCUs, through strict financial management and thoughtful governance," Lomax explained.