Transformation of Historically Black Universities in South Africa to Provide Access to Information

South African universities were divided along racial lines of historically Black, White, and Afrikaans universities. Pieces of legislation such as the Bantu Education Act No. 47 of 1953 and the Extension of University Education Act No. 45 of 1959 were enacted by the apartheid regime to provide inferior education to Black communities. However, after the transition from apartheid to democracy, the National Commission on Higher Education was established in 1996 to develop a framework to transform higher education. The transformation of higher education led to the integration of information management systems. The governance structures, resources allocations, training and development of staff were pillars to transform higher education. The exclusion of information management implies poor administration and little access to information. Post-apartheid South Africa recognized the significance to access information for university internationalization.

Together but Not Together: Challenges of Remote Learning for Students Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic in Rural South African Universities

The purpose of the study was to examine the challenges of remote learning that were faced by students in four rural institutions of higher learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It is well documented that in South Africa as well as globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the teaching and learning in higher institutions of education. A call was made by the Department of Higher Education and Training that mandated universities to adopt remote learning to save the academic year. That call was a blanket statement that did not consider the context of different universities, given the inequalities that existed prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 between the historically disadvantaged universities and the well-established ones. The study adopted a qualitative approach that made use of a desktop research methodology, as well as the media (Television, radio and newspapers), and social media as sources of data gathering to document the challenges. One of the key findings was that some students studying at rural institutions of higher learning experienced challenges of limited skills as well as the convenience of and access to technology and other tools of trade. The paper concludes that such students were proposing that, ‘we are together but not together”. The root of such grievance is that they were grossly affected by the geographical and historical position of the universities they were enrolled at and the situation was deepened and exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper recommends the equal redistribution of resources especially to previously disadvantaged Black universities. The paper further recommends that the Department of Education introduce online learning to students from as early as high school so that there will be continuity and ease in remoting learning.

Faculty Time Allocation at Historically Black Universities and Its Relationship to Institutional Expectations

University faculty divide their time into their main academic responsibilities, typically identified as teaching, research, service, and, at institutions with strong ties to their surrounding community, outreach. Most studies of time allocation have focused on faculty at Primarily White Institutions. The present study investigated how faculty at five Historically Black Universities (HBUs) allocate their time to their academic responsibilities. Data were analyzed based on their tenure status, gender, and representation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Faculty estimated the percentage of time they currently allocate (current), the time they would ideally allocate (ideal), and the time they estimate their institution expects them to allocate (expected) to each academic responsibility. Across all demographics, there were discrepancies between current and ideal time allocation to research and teaching and, in some demographics, outreach. The greatest discrepancy between current and expected time allocation was observed in time allocated to research, with women and untenured faculty also showing a discrepancy in time allocated to teaching, and underrepresented faculty showing no discrepancies between current and expected time allocation. Women, untenured, and underrepresented faculty reported that their time allocation patterns were guided by external factors rather than personal preferences. The surveyed faculty also stated that the patterns of effort distribution expected to obtain tenure were not necessarily guided by the faculty handbooks at their institution. Although this study is limited by its relatively small sample size, it provides an insight into how faculty at HBUs divide their time and the reasons for them to do so.

Awareness and acceptability of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among students at two historically Black universities (HBCU): a cross-sectional survey

Background Despite young African American adults (ages 18–24) being among the highest risk groups for HIV infection, little is known about their awareness of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) – a once daily pill shown to be > 90% effective in preventing HIV. To explore awareness and acceptability of PrEP among college students in this demographic, we conducted a survey of attendees at two large historically Black universities (HBCU) in North Carolina. Methods We administered a 14-item questionnaire to students at two HBCUs in North Carolina between February and April 2018. Questions were formatted in a yes/no or multiple choice format. Questionnaire items specifically addressed PrEP awareness and acceptability. Surveys were administered to students at a campus health fair and while transiting the campus student union via iPad. Response to all questions was optional. We fit a logistic regression model to determine association of key demographic determinants with PrEP acceptability and awareness. Statistical analyses were conducted using SAS 9.4 (SAS, Cary, NC). Results Overall, 210 students participated in the survey, of which 60 completed all survey items as presented. The survey cohort was 75% female, 89% heterosexual and 39% freshmen. The mean age of respondents was 19.8 years (SD: 1.8). Fifty-two percent of survey respondents reported that they were aware of PrEP prior to the time of survey administration. Only 3% of respondents reported that they were on PrEP. The most common sources of information on PrEP were campus health services (24%) and non-social media advertising (15%). Of respondents who were aware of PrEP, 61% reported that they had heard about in the 6 months prior to survey administration, while only 19% say they were aware of it for more than a year. Regarding acceptability of PrEP, 58% of respondents reported that they would take a once a day pill for HIV if they were at risk. Our logistic regression analysis found no statistically significant associations between key demographic factors and PrEP awareness. However, persons who perceived themselves to be at risk for HIV acquisition were more likely to find once daily oral PrEP (relative risk 2.66 (95% CI 1.31–5.42)) as an acceptable prevention strategy than the rest of the survey cohort. Conclusions African American HBCU students are becoming aware of PrEP, and generally perceive the intervention as acceptable and worth consideration.

Increasing Diversity in the Field of Lactation: An Interview With the Directors of Pathway 2 IBCLC Programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

In this issue’s Lactation Newsmakers: Documenting our History, we are featuring two emerging leaders in the field of lactation. Rachel Davis and Janiya Williams are both International Board Certified Lactation Consultants and hold positions as directors for the only two Pathway 2 Lactation Consultant Training Programs in Historically Black Colleges / Universities. Rachel is Program Director for the Lactation Consultant Training Program at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina, while Janiya directs the Human Lactation Training Program at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University an hour and a half away in Greensboro, North Carolina. While their backgrounds are quite different, both women care passionately about increasing diversity and equity in the field of lactation support, as well as normalizing nursing for Black and brown families transitioning into parenthood. In this interview they speak to relationships they have developed with their students, their students have developed with each other, and the strength of community created within and between their programs. They describe the difficulties their students encounter with institutional racism within the medical system, and the additional preparation they receive to navigate it. Both programs experience high volumes of applicants—almost 350 for the 12 positions at Johnson C. Smith University—demonstrating the significant need for this curriculum in Historically Black Universities/Colleges. The importance of this model in diversifying the field of lactation cannot be underestimated, and the outspoken women doing this work will be influencers in this field for years to come. (RD = Rachel Davis; JW = Janiya Williams; EC = Ellen Chetwynd).

Sleep Duration and Weight Gain among Students at a Historically Black University

Objective: We investigated sex differences in sleep and examined the association between objectively-measured sleep characteristics and weight gain among 54 black students at a historically black university in spring 2018. Methods: Participants wore a wearable tracker (Fitbit Alta) for an average of 68 days of sleep over the spring semester and 5.5 days of sleep over the spring break. They also completed a questionnaire. Results: Average sleep duration was 6 hours 35 minutes. More women had short sleep (< 7 hours / night) than men (92.1% vs 43.8%; p < .001). Women had shorter sleep (6 hours 24 minutes vs 7 hours 1 minute; p = .003), shorter naps (2 hours 4 minutes vs 2 hours 30 minutes; p = .043), and lower sleep efficiency (93.0% vs 94.1%; p = .048) than men. More women than men experienced weight gain (79.0% vs 68.8%, p < .05). We found an inverse relationship between sleep duration and weight gain in both sexes (r = -0.42, p < .05). Conclusions: Appropriate sleep and weight management should be considered to address sex disparities in sleep and weight gain among black students at historically black universities.

Micro-politics of student participation in university leadership across the historically black universities

In the post 1994 South African higher education system, there have been significant moves and achievements at the transformation of higher education institutions. The chief instrument of institutional transformation has been the university governing councils. The key assumption was that transformation of the university council was key to the transformation of the universities. However, over the same period several former historically black universities have experienced periods of unrest and protest. As a result, several of these universities have remained in a state of a risk of protest. This state of tension and uncertainty that characterizes these institutions has made the different stakeholder begin to question their faith and confidence in the institutional values that govern these institutions. This paper argues that participation in leadership is key to effective governance. The paper makes use of the concept of culture within a micro-political framework to generate modes of good governance within such stakeholder institutional environments. To have been able to collect and analyze this kind, the study relied on data collected through documents, interviews and surveys. The paper ends with implications for effective governance in stakeholder governed university environments.

The Shackles of Colonialism in South African Universities: An Afrocentric Analysis

The transition from colonialism and apartheid to democratic South Africa in the 1990s has not been a smooth one. In this context, the argument in this article is that the remnants of colonialism and apartheid continue to be evident in South African society and in universities in particular. In this country, the chains of colonialism (and later apartheid) facilitated an educational system that benefitted the coloniser (Britain) and the white minority. With the promotion of Bantu self-government came the building of historically black universities and their separation from former historically white universities. The former have inherited a Eurocentric educational system that does not meaningfully serve the needs of the majority of Africans. This alienated educational system served as a time bomb for the 2015 Fallist movements such as #RhodesMustFall at the University of Cape Town. This later led to the #TransformNWU and #FeesMustFall campaigns among students and lecturers in the country. Based on Afrocentricity as a theoretical framework, this article seeks to analyse the transformation of South African universities from being the product of colonialism to being an envisaged barometer of African scholarship. In analysing such a transformation, the authors address the following two key questions: (1) Are South African universities meeting the needs of the society they are meant to serve? (2) How far has the transformation of universities in South Africa progressed? In answering these questions, this article relies heavily on the methods of document review and discourse analysis in the broadest sense.