HBCU Transformation Project

FAMU HBCU Transformation Project - Thanks to the Partnership for Educational Advancement (Ed Advancement) and Blue Meridian Partners for providing much-needed resources that allow Historically Black Colleges and Institutions (HBCUs) like Florida A&M University (FAMU) to build the necessary infrastructure to ensure institutional sustainability and fiscal success well into the future. Thus, FAMU continues its long history as a catalyst for African-American upward socio-economic mobility through higher education.

About

The collaboration between FAMU and the Partnership for Educational Advancement (Ed. Adv.) was created after an extensive institutional needs assessment. Through the funding and resource support, FAMU is in position to facilitate change management practices to bring about greater operational effectiveness and outcomes in an effort to achieve university strategic priorities outlined in its 2022-2027 strategic plan, Boldy Striking. Through this partnership, FAMU seeks to transform its organizational processes and expand its infrastructure capacity and service capabilities.

Partnership for Education Advancement

The Challenge

Creating and sustaining a technology-based infrastructure to support the institutional processes and operations that significantly increase student enrollment, retention, and graduation at Florida A&M University.

Our Approach

Combine the breadth and depth of knowledge held by university administrators and faculty with the technical expertise coupled with financial assets and resource products provided through Ed Advancement. Building tools and methodologies for scalable digital solutions and operations for FAMU to remain a viable center of higher learning, producing a talent pool to serve the societal needs for the future.

We Seek

Through our partnership with Ed Advancement, supported in part through the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, United Negro College Fund, and Blue Meridian Partners we seek to create a transformational business model by which HBCU institutions can emulate to be competitive, viable, and operationally sound for the foreseeable future. The HBCU Transformation Project will allow HBCUs to continue as a beacon for African-American upward socio-economic mobility and a tremendous source of intellectual capital for the global economy.

HBCU Transformation Project

The Value of HBCUs | Dr. Harry Williams | TEDxDover

Opportunities for freed black children to further their educational journey after high school were limited. As a direct response to minimal options, Black people began to seek multiple opportunities on their own in the name of higher education. John Chavis, of North Carolina, is noted as the first African-American college student.

HBCU Presidential Summit

The HBCU Transformation Project Presidential Summit, held on March 13-14, 2023, in Greensboro, NC, represented the first time institutional leaders from public and private HBCUs came together to engage, understand and discuss opportunities.

AI, Equity and Affordability

Higher education institutions can adopt AI-enabled tools in support of nearly every campus priority, from supporting great teaching and learning to enhancing student success resources to improving internal operational effectiveness.

FAMU Transformation Team

J. Byron Greene, Director of Institutional Transformation/HBCU Transformation Officer
Donald Palm, Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer
Sonya A. F. Stephens, Associate VP – Transformation and Innovation

Partners

Upcoming Activities

Meetings
Conferences
Working Sessions
Other

Upcoming Projects

Project	Lead Department	Project Scope
Slate CRM	Student Affairs/Admissions	Build an admissions Customer Relationship Management platform to expertly engage software for admissions functions: Application Management Reading Facilitation Decision Release Advanced Texting Events Management Data Integrations
Strategic Enrollment Project	Academic Affairs/Student Affairs	Implement Information-based process that identifies, evaluates, and modifies strategies and enrollment goals. An organized effort to connect the mission, current state, and changing environment to long-term enrollment and fiscal health.
Inside Track	Academic Affairs	Facilitate Re-enrollment coaching to support students holistically and improve enrollment and retention at Florida A&M University. Engage Retention Coaching to support learners and impact improved retention at Florida A&M University
Advanced Financial Aid Systems	Student Affairs/Financial Aid	Utilize Financial aid office assessment develops recommendations that will impact the financial aid process and policy, customer service, operations and efficiency, student communications, and use of technology
Personalize Financial Aid Videos (PFAV)	Student Affairs/Financial Aid	Create university-branded videos to inform students of their individual financial aid awards
Online Digital Learning	Academic Affairs	Build institutional capacity to improve student outcomes and institutional strength of its online education programs at Florida A&M University
Enrollment Fuel	Student Affairs/Admissions	Enhance its comprehensive admissions/enrollment functions and support our new Slate CRM implementation Admissions Communication Plan Development Recruitment Search Strategy Student Net Price Calculator Strategic Enrollment Mgmt.
Admissions Chatbot	Student Affairs/Admissions	Build an AI chat bot/web bot to facilitate a fully managed texting service to enhance its strategic communication with those at the front-end of the admissions funnel.

The Partnership for Educational Advancement has provided resources, expertise, and direct funding of more than $2 million towards the FAMU – HBCU Transformation Project to-date.

HBCU Transformation Project

The Challenge

Our Approach

We Seek