Collaboration and alignment are two of the most important concepts every college president must keep at the forefront as they strive to nurture an educational environment that creates new leaders and a sustainable financial model that undergirds their long-term vision.
For Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) these multi-faceted challenges are particularly vexing. Dr. Helene Gayle, M.D., MPH, is serving her second year as president of Spelman College, an HBCU in Atlanta, that provides a transformative education for young Black women.
The featured speaker at the inaugural online seminar of the Higher Education and Philanthropy Series at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Gayle underscored that money is essential for success at any college or university, but particularly at HBCU’s. How Spelman, as an example, markets its vision to benefactors, be they private foundations, individual benefactors, or government grants, is a matter of finding institutions and individuals whose visions align with Spelman’s as established by the college’s Board of Trustees.
“It’s a dance,” said Gayle. “Unrestricted funds are ideal but are rare in this world. Grantors and benefactors also have their missions that must be satisfied in their relationships with higher ed.”
In January 2024, Spelman College Trustee Rhonda Stryker and her husband, William Johnston, of Richland, Michigan, announced a $100 million gift to Spelman -- the largest-ever to an HBCU. Seventy-five percent of the funds will endow scholarships so the dream of an affordable, quality education for Black women never dies.
The alignment between the benefactors and Spelman’s mission was both unified and encouraging. Stryker’s philanthropic interests include the empowerment of women and the elimination of racism, sexism, and homophobia.
“You don’t attract major benefactors without a record of excellence, and Spelman has a record that confirms confidence in our ability as faculty and administrators, to produce the women leaders this nation needs more of,” said Gayle.
Spelman has tripled the number of submitted applications over the past seven years, while applications at predominantly White colleges are on a downward trend. Additionally, Spelman is unrivaled in the number of its alumnae who pursue PhDs in STEM fields.
“It is so much more than money that provides the foundation for Spelman’s success,” said Gayle. “The rigor with which funders hold us as educators accountable is a critical part of our equation for excellence. Discipline builds success. Success brings more support to our mission.”
Competition between HBCUs and the elite colleges and universities for bright women students and talented faculty is not a zero-sum game. In fact, collaboration between liberal arts schools and research universities produce better results all around.
“America was founded on the principle that education is the great equalizer,” said Gayle. “But that is no longer true. Talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not. That needs to change.”
The benefits of collaboration are evident in the partnerships Spelman has established with research universities that offer students broadened opportunities:
- Spelman students conduct research alongside colleagues at MIT, which offers innovative labs, computing power, and benefactor-funded research challenges that help Spelman women gain knowledge and confidence.
- Spellman women with outstanding GPAs are routinely accepted to the University of Pennsylvania’s medical school.
- Spelman students can earn dual degrees in engineering in five years in a partnership with neighboring Georgia Tech, as part of the Atlanta University Center Consortium.
“We have a very fragmented higher ed system. We don’t look at the needs of the various pipelines for talented young people,” said Gayle. “We need to personalize education, utilizing AI, first and foremost, from high school to community colleges, to the HBCUs, and the elite universities.”
Statistics show that high school students who take college level courses as part of their curriculum are much more likely to have greater self-esteem; to understand the value of continuing their education beyond high school; and are more likely to apply to selective schools. “We must do a better job of making the case for higher ed, and this is where we must remember why higher ed is a great value today. Preparing young people for jobs is central to our missions, but even more critical is developing in young adults the ability to critically think; to become dedicated life-long learners; and to be good citizens, helping improve the world around them.”
Gayle’s life has been a metaphor for her role developing young Black women into community and national leaders. She evolved from a Penn-trained physician to a John Hopkins-trained public health practitioner, to a major foundation executive and CDC administrator, and to her current role (and her first higher-ed leadership position) at Spelman.
“You look around your community and you ask yourself questions: How can these children reach their potential if they are hungry? If their housing is sub-standard? If their neighborhoods are not safe? If they are experiencing homelessness? You quickly realize it is not enough to be a physician. You must work every day to build your community from every perspective possible. And that is what I am doing here at Spelman. I, along with the faculty, are training bright young Black women to act on their dreams of making their world a better place. By leading.”