Johnson C. Smith University News September 19, 2014 Bank of America Awards $500,000 Grant to JCSU The Bank of America Charitable Foundation has awarded a $500,000 grant to support student-centered initiatives at Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU). The grant will fund the university's Career-to-Career Program, as well as help fund the renovation of the historic Dr. George E. Davis House. Each year nearly 85 percent of the entering class at JCSU qualifies for need-based aid and 70 percent of the students come from low-income households. The funding from Bank of America will launch the school's College-to-Career Program which will provide professional development and training for students to help them become a part of the university's current and future workforce as a way to help pay for their education. "We are charged as an urban university with providing access to highly motivated and talented students from all walks of life and that includes helping our students find ways to finance their education," said Dr. Ronald L. Carter, president of Johnson C. Smith University. "We are grateful to Bank of America for helping to remove some of the financial barriers facing our students as they gain career readiness experience through on-campus employment." "College credentials and degrees can make all the difference in helping young workers to be successful in an already competitive workforce and we're dedicated to helping connect young people to career advancement opportunities," said Charles Bowman, North Carolina and Charlotte market president, Bank of America. "By partnering with Johnson C. Smith University on their student employment program and the renovation of the Dr. George E. Davis House, students will have the resources to learn professional skills outside of the classroom that will help them meet their financial needs while further preparing them for careers after school." A portion of Bank of America's funding will help the renovation of the historic Dr. George E. Davis House, which serves as the administrative hub for the Foster Village Network Center. Administered by the university's Department of Social Work, the center is designed to increase retention and graduation rates for students who are emancipated from foster care. The National Center for Education Statistics estimates that only 7-13 percent of foster care students enroll in higher education and only about two percent earn bachelor's degrees. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/2014meeting-form.html for the October 26-28, 2014 HBCU Library Alliance 6th Membership Meeting in Atlanta GA!