WTOC News May 4, 2019 State Senate bill seeks to give Historic Black Colleges their own board A Georgia Senate bill wants to create a new governing board for the state's Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Savannah Senator Lester Jackson spoke about the idea on Saturday with Savannah State University alumni. Senator Jackson says the point of this bill is to give historically black colleges and universities, like Savannah State, a bigger say in how they are run. Some worry how that new governing body would play out in practice. Senator Jackson introduced Senate Bill 278 at the end of the 2019 legislative session. It would create the Georgia Agricultural and Mechanical University System to oversee Savannah State University, Fort Valley State University and Albany State University, instead of including them within the University System of Georgia like they are now. Jackson says having a board dedicated solely to the interests of HBCU's gives them a better chance for more funding and hopefully an opportunity to set up professional programs, like veterinary and law schools. "These are difficult times, and to be able to recruit the best and brightest, we must have professional schools," said Sen. Jackson. "To be able to recruit the best and brightest, we must have financial resources." Some Savannah State Alumni raised concerns a separate board would only furthur the disconnect they feel already exists between HBCU's and other universities. "I am concerned about separate and unequal, but I'm more concerned about the system that we're currently in," said Sen. Jackson. Sen. Jackson says this bill will have a hearing in early January. He says the Board of Regents and HBCU's will all be part of that meeting. SANDRA M. PHOENIX HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta, GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org/ sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org%3cmailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org>> Honor the ancestors, the children, and those yet to come. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/