HBCU Focus – Highlights from Alabama State University Presentation with the MARCH Board
December, 2018 | Categories: Presentation
Lois Russell, Vice President for Institutional Development and Jennifer Anderson, Executive Director of the ASU Foundation shared with the MARCH Board Members its offerings to students, appreciation and challenges.
Russell praised the MARCH Foundation board members for their generosity stating, “You are on a God- given mission to help others.”
The school was started with $500 by slaves who were still held in captivity in 1867 as the Lincoln Normal School. In 1929, it became State Teachers College before another name change in 1948 to Alabama State College for Negroes. Six years later, the school would go through another name change to Alabama State College. In 1969, the State Board of Education would approve changing the name to the present Alabama State University.
ASU offers more than 50 academic degree programs to nearly 6000 students who come from more than 42 states and 20 countries from around the globe. One program has students going into the jungle in Peru to help improve the healthcare of people living in remote areas.
“We have students that would never have been able to pursue a degree without bridge programs that we offer to help provide assistance,” Anderson explained.
ASU Alum and MARCH Foundation Board Chairman, Norm Carmichael is an example of the excellent students and future leaders that have attended ASU.
Like other HBCU’s, Alabama State University has to be overcome many challenges to secure funding to assist in the education of its students in a highly competitive environment.
