ARE HBCUs REALLY WORTH IT?

[In Rod We Trust]

Let me explain. Many alumni and current HBCU students have talked about the lack of organization and "slowness" of the HBCU school systems. Important documents are lost, financial aid and registration lines are loooong, etc.

I just talked to a person who goes to a HBCU that I'm interesed in. She currently majors in a major that I'm interested in. I asked her how the program was and she basically told me that they don't tell you what you really need to know in the brochure they send you. In short, she was dissatified with her major. This is only one example of what I mean when I say "lacking."(Why do some colleges have majors if they can't have decent, up to standard programs!)

I'm thinking about tranferring from a predominately white school. To register we swipe our ID cards. That's just to give you an idea of how simple it is. It's not perfect and I do have to be persistent and patient at times. But HBCU have a reputation (by their students) or being disorganized and lacking in their programs.

That said, do the positives outweigh the negatives? Please be honest and don't try to defend HBCUs because you go there and you want to make yourself feel better. Thanks.

[In Rod We Trust]

Honestly, alot of these HBCUs are raggedy as hell and seem so depressing...but I've discovered that black folk pump up alot of stuff so HBCUs are something you have to evaluate for yourself...oh, my God...Lincoln University in Missouri was the worst...it was like a UNIVERSITY in the straight hood, for real...shoot, there are hell of negroes that go to white schools as silent as its told...so just pick what's best for you...I feel HBCUs are good in that you will learn things as an African American that you wouldn't in a white school...you will also get to network wit other blacks going your way who will be future productive leaders in society...so, just as in other type of schools, HBCUs have its negatives and positives...its just reality of life...just know that college is all that you make it...go there with optimism knowing it will be educational, crunked, and full of good stuff to keep you occupied...HBCUs Still Stand 8) !!!

Holla

[In Rod We Trust]

I think it's a great opportunity to experience being in a learning environment with those that are "truly" a group of your peers. However, I totally agree that organization, customer service, and quality programs do not exist in most HBCU's. Here in the Washington D.C. Metro Area we are "fortunate" enough to have many HBCU's. And I have heard horror stories and experienced some horrors of my own about everything from registration, to class cancellation without notification, to refunds, to non-availablility of required text books, but the biggest complaint is about the staff members at these HBCU's and their "STANK" (yes, stank) attitudes and blatant disrespect for students (who are their customers). Asking a simple question will usualy get you a mean stare, rude remark, or no answer at all. I hate to have any dealings with any office at my HBCU because you basically need to wear a suit of armor to protect yourself and it really should not be that way. HOLLA if you feel this way too... I know that it cannot be like this only in the D.C. Metro area; or can it?

[In Rod We Trust]

Yes, it's true that you normally experience a great deal of hardship when attending a HBCU but you have to ask yourself if the support of your black community is worth it. We all know that eventually as time passes that our HBCUs will grow and they will adopt all of the luxuries that other colleges and universities posses but it is going to take the support of the black people first. When we get behind our HBCUs and support them and help them grow we will earn our respect and eventually began to be seen as being just as prosperous as any predominantly white colleges and universities maybe even better. But basically I feel that if you really want to see black universities grow and prosper that you would endure these hardships now in order to see the future of HBCUs prosper.

[In Rod We Trust]

I am currently at an all white university and yes it is nice to have everything such as housing, financial aid, registration etc. taken care of before the first day of school. After visiting my future HBCU, I must admit that I began to have doubts about transferring. Yet these doubts were caused by materialistic things such as "Our stadium is way bigger!" and "Is this their gym?" If you're interested in things such as the preceding... then no... don't go. Yet if you're looking for a quality education, where you are more than just the last four digits of your social security number, if you're looking for a place where you can express your individuality and still feel like part of a family then I would definitely recommend an HBCU.
Furthermore, unlike a predominantly white university where you have three people doing the job of one person, in HBCUs chances are one person is doing the job of three. Hence it is of no wonder that they may at times appear to be "unorganized" or slow. What I suggest for most who have are dissatisfied with their HBCU outside of the classroom is to change it for those who come after you. How do you think Spelman, Howard etc. have been able to prosper? Someone saw a need and not only talked the talked, but walked the walked.

[In Rod We Trust]

Me personally, I want to be supportive of the HBCU I attend down here in Southeast Texas, but to be perfectly honest with you, it's one of the hardest things to do. We're building a student center (finally), and everyone program on campus are moving into it(financial aid, registrar's office, etc.). The sad part about it is that the only thing about this three level building that benefits the students is the cafeteria. If that was the case we might as well remain in the place we eat at now. We were supposed to be getting a bowling alley, but the interim-president decided we needed a president's dining hall. So in order to enjoy recreation that's not basketball or video games, we still have to drive 45 mintues to Houston just to find something to do. The sad part is that we've been around since 1876 and nothing really has been improved by much. Fortunately we can go to our professors to register, depending on your major, but as far as everything else is concerned, it's pretty much your average poorly ran HBCU. :?

[In Rod We Trust]

I FEEL YOU IT IS TIME TO ASK QUESTIONS LIKE THESE.
BUT THE HBCU EXPERIENCE IS PRICELESS! I THINK
THAT EVEN THOUGH A LARGE AMOUNT OF HBCU'S HAVE
ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS SOME ACTUALLY HAVE IMPROVED
OR ALWAYS HAVE DONE WELL. I POINT TO SCHOOLS SUCH
AS HAMPTON AND SPELMAN. HAMPTON REGISTRATION IS
ALL ONLINE AND THEY ARE LISTED UNDER THE TOP MOST
WIRED SCHOOLS IN THE US.

AS FAR AS THE PROGRAMS I BELIEVE THEY ARE SOME
OF THE BEST PROGRAMS IN THE US. THEY COULD GO HEAD
TO HEAD WITH ANY PWI IN THE COUNTRY. IF THIS WASN'T
TRUE THEN SOME OF THE WORLD'S LEADER'S WOULD
NOT HAVE ATTENDED THEM. LOOK AT HOWARD, HAMPTON,
MOREHOUSE, SPELMAN AND CAU'S PRESTIGIOUS ALUMNI.
LOOK AT THE PROGRESSIVE BLACK FAMILIES WHO SEND
THEIR CHILDREN THERE. I MEAN THINK ABOUT IT , WHY WOULD
WOULD SOME OF THE MOST WELL TO DO BLACK FOLKS
INVEST IN A SCHOOLS THAT WOULD NOT HELP GROOM
THEIR MOST VALUBLE COMMODITY, THEIR CHILDREN?


ALSO IF WE GIVE UP ON OUR BLACK SCHOOLS WE TAKE
AWAY APART OF OUR RICH HERITAGE. HBCU'S ARE
ONE OF THE FEW THINGS THAT WE AS AFRICAN
AMERICANS STILL HAVE OWNERSHIP OVER. WHAT
WILL WE HAVE LEFT?

I HAVE SAID ALOT, BUT I WANT TO CRY. BECAUSE EVERYDAY
I DREAM OF A BLACK AMERICA WHERE WE SUPPORT OURSELVES
WHERE WE DON'T SELL OUT, WHERE GOOD BLACK MEN
AND GOOD BLACK WOMEN CAN FIND EACH OTHER. WHERE
WE CAN SAY I LIVE IN THE BLACK SIDE OF TOWN, AND
CAN SHOP AT PREMIRE STORES IN OUR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS
WITHOUT TRAVELING ACROSS TOWN OR MOVING OUR FAMILIES
TO ALL WHITE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ONLY WANT TO MAKE
THEM FORGET ABOUT WHO THEY ARE BY TAKING AWAY
MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY AND BLACK HISTORY MONTH
IS ABOUT REMEMBERING HARRIET TUBMAN AND SLAVERY.
HAVEN'T WE DONE MORE. I MEAN BLACK ENTERTAINMENT
TELEVISION IS JUST VIDEOS OF MATERIALISTIC BLACK
FOLKS AND COMIC VIEW THAT SEEMS LIKE A BUNCH
OF BLACK FOLKS WHO SEEM LIKE THERE JOLLY BECAUSE
THEY JUST STEPPED OFF THE PLANTATION. THAT'S
ALL BLACK ENTERTAINMENT IS.

OKAY I'M GOING TO BE QUIET. I HAD TO VENT. BLACK
INSTITUTUION IS WHERE WE CAN START THIS. IT IS
WHERE WE HAVE STARTED IT.