“HBCUs have a unique perspective and a unique learning model that could be scaled to the world,” one leader says. It’s an undertaking from the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), a philanthropy that supports HBCUs through scholarships to students, grants to higher ed institutions and advocacy for educating African Americans. Called HBCUv, the project aims to roll out a pilot product this fall. Eventually, leaders intend for the platform to include a catalog of high-quality online courses, virtual spaces where students can interact and digital tools that allow faculty to collaborate — all shared among HBCUs. The ultimate goal is to help these institutions grow their revenue and extend their reach, building off the momentum they’ve lately experienced from increased student interest even as college enrollment more broadly has fallen.
