Title III

OUR OFFICE

The Title III Office assists Fisk University in strengthening its academic programs, student- support services, information technology, fiscal administration, and facilities. Through the administration of Department of Education grant funds, the Title III Office is committed to assisting the University in promoting excellence in student learning, faculty and staff development, and ensuring adequate educational learning environments.

Who We Are & What We Do:

 

Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Program, authorizes a program of special assistance to strengthen the quality of developing institutions that have the desire and potential to make a substantial contribution to the higher education resources of the nation, but are struggling for survival and are isolated from the main currents of academic life. Amendments to the Act have altered some elements of the program, but it remains as written – an instrument to aid institutions demonstrating a constructive effort to strengthen themselves.

Fisk University has two grants funded under Title III: (1) Part B, referred to as the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), and (2) Part F, also referred to as the Future Funding mandatory grant. Each program has funded project activities designed to help meet various University Strategic Goals.

Meet the Staff

Director: Dr. Beverly McDonald-Robinson

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Phone: 615-329-8706

Assistant Director: Chelsea Dancy

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Coordinator: Alyiah Berryhill 

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HBCU-B Activities

Director: Ms. DeLisa Minor-Harris

Email: dharris@mblayst.com

  • Legislative Allowable Activity (LAA) Category:
    • Purchase of library books, periodicals, microfilm, and other educational materials, including telecommunications program materials.
  • Activity Abstract
    • The Fisk University John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library's mission is to provide Fisk University bibliographical, physical, and intellectual entries to knowledge recorded in a variety of formats and consistent with continuing and anticipated instructional, research, collaborative, and cultural roles of the university. As the academic hub of the university, the library will develop, adapt, to meet the needs of the current virtual campus community and physical community.
  • Objectives
    • Developing additional experiential learning opportunities with external partners, including internships and service-learning projects.
    • Steering campus planning and resource management to promote effective use of University’s resources
    • Enhancing the library’s building space to be flexible, attractive, safe, energy-efficient, and accessible for research, teaching, learning, and collaboration
    • Provide Access to Library resources and collections that meet the changing information environment and align with the University Virtual Learning Plan
    • Promote professional development and programming that helps library faculty and staff to be successful in a changing environment and embrace broader engagement with the campus community, community partners, and professional library organizations

Director: Ms. Diedra Gobin

Email:dgobin@mblayst.com

  • Legislative Allowable Activity (LAA) Category:
    • Tutoring, counseling, and student service programs designed to improve academic success
  • Activity Abstract
    • Enhancing Global Initiative’s goal is to provide high-quality services and support programs that meet the needs of domestic and international students at Fisk University. Services include increasing global education by way of study abroad opportunities, providing key resources to assist students in applying for prestigious international fellowships and scholarships, and establishing financial assistance and support to diminish the financial burden for traditionally unrepresented students in study abroad. In addition to domestic student services, Global Initiatives assists international students with their initial adjustment to life at Fisk University and in the United States and provides information and advising on immigration regulations helping students to understand their F-1 regulations and status maintenance.
  • Objectives
    • Diversify nationalities of international student enrollment
    • Improve accessibility of remote instruction resources for international students
    • Provide academic courses to accommodate remote instruction for international students

Dr. Johnny Waytt

Email:jwyatt@mblayst.com

  • Legislative Allowable Activity (LAA) Category:
    • Tutoring, counseling, and student service programs designed to improve academic success
  • Activity Abstract
    • Academic Excellence and Student Performance (AESP) is responsible for the further development, implementation, and evaluation of the university-wide initiative to impact retention, persistence, and graduation rates at Fisk University. AESP collaborates with, oversees, coordinates, and manages the diverse services to support Fisk students experiencing academic difficulty.
  • Objectives
    • Improve the grade point average (GPA) of Fisk University students who are struggling academically
    • Increase the number of students who are academically successful
    • Strengthen AESP to improve persistence to graduates rates
    • Develop a Male Initiative

Director: Mrs. Latreace Wells

Email: lwells@mblayst.com

  • Legislative Allowable Activity (LAA) Category:
    • Tutoring, counseling and student service programs designed to improve academic success
  • Activity Abstract
    • Fisk has placed a strategic focus on the Strengthening of Career Services. As a university, we recognize that college represents a tremendous investment of time and resources and that our student relies on us to deliver outstanding opportunities. In a time of record student debt, Universities should provide a significant return on investment and by extension, help students realize their future goals. Here at Fisk, we take this charge extremely seriously as evidenced by our partnerships, internships, and placements. This dedication to outcomes and deliverables is spearheaded by the Office of Career Planning and Development. The department helps students build on their academic experiences by providing timely, practical, and customized career information. We strive to motivate students and ensure that they possess skills that will allow them to remain marketable and competitive in the workplace. The services that are offered are the following: (1) Resume and cover letter development.
    • (2) Mock interviewing; (3) Pre/Postgrad career counseling; (4) Graduate School counseling; (5) Professional development workshops; (6) Internship and full-time job placement assistance; and (7) Networking and professional development opportunities.
  • Objectives
    • Implement a virtual programming model that encourages participation of 5% -7% for career development
    • Create Career Planning and Development brochures and branding documents the progress of the program
    • Launch a Professional Success Hours Plan for Fisk Scholars that will track professional development hours.
    • Ensure that 80% of service-learning opportunities are virtual
    • Track and report service learning and professional development success hours during each academic semester

Director: Dr. Tdka Kilimanjaro

Email: tkilimanjaro@mblayst.com

  • Legislative Allowable Activity (LAA) Category:
    • Establishing and maintaining an institutional endowment under 34- CFR part 628 to facilitate financial independence
  • Activity Abstract
    • Title III Activity Effective Advancement and Assessment is responsible for the institutional assessment and research activities of Fisk University, including the identification of current issues on higher education, particularly in the liberal arts sector; compiling and reporting information on the university’s internal and external environments; analyzing and reporting trends in institutional resources, admissions, student satisfaction, retention, and graduation rates; and conducting peer comparison studies. In addition, our office is responsible for providing quantitative and qualitative information for institutional planning, assessment, and executive decision-making.
  • Objectives
    • Provide OIA personnel training in the utilization of Raisers Edge; Net Community
    • Maintain a comprehensive institutional research program to support institutional

Director: Mr.Norman Jones

Email: njones@mblayst.com

  • Legislative Allowable Activity (LAA) Category:
    • Strengthening funds management
  • Activity Abstract
    • The Division of Finance and Business is primarily responsible for the adequate management of both physical and financial resources to aid in the execution of the University's mission. Under the strategic guidance of the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, the Division of Finance ensures that both unrestricted and restricted funds are managed according to the specified needs of the University.
  • Objectives
    • Enhance Fiscal Management

Katara Grissom

Email: kgrissom@mblayst.com

  • Legislative Allowable Activity (LAA) Category:
    • Construction, maintenance, renovation, and improvement
  • Activity Abstract
    • Fisk University is a walking outdoor museum, with the majority of its physical structures listed on the National Registry and bare an official placard. The pride that we take in our beautiful campus derives from our need to sustain and preserve its authenticity. Developing new infrastructure is always easy but preserving the past can be challenging in the obtainment of funding. While the University strives to ensure the preservation and sustainability of these historical facilities, their direct impact on student engagement, retention, and graduation have made facilities development and preservation a core focal point in the overall strategic landscape of the University.
  • Objectives
    • Enhance the physical assets of the campus to meet the anticipated growth of the university.
    • Develop strategies for addressing the need for increased emergency management planning
    • Establish infrastructure for the new E-Sport Arena curriculum and certificate by Spring 2021

Director: Mr. Jeremy Snyder

Email: jsnyder@mblayst.com

  • Legislative Allowable Activity (LAA) Category:
    • Funds and administrative management and acquisition of equipment for use in strengthening funds management
  • Activity Abstract:
    • Ensuring Compliance/ Human Resource Title III activity is in alignment with the Fisk University Strategic Goal of, promoting individual and collective responsibility for the continued financial well-being of the University by steering campus planning and resource management to promote the effective use of the University's resources and (2) expanding professional development opportunities for faculty.
  • Objectives:
    • Increase and maintain support from a well-trained staffing environment

Director: Mr. Brian Garner

Email: bgarner@mblayst.com

 

  • Legislative Allowable Activity (LAA) Category:
    • Construction, maintenance, renovation, and improvement in classroom, library, laboratory, and other instructional facilities, including purchase or rental of telecommunications technology equipment of services
  • Activity Abstract:
    • To strengthen the university's operations by strengthening the infrastructure in the cloud. This includes building Activities in the Azure space, obtaining instruments/ tools to copy data that resides on-premise to that space. Additionally, ITS will need to acquire instruction materials, educational software, and assessment procedures. Additional personnel will also be needed. This will allow continuing education to remotely operate in the current Covid-19 pandemic. The Title III funds will be allotted to pay the Systems Administrator 40 hours/ week for 52 weeks so that Business Continuity Plan (BCP) can be instituted/ supported.
  • Objectives:
    • ?

Director: Dr. Robert Carr

Email: rcarr@mblayst.com

 

  • Legislative Allowable Activity (LAA) Category:
    • Support of faculty exchanges, faculty and staff development, and faculty fellowships to assist faculty members in attaining advanced degrees in their fields of instruction.
  • Activity Abstract:
    • Fisk University comprises a premiere faculty; 89 percent of whom hold the terminal degree and 80% of whom are full-time. This explains, in part, why: (a) first-year retention rates either exceed or, are equal to national averages; (b) almost one-fifth of each year’s freshman cohort is admitted to graduate school; (c) more than one-third of graduates find employment in their major field within one-year of graduation, and (d) 76% of all first-time PRAXIS test-takers pass the teacher education certification examination. The Strengthening Faculty Development and Innovation seeks to provide additional professional development and resources to retain and propel faculty and staff.
  • Objectives:
    • Provide fellowship to 3-5 Faculty members for (2) academic terms during the 2020- 2021Academic School Year
    • Provide professional development assistance to 5 faculty and staff members during the 2020-2021 Academic School Year

Director: Dr. LaTanya Rogers

Email: lrogers@mblayst.com

 

  • Legislative Allowable Activity (LAA) Category:
    • Tutoring, counseling, and student service programs designed to improve academic success
  • Activity Abstract:
    • All activities detailed below are in alignment with the Fisk University Strategic Goal of promoting a learning-centered environment through immersive educational experience, which facilitates excellence in teaching, research, and creative activity by recasting the Honors Program to attract and retain academically talented students
  • Objectives:
    • Encourage and promote honors studies and activities in the total life of the University.
    • Build population capacity in the program to represent W. E. B. DuBois' Talented Tenth
    • Form new alliances with potential feeder campuses, such as community colleges
    • Increase the number of Honors applicants to prestigious awards, such as the Rhodes Scholarship and Mellon Mays Fellowship.
    • Provide students with professional, career, and graduate school exposures through conferences and on-campus workshops.

Dr. Beverly McDonald-Robinson

Email:brobinson@mblayst.com

 

  • Legislative Allowable Activity (LAA) Category:
    • Funds and administrative management and acquisition of equipment for use in strengthening funds management
  • Activity Abstract:
    • The Title III Coordination activity ensures that funds received for the program are allocated optimally, as well as, expended for approved purposes. This safeguards the College’s reputation for being a good steward as this practice also is aligned with the rules of “reasonableness, allowability, and allocability;” all of which contribute to the receipt of “unqualified audit opinions.” Through this activity, the individual activities are monitored to ensure compliance with the Uniform Grants Guidance (UGG) and EDGAR and consistency with the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) submitted to the ED Department in 2017. Within this broad framework, key personnel have three overarching goals to advance. These include: 1. Strengthening institutional operations through the optimal utilization of Title III funds; 2. Monitoring the progress of each activity and ensuring adequate documentation of Time and Effort reports for personnel paid, in part or in whole, with Title III funds. 3. Serving as the College’s liaison to the U. S. Department of Education
  • Objectives:
    • Increase the productivity of Title III, Part B activities for 2020-2021
    • Ensure timely preparation and submissions of Title III reports
    • Develop a sustainable internal control management system 4. Increase the total research funding

HBCU-F Activities

Director: Dr. Shirley Brown

Email: sbrown@mblayst.com

 

  • Legislative Allowable Activity (LAA) Category:
    • Purchase, rental, or lease of scientific or laboratory equipment for educational purposes, including instructional or research purposes.
  • Activity Abstract:
    • The primary goal of Fisk University’s Title III Part F grant is to improve student retention and graduation through comprehensive and systematic technology-based student services. By providing courses through distance education, access is increased, learning is promoted, individual development is enhanced, and students become lifelong learners (regardless of their ability to attend classes physically). Equally important, they contribute significantly to their communities and serve as viable role models for others desirous of pursuing higher education. Distance education affords greater access for an increased number of students, many of whom are working and/or considered nontraditional. Fisk provides these students long-term financial stability by increasing their learning opportunities and enabling them to complete their educational goals.
  • Objectives:
    • Train faculty to incorporate effective technology tools and best practices in delivery
    • Provide the necessary upgrades in technology infrastructure as well as classrooms and labs
    • Effective usage of academic software and equipment to enhance student engagement.