Rate this HBCU Day 17: Shorter College

[DrBanneker]

Last we looked at Prairie View A&M, which gained a high average score of 8.2. See the leader board thread here.

Next we turn to Arkansas, which has four HBCUs, and we are looking at its smallest, Shorter College. Shorter College is actually a private 2-year junior college and is the only private HBCU junior college. Started by the AME Church, it went through many iterations, starting first without a building in Bethel AME and later becoming the Black high school for North Little Rock. Later it became a university which has kept close to its Christian principles and manages a relatively high graduation rate of 42%.

Basic data (all data 2021 unless otherwise noted)
Founded: 1886
City, State: North Little Rock, AR
Type: 2-Year Private Junior College; AME affiliated
Nickname: Bulldogs
Enrollment and percent Black enrollment: 245, 77% Black
Out of State Percentage: 0%
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 13:1

Admissions Acceptance Rate: Open Enrollment
4-Yr/6-yr graduation rates: 42%/42%
Transfer out rate: 20%
Male/Female percentages (Female:Male Ratio): 31% male / 69% female (2.2:1)
Tuition: $5.6k
Median Debt After Graduation: $24,493
Median Earning 10-Years after 10 years from freshman year: N/A
Median Earnings for specific majors after 3 years after graduation: N/A

Top Majors by Degrees:
Liberal arts, criminal justice, entrepreneurship

Endowment: N/A
Alumni Engagement: N/A
Athletic Conference: National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), Region 2

Mascot: Bulldog

Notable Alumni:

Daisy Bates, civil rights activist, co-publisher (with her husband) of the Black newspaper Arkansas State Press, and mentor of the Little Rock Nine when the integration of the schools went down

James H. Cone, theologian, founder black liberation theology, seminary professor at Columbia University and author of Black Theology, Black Power

E. Melvin Porter, civil rights leader, first Black State Senator in Oklahoma

Main Campus

A.W. Young Library

Rules:

1. Thecoli will be rating most of the 101 Historically Black Colleges and Universities during the first half of 2023.

2. You can rate the HBCU on several factors including academics, the administration, school experience, athletics, post-grad success, and the "talent"

3. You do not have to be an alum/alumna or have attended the HBCU to vote

3. You can rate each HBCU anywhere on a scale of 1-10.

4. The results of the poll will be displayed publicly.

6. This is not a scientific poll, don't take a high or low rating of a HBCU as the full measure of the "worth" of the school, whether someone should attend, etc.

7. The polls will be open for 96 hours

8. Rep and dap as many people as you like and don’t forget to 5 star this thread.

@murksiderock @Marc Spector @Swaggatron @Kiyoshi-Dono @Taadow @DUKE ILLINGTON I'm going to ask you about Shorter and Philander Smith later since you know Little Rock

@SupaVillain @Tug life @Idaeo @get these nets @Smokee Robinson @MostReal @Tee @Bryan Danielson @Rollie Forbes @Willie Lump Lump @staticshock @Charlie Hustle @Karume @BigAggieLean. @Optimus Prime @How Sway? @DropTopDoc @TheKongoEmpire @Son_Of_God @Theolodius_Black @mson @xoxodede @Anerdyblackguy @EndDomination @ab.aspectus @Peachstate @Gloxina @HarlemHottie @Originalman

 

[King Poetic]

Gave it a 6

I know it’s private but only 6 programs that it offers

But I’m glad it off computer science

 

[SupaVillain]

Never heard of this school, good looks for the inclusion. when you putting up a leaderboard?

 

[Rollie Forbes]

I've never heard of Shorter College. Learning about new (to me) HBCUs is one of the best parts of this series.
Great job, @DrBanneker!

 

[How Sway?]

My first time hearing about this school!

 

[DropTopDoc]

I've never heard of Shorter College. Learning about new (to me) HBCUs is one of the best parts of this series.
Great job, @DrBanneker!

This here


I appreciate @DrBanneker and his series, it’s putting me on a lot of schools i was not familiar with, and it’s nice to hear about so many options we have

Was not up on this school, I’m sure it offers folks with limited funds a shot at school

 

[DrBanneker]

Never heard of this school, good looks for the inclusion. when you putting up a leaderboard?

I'll work on the leaderboard today. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[murksiderock]

Last we looked at Prairie View A&M, which gained a high average score of 8.2.

Next we turn to Arkansas, which has four HBCUs, and we are looking at its smallest, Shorter College. Shorter College is actually a private 2-year junior college and is the only private HBCU junior college. Started by the AME Church, it went through many iterations, starting first without a building in Bethel AME and later becoming the Black high school for North Little Rock. Later it became a university which has kept close to its Christian principles and manages a relatively high graduation rate of 42%.

Basic data (all data 2021 unless otherwise noted)
Founded: 1886
City, State: North Little Rock, AR
Type: 2-Year Private Junior College; AME affiliated
Nickname: Bulldogs
Enrollment and percent Black enrollment: 245, 77% Black
Out of State Percentage: 0%
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 13:1

Admissions Acceptance Rate: Open Enrollment
4-Yr/6-yr graduation rates: 42%/42%
Transfer out rate: 20%
Male/Female percentages (Female:Male Ratio): 31% male / 69% female (2.2:1)
Tuition: $5.6k
Median Debt After Graduation: $24,493
Median Earning 10-Years after 10 years from freshman year: N/A
Median Earnings for specific majors after 3 years after graduation: N/A

Top Majors by Degrees:
Liberal arts, criminal justice, entrepreneurship

Endowment: N/A
Alumni Engagement: N/A
Athletic Conference: National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), Region 2

Mascot: Bulldog

Notable Alumni:

Daisy Bates, civil rights activist, co-publisher (with her husband) of the Black newspaper Arkansas State Press, and mentor of the Little Rock Nine when the integration of the schools went down

James H. Cone, theologian, founder black liberation theology, seminary professor at Columbia University and author of Black Theology, Black Power

E. Melvin Porter, civil rights leader, first Black State Senator in Oklahoma

Main Campus

A.W. Young Library

Rules:

1. Thecoli will be rating most of the 101 Historically Black Colleges and Universities during the first half of 2023.

2. You can rate the HBCU on several factors including academics, the administration, school experience, athletics, post-grad success, and the "talent"

3. You do not have to be an alum/alumna or have attended the HBCU to vote

3. You can rate each HBCU anywhere on a scale of 1-10.

4. The results of the poll will be displayed publicly.

6. This is not a scientific poll, don't take a high or low rating of a HBCU as the full measure of the "worth" of the school, whether someone should attend, etc.

7. The polls will be open for 96 hours

8. Rep and dap as many people as you like and don’t forget to 5 star this thread.

@murksiderock @Marc Spector @Swaggatron @Kiyoshi-Dono @Taadow @DUKE ILLINGTON I'm going to ask you about Shorter and Philander Smith later since you know Little Rock

@SupaVillain @Tug life @Idaeo @get these nets @Smokee Robinson @MostReal @Tee @Bryan Danielson @Rollie Forbes @Willie Lump Lump @staticshock @Charlie Hustle @Karume @BigAggieLean. @Optimus Prime @How Sway? @DropTopDoc @TheKongoEmpire @Son_Of_God @Theolodius_Black @mson @xoxodede @Anerdyblackguy @EndDomination @ab.aspectus @Peachstate @Gloxina @HarlemHottie @Originalman

Not as familiar with Shorter to be honest. Philander though is the premier HBCU of the two...

I second everyone fir the research and insight you're putting into this series, brother!

 

[get these nets]

Good info. I judge each school based on how they seem to be fulfilling their mission.

Despite being open enrollment, this Community College has one of the better completion rates of the schools that have been profiled so far. And it's a bit above average for a CC.
I see CCs playing a bigger role in higher education for Black students in the future. If high schools had resources to have larger guidance counselor depts., I think they should help kids weigh the CC option in terms of costs, certifications, and transferring to 4 year schools.

Be interested in learning where most of the graduates of this school enroll, and whether any of the sports teams feed 4 year schools.

 

[get these nets]

On-campus living to return to Shorter with new dorms​

Feb 20, 2023

A sign on the Shorter College campus show a rendering of the school's first residence hall Friday Feb. 17, 2023 in North Little Rock. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staton Breidenthal)


Shorter College will construct on-campus residence halls as part of transitioning back to its former status as a "residential" institution rather than its current designation as a "commuter" school.
The first residence hall, on the corner of Locust Street and Bishop Lindsey Avenue in North Little Rock, will house out-of-town students, as well as athletes for Shorter's new men's and women's basketball teams, which debuted this season.
"This building represents the future, and we are excited about what we're doing," said Jerome O. Green, Shorter's president. The college hopes to allow students to move into the new dormitory in August in time for the start of the 2023-24 academic year
The dorm will be two stories with a 48-bed capacity, according to James Cain, Shorter's director of communications. This is the first of three dorms planned for the next five years.

Having residence halls "will help a lot" with student recruitment, as "we already have students who are interested in Shorter from around the state, but we don't have housing for them," Green said. "Students don't have a lot of money, [so] it's a lot easier for them to come into a dorm situation and enjoy the traditional bridge from high school through college into the professional world."

The estimated cost of the first dorm is $2.7 million, with the next two dorms anticipated to cost as much as $4 million, but the college has secured bank financing, and "we expect the dorms to be revenue generating" through students paying room and board, he said. "We anticipate [dorms] providing cash flow to [pay off] the financing."
Founded in 1886 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church and named for AME Bishop Hames A. Shorter, the private, faith-based liberal arts college is the only private, two-year HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) in the country, according to Cain.

Its graduates have included prominent figures in Arkansas history, such as Scipio A. Jones, a civil rights lawyer who defended 12 men sentenced to death following the Elaine Massacre of 1919, and Daisy Gatson Bates, a civil rights leader who helped mentor the Little Rock Nine during the 1957 desegregation of Little Rock Central High School.

Today's state holiday, "Daisy Gatson Bates Day," held on the third Monday in February, commemorates her legacy.


Though Shorter College has "a long and storied history," the institution ran into "financial and regulatory issues" in the 1990s that led to loss of accreditation, and the college was essentially "dormant" -- except for adult education -- for more than a decade, Green said. He was "hired to revive the institution" in 2012, and Shorter regained its accreditations and certifications.
As part of that "revitalization," Shorter's antiquated dorms were demolished, making it into strictly a commuter school, but enrollment is now between 600 and 700 students, and sports are back in the form of men's and women's basketball teams, he said. Those "students need a place to live," hence the plan to bring residence halls back to campus.

The dorms are also part of yearslong campus "beautification" efforts that have involved improvements to everything from building exteriors and sidewalks to shrubbery and lighting, he said. The beautification undertaking has been made possible through the Arkansas Department of Transportation's streetscapes program, and "we're going to be working on the front end of campus this spring and summer as the [first] dorm is being constructed."
It was critical to resurrect Shorter after its dormant period because the college "serves a need," Green said. Shorter offers "small classes, a strongly supportive environment to encourage students, a caring staff that ensures success, and affordability -- and a lot of students are looking for that environment."

 

[DrBanneker]

On-campus living to return to Shorter with new dorms​

Feb 20, 2023

A sign on the Shorter College campus show a rendering of the school's first residence hall Friday Feb. 17, 2023 in North Little Rock. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Staton Breidenthal)


Shorter College will construct on-campus residence halls as part of transitioning back to its former status as a "residential" institution rather than its current designation as a "commuter" school.
The first residence hall, on the corner of Locust Street and Bishop Lindsey Avenue in North Little Rock, will house out-of-town students, as well as athletes for Shorter's new men's and women's basketball teams, which debuted this season.
"This building represents the future, and we are excited about what we're doing," said Jerome O. Green, Shorter's president. The college hopes to allow students to move into the new dormitory in August in time for the start of the 2023-24 academic year
The dorm will be two stories with a 48-bed capacity, according to James Cain, Shorter's director of communications. This is the first of three dorms planned for the next five years.

Having residence halls "will help a lot" with student recruitment, as "we already have students who are interested in Shorter from around the state, but we don't have housing for them," Green said. "Students don't have a lot of money, [so] it's a lot easier for them to come into a dorm situation and enjoy the traditional bridge from high school through college into the professional world."

The estimated cost of the first dorm is $2.7 million, with the next two dorms anticipated to cost as much as $4 million, but the college has secured bank financing, and "we expect the dorms to be revenue generating" through students paying room and board, he said. "We anticipate [dorms] providing cash flow to [pay off] the financing."
Founded in 1886 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church and named for AME Bishop Hames A. Shorter, the private, faith-based liberal arts college is the only private, two-year HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) in the country, according to Cain.

Its graduates have included prominent figures in Arkansas history, such as Scipio A. Jones, a civil rights lawyer who defended 12 men sentenced to death following the Elaine Massacre of 1919, and Daisy Gatson Bates, a civil rights leader who helped mentor the Little Rock Nine during the 1957 desegregation of Little Rock Central High School.

Today's state holiday, "Daisy Gatson Bates Day," held on the third Monday in February, commemorates her legacy.


Though Shorter College has "a long and storied history," the institution ran into "financial and regulatory issues" in the 1990s that led to loss of accreditation, and the college was essentially "dormant" -- except for adult education -- for more than a decade, Green said. He was "hired to revive the institution" in 2012, and Shorter regained its accreditations and certifications.
As part of that "revitalization," Shorter's antiquated dorms were demolished, making it into strictly a commuter school, but enrollment is now between 600 and 700 students, and sports are back in the form of men's and women's basketball teams, he said. Those "students need a place to live," hence the plan to bring residence halls back to campus.

The dorms are also part of yearslong campus "beautification" efforts that have involved improvements to everything from building exteriors and sidewalks to shrubbery and lighting, he said. The beautification undertaking has been made possible through the Arkansas Department of Transportation's streetscapes program, and "we're going to be working on the front end of campus this spring and summer as the [first] dorm is being constructed."
It was critical to resurrect Shorter after its dormant period because the college "serves a need," Green said. Shorter offers "small classes, a strongly supportive environment to encourage students, a caring staff that ensures success, and affordability -- and a lot of students are looking for that environment."

This is probably a good move. I just looked at the numbers again and they actually have the majority of the students there full time even though it is a 2-year school.

Given they have some of the most economically challenged students of all HBCUs I hope they are coupling this with scholarship money as well. They kids should be able to afford it without crippling debt they can't afford.

 

[get these nets]

Shorter College community mourns loss of president, Dr. O. Jerome Green

Shorter College president Dr. O. Jerome Green has passed away at the age of 69.

www.katv.com

April 8, 2024

 

[Dameon Farrow]

I gotta join others in, sadly, saying I've never heard of this school. I learned something.