Rate this HBCU Day 8: Johnson C. Smith University

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Dr. Valerie Kinloch named as 15th President | Johnson C. Smith University

www.jcsu.edu

Dr. Valerie Kinloch named as 15th President​

06/21/23
Johnson C. Smith University’s Board of Trustees announced today the selection of Dr. Valerie Kinloch as the university's 15th president, effective Aug. 1, 2023.

Kinloch is a graduate of Johnson C. Smith University (‘96) and a member of its Board of Trustees, giving her deep insight into the strengths and challenges of the 156-year-old college, founded to serve formerly enslaved Black people and now educating more than 1,100 students annually with 22 degree programs, including a Master’s in social work.

Kinloch currently serves as Dean of the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh, where she oversees 300 full- and part-time faculty and staff, and nearly 1,000 students. She has led academic transformation, recruited top faculty, exceeded fundraising goals, overhauled operations, and overseen more than $9 million in capital projects and renovations. Previously, she held positions as associate dean and professor at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and as a faculty member at Teachers College-Columbia University in New York City and at the University of Houston-Downtown.

“It’s a dream come true to be invited to lead one of the finest Historically Black Colleges and Universities in America – and at the same time come home,” Kinloch said. “My years at JCSU were some of the best of my life. This university set me on course to grow beyond anything I could imagine, so it is incredibly gratifying to return and give back to the institution that helped make me who I am.”

 

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Johnson C. Smith University is Laying the Blueprint for HBCU Esports​

theGrio
Nov 17, 2023
Johnson C. Smith University is the first HBCU to offer a degree in esports and gaming management. Dr. BerNadette Lawson-Williams, the founder and coordinator of Esports and Gaming Trifecta at JCSU, and Kyla Thomas, a sophomore who is the business president of the school’s Esports and Gaming Trifecta, join the program to provide further details about the institution and the program.

 

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. Another large source of funds came from the Duke Endowment, the same source of funding for Duke University. The endowment requires 4% of the money go to JCSU each year which helps explain the relatively large endowment for its size for a HBCU.

I must have missed this when I first read the profile. This is one the most unique deals I've ever heard of. And Duke has never reneged.
Davidson College and Furman U. also receive funding from the Duke Endowment.

 

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The Duke Endowment Makes $25 Million Grants To Davidson, Furman & Johnson C. Smith University​

Jan 18, 2024

The Duke Endowment announced today that it’s making individual $25 million grants to Davidson College, Furman University and Johnson C. Smith University.

Along with a $100 million gift for Duke University last November, these latest donations mark the beginning of a yearlong celebration of The Duke Endowment, which was established by James B. Duke 100 years ago.

“We are excited to launch our centennial year and celebrate the lasting legacy of James B. Duke and the Duke family. One of the cornerstones of the Endowment’s enduring vision is its steadfast commitment to higher education,” said Charlie Lucas, chair of The Duke Endowment’s Board of Trustees, in the press release.

Lucas noted the endowment has partnered with the four schools named in Mr. Duke’s Indenture of Trust with a century of gifts focused on the priorities identified by each one. “The breadth of our funding includes supporting key institutional strategies and initiatives, student scholarships and financial aid, faculty recruitment and development, and capital building projects. We work alongside these schools to promote their long-term success so they may effectively serve their students and the Carolinas,” said Lucas

Johnson C. Smith University ​

At Johnson C. Smith University, a private HBCU in Charlotte, the $25 million centennial gift will help fund the “Gold(en) Blueprint,” the university’s strategic plan.

That plan is coordinated with Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles’ Racial Equity Initiative, which aims to help the institution become a top-tier HBCU by growing its academic offerings, partnering with regional employers and implementing a recruiting and retention strategy to promote better student engagement.


“As Johnson C. Smith continues to serve as a critical higher education partner to Charlotte and surrounding areas, its work with the Mayor’s Racial Equity Initiative is vital. Aligned with this vision, the Endowment is committed to ensuring that Johnson C. Smith students have academic and other supports and opportunities that will allow them to thrive,” said Valerie Kinloch, president of Johnson C. Smith University.

 

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Sanctions for JCSU pending accrediting agency review

School on probation regarding financial responsibility lapses

www.thecharlottepost.com

0701/25

Johnson C. Smith University has been sanctioned by a regional accrediting agency for financial responsibility issues.

The university was placed on probation for good cause – the most severe sanction short of loss accreditation – June 12 by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. JCSU’s next review is in June 2026.

JCSU, which is still accredited, remains probation for a year after the board reviewed a second monitoring report that was originally initiated in June 2023. Two years is the maximum amount allowed for such observation before a decision is made to declare a school in full compliance or levy penalties.

“We are fully committed to strengthening all of our internal controls as we strive to become a nationally ranked, top-performing HBCU,” JCSU President Valerie Kinloch said in a statement. “Over the last year and a half, we have worked hard to improve our overall operations. In the weeks and months ahead, additional improvements will be made as we prepare for an on-campus SACSCOC Special Committee visit in 2026. Being placed on Good Cause provides us with an important opportunity to ensure continuous internal controls.”

JCSU was asked to submit a third monitoring report because SACSCOC determined the school failed to demonstrate compliance with standards for fiscal responsibility, control of finances and sponsored research/external funds as well as federal and state responsibilities. A Special Committee visited the campus to review its progress.

“Our university will always act with integrity, responsibility, and trust. We are a beacon of light, a storied institution that values intellectual rigor,” Kinloch said. “We are an economic engine in the city of Charlotte, across the nation, and around the world. Our core values will not change: excellence, integrity, civic engagement, social justice, student centeredness, and innovation. We will continue to provide fully accredited, higher education access to our students and their families.”


SACSCOC’s board can extend accreditation for good cause if JCSU demonstrates significant recent accomplishments in addressing noncompliance and provides evidence that it will remedy all deficiencies within a 12–month period and has provided assurance it is not aware of any reasons why it can’t be continued.

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[DrBanneker]

Sanctions for JCSU pending accrediting agency review

School on probation regarding financial responsibility lapses

www.thecharlottepost.com

0701/25

Johnson C. Smith University has been sanctioned by a regional accrediting agency for financial responsibility issues.

The university was placed on probation for good cause – the most severe sanction short of loss accreditation – June 12 by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. JCSU’s next review is in June 2026.

JCSU, which is still accredited, remains probation for a year after the board reviewed a second monitoring report that was originally initiated in June 2023. Two years is the maximum amount allowed for such observation before a decision is made to declare a school in full compliance or levy penalties.

“We are fully committed to strengthening all of our internal controls as we strive to become a nationally ranked, top-performing HBCU,” JCSU President Valerie Kinloch said in a statement. “Over the last year and a half, we have worked hard to improve our overall operations. In the weeks and months ahead, additional improvements will be made as we prepare for an on-campus SACSCOC Special Committee visit in 2026. Being placed on Good Cause provides us with an important opportunity to ensure continuous internal controls.”

JCSU was asked to submit a third monitoring report because SACSCOC determined the school failed to demonstrate compliance with standards for fiscal responsibility, control of finances and sponsored research/external funds as well as federal and state responsibilities. A Special Committee visited the campus to review its progress.

“Our university will always act with integrity, responsibility, and trust. We are a beacon of light, a storied institution that values intellectual rigor,” Kinloch said. “We are an economic engine in the city of Charlotte, across the nation, and around the world. Our core values will not change: excellence, integrity, civic engagement, social justice, student centeredness, and innovation. We will continue to provide fully accredited, higher education access to our students and their families.”


SACSCOC’s board can extend accreditation for good cause if JCSU demonstrates significant recent accomplishments in addressing noncompliance and provides evidence that it will remedy all deficiencies within a 12–month period and has provided assurance it is not aware of any reasons why it can’t be continued.

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What is it with the NC HBCUs? That's like 2 down in 2 years. Shaw seems ok and hopefully the state schools are all straight.

 

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What is it with the NC HBCUs? That's like 2 down in 2 years. Shaw seems ok and hopefully the state schools are all straight.

Its sad.
Checking the dates, the current president would have been brought in to right the ship in June '23. Right around the time the last monitoring would have started. Deeply entrenched issues and problems take a good amount of time to correct, though.

Unfortunately for the state schools, the UNC system was one of 6 state systems to sign on Ron Desantis' bulls.it

The public university systems of 6 states form alternative accreditor

06/30/25 6 Southern public university systems form new accreditation body Public universities in Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee are eschewing long-standing accrediting bodies like the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges...

www.thecoli.com

 

[42 Monks]

Its sad.
Checking the dates, the current president would have been brought in to right the ship in June '23. Right around the time the last monitoring would have started. Deeply entrenched issues and problems take a good amount of time to correct, though.

Unfortunately for the state schools, the UNC system was one of 6 state systems to sign on Ron Desantis' bulls.it

The public university systems of 6 states form alternative accreditor

06/30/25 6 Southern public university systems form new accreditation body Public universities in Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee are eschewing long-standing accrediting bodies like the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges...

www.thecoli.com

nah and i've been shytting on JCSU for years since they screwed me and the majority of my class over

JCSU has been running bullshyt to keep up accreditation for over a decade now. Even going back to before Yancy ran out of there before shyt hit the fan. that school was fukking over kids left and right

 

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nah and i've been shytting on JCSU for years since they screwed me and the majority of my class over

JCSU has been running bullshyt to keep up accreditation for over a decade now. Even going back to before Yancy ran out of there before shyt hit the fan. that school was fukking over kids left and right

How far back do the problems go? Did
you end up transferring?

EDIT: just read your 1st post in this thread
.

 

[42 Monks]

How far back do the problems go? Did
you end up transferring?

EDIT: just read your 1st post in this thread
.

I ended up joining the Army

 

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07/07/25

Pettis Norman, JCSU All-America, Cowboys TE, dies at 86​

NORTH CAROLINA SPORTS HALL OF FAME

Pettis Norman, a multi-sport standout at West Charlotte High School who went on to Black college All-American as a Johnson C. Smith tight end and 12 seasons in the NFL, died July 7 in Dallas, Texas, at age 86.

Pettis Burch Norman, a Black college All-American football player at Johnson C. Smith who went on to a 12-year NFL career, died July 7 in Dallas at age 86.



Funeral and memorial arrangements are pending.



Mr. Norman, a West Charlotte High graduate, played tight end with the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers, was an All-CIAA player at JCSU and Pittsburgh Courier All-American.


“We mourn the passing of former tight end and civil rights advocate Pettis Norman,” the Cowboys said in a statement. “Known for his selfless leadership, commitment to community, and dedication to creating equal opportunity, we were incredibly proud and grateful to share his remarkable story recently.”



Mr. Norman was born in Lincolnton, Georgia, on Jan. 4, 1939, and moved to Charlotte, where he was a standout football and baseball player at West Charlotte before earning All-CIAA honors at JCSU. Mr. Norman was a multiple-sport standout with the Lions who pitched a perfect game in the state playoffs and came close to choosing baseball as a professional.



“There was talk at the time of me signing with the Charlotte Hornets in the minor leagues, and several major league scouts came to watch me play as well,” Norman told The Post in 2020. “But God intervened and set me on a path to the NFL.”



After graduating high school in 1958, Mr. Norman enlisted in the Air Force but was released before bootcamp when JCSU football coach Eddie McGirt intervened with a scholarship offer. The 10th and youngest child of sharecroppers Fessor and Elease “Eloise” Norman, Pettis Norman earned a degree in physical education 1962, the first in his family to graduate college.



“While attending JCSU, professor [Herman] Counts, one of my mentors and a philosophical thinker, once asked, ‘Pettis, what do you really want to do in life?’” he said. “My response: “I want to make life count.” This led to a discussion about a calling, and later my personal mantra, ‘Make life count anyhow.’



“Dr. Counts planted the seed, and many others stepped up to mentor me along the way. Their love and support made me passionate about mentoring others and giving back to my community.”


The Dallas Texans (now Kansas City Chiefs) selected Mr. Norman in the 1962 AFL draft but he instead signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent. He primarily played special teams before earning the starting tight end job in 1964, a spot he held until 1970.



“When I joined the Dallas Cowboys in 1962, I was paid $9,000 a season as a rookie,” he told The Post in 2022. “We played for the love of the game and the joy it brought to the fans, and money was a lesser factor. The limelight brought fame but not fortune and we had to work second and third jobs unlike the athletes today.”



Mr. Norman was traded to the San Diego Chargers in 1971 in exchange for receiver Lance Alworth, who was later inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Mr. Norman tallied 2,492 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in 162 NFL games.

Mr. Norman, who earned the nickname “Stone Wall” at JCSU, was inductee to his alma mater’s sports hall of fame in addition to the CIAA’s shrine and the Charlotte Sports Wall of Fame. He was inducted to the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2024. JCSU’s top award for the male and female athlete of the year is named in his honor.



In addition to his football exploits, Mr. Norman was an advocate for civil rights and business opportunities. He pushed the Cowboys to desegregate its organization and led marches and rallies to support civil rights.


After retiring from football, Mr. Norman took a full-time role in a variety of business ventures as owner of PNI Industries, the umbrella company for fast food, real estate and housing initiatives.


“Because I played 12 years in the NFL, I retired from sports with a fan base,” he told The Post. “When I started my businesses and volunteered in the community, people were interested. They wanted to hear what I had to say about race relations, bridge-building, education, and ways to empower people. Without a sports celebrity background, I couldn’t have reached such a broad audience, been called upon by four U.S. presidents, worked with industry titans, and made such an impact for my fellow Americans.”