The HBCU Transformation Project, a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Ed Advancement (Ed Adv), Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), is committed to achieving real and measurable progress in improving educational outcomes. Supported by Blue Meridian Partners, the project aims to increase HBCU health and sustainability, improve student outcomes in retention and graduation rates, expand enrollment, and increase capacity building with faculty and staff. “The nearly $200M investment over five years presents an opportunity to build the capacity for HBCUs, which already deliver strong results, to permanently improve their ability to achieve economic mobility outcomes for their primarily Black students and communities in the Southeast” (Blue Meridian Partners). Ed Advancement’s approach is grounded in developing deep partnerships with institutions and fostering collaboration on shared services to create a network effect where the success of one institution benefits many institutions.
In 2022, Grambling State University (GSU) joined the effort as one of the eight Ed Advancement cohort 2 partner institutions to assess its current state and refine and support strategic goals.
Since the start of our partnership, GSU and Ed Advancement have collaborated on over twenty-five projects related to enrollment, student success (undergraduate and graduate), and operational efficiencies.
The implementation of new initiatives/projects on any university’s campus is not without obstacles or difficulties such as personnel and leadership changes, data-related issues, etc. Despite such obstacles, GSU has continued to rise to the challenge and pivot when necessary to ensure requested initiatives were impactful and to create a campus culture of transformation. Several initiatives implemented at GSU have exceeded expectations by creating efficiencies and best practices to improve the student and staff experience. Intensive work in various areas, such as refining GSU’s value proposition and advancement, as well as enhancing online/digital learning and career success, has led to noticeable improvements in efficiencies. Overall, the collaboration between GSU and Ed Advancement has remained strong, with strategies continuously adjusted to meet evolving needs and goals to ensure institutional impact across campus
In October 2022, GSU appointed Dr. Larry W. Green Jr. as the inaugural transformation officer to lead its transformation efforts. Under his leadership, the Transformation Office (TO) plays a crucial role in guiding the institution through its transformation project, demonstrating a strong commitment to forward progress and an execution-oriented mindset. The TO conducts regular meetings to support initiative owners in implementing their projects and provides problem-solving assistance when challenges or delays arise. Their responsibilities include tracking performance to ensure that initiative owners consistently update their progress on implementation plans, key performance indicators (KPIs), and financial impacts. The TO actively challenges the pace and performance of implementation, prioritizes initiatives for grant funding, and ensures responsible stewardship of grant resources. Furthermore, they uphold accountability among stakeholders and manage external communications and updates with organizations such as Ed Advancement, TMCF, and the President's office.
The HBCU Transformation Project aims to increase enrollment, improve student success and graduation rates, and enhance institutional health. Ed Advancement reports key performance indicators (KPIs), where applicable, to measure incremental progress toward short- and long-term goals and provide insights to refine strategy and prioritize initiatives and investments. Sources for KPIs include Ed Advancement’s annual grant report survey, IPEDS, and service provider assessments.
Dr. Larry W. Green, Jr.
University Transformation Officer
greenl@gram.edu