[House Hearing, 114 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
1890 LAND-GRANT INSTITUTIONS:
RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES AND
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
DECEMBER 7, 2016
__________
Serial No. 114-59
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Printed for the use of the Committee on Agriculture
agriculture.house.gov
______
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
22-979 PDF WASHINGTON : 2017
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Publishing
Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512-1800;
DC area (202) 512-1800 Fax: (202) 512-2104 Mail: Stop IDCC,
Washington, DC 20402-0001
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
K. MICHAEL CONAWAY, Texas, Chairman
RANDY NEUGEBAUER, Texas, COLLIN C. PETERSON, Minnesota,
Vice Chairman Ranking Minority Member
BOB GOODLATTE, Virginia DAVID SCOTT, Georgia
FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma JIM COSTA, California
STEVE KING, Iowa TIMOTHY J. WALZ, Minnesota
MIKE ROGERS, Alabama MARCIA L. FUDGE, Ohio
GLENN THOMPSON, Pennsylvania JAMES P. McGOVERN, Massachusetts
BOB GIBBS, Ohio SUZAN K. DelBENE, Washington
AUSTIN SCOTT, Georgia FILEMON VELA, Texas
ERIC A. ``RICK'' CRAWFORD, Arkansas MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM, New Mexico
SCOTT DesJARLAIS, Tennessee ANN M. KUSTER, New Hampshire
CHRISTOPHER P. GIBSON, New York RICHARD M. NOLAN, Minnesota
VICKY HARTZLER, Missouri CHERI BUSTOS, Illinois
DAN BENISHEK, Michigan SEAN PATRICK MALONEY, New York
JEFF DENHAM, California ANN KIRKPATRICK, Arizona
DOUG LaMALFA, California PETE AGUILAR, California
RODNEY DAVIS, Illinois STACEY E. PLASKETT, Virgin Islands
TED S. YOHO, Florida ALMA S. ADAMS, North Carolina
JACKIE WALORSKI, Indiana GWEN GRAHAM, Florida
RICK W. ALLEN, Georgia BRAD ASHFORD, Nebraska
MIKE BOST, Illinois
DAVID ROUZER, North Carolina
RALPH LEE ABRAHAM, Louisiana
JOHN R. MOOLENAAR, Michigan
DAN NEWHOUSE, Washington
TRENT KELLY, Mississippi
______
Scott C. Graves, Staff Director
Anne Simmons, Minority Staff Director
(ii)
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
Adams, Hon. Alma S., a Representative in Congress from North
Carolina, opening statement.................................... 23
Allen, Hon. Rick W., a Representative in Congress from Georgia,
opening statement.............................................. 25
Ashford, Hon. Brad, a Representative in Congress from Nebraska,
opening statement.............................................. 22
Conaway, Hon. K. Michael, a Representative in Congress from
Texas, opening statement....................................... 1
Prepared statement........................................... 3
Graham, Hon. Gwen, a Representative in Congress from Florida,
opening statement.............................................. 25
Peterson, Hon. Collin C., a Representative in Congress from
Minnesota, opening statement................................... 4
Scott, Hon. Austin, a Representative in Congress from Georgia,
opening statement.............................................. 24
Scott, Hon. David, a Representative in Congress from Georgia..... 4
Submitted legislation........................................ 7
Witnesses
Cleaver, Hon. Emanuel, a Representative in Congress from Missouri 19
Cramer, Hon. Kevin, a Representative in Congress from North
Dakota......................................................... 20
Prepared statement........................................... 21
Bell, Ph.D., Juliette B., President, University of Maryland
Eastern Shore; Outgoing Chair, Council of 1890's Executive
Committee, Princess Anne, MD................................... 26
Prepared statement........................................... 27
Jackson-Hammond, Ed.D, Cynthia, President, Central State
University, Wilberforce, OH.................................... 30
Prepared statement........................................... 31
Jones, Ph.D., Paul A., President, Fort Valley State University,
Fort Valley, GA................................................ 33
Prepared statement........................................... 34
Robinson, Ph.D., Larry, Interim President, Florida Agricultural
and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, FL..................... 49
1890 LAND-GRANT INSTITUTIONS:
RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES AND
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
----------
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2016
House of Representatives,
Committee on Agriculture,
Washington, D.C.
The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 10:00 a.m., in Room
1300, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. K. Michael Conaway
[Chairman of the Committee] presiding.
Members present: Representatives Conaway, Lucas, King,
Gibbs, Austin Scott of Georgia, Benishek, LaMalfa, Davis, Yoho,
Allen, Rouzer, Abraham, Moolenaar, Kelly, Peterson, David Scott
of Georgia, Walz, Fudge, DelBene, Lujan Grisham, Kuster, Nolan,
Plaskett, Adams, Graham, and Ashford.
Staff present: Bart Fischer, Mollie Wilken, Mykel Wedig,
Stephanie Addison, Anne Simmons, Evan Jurkovich, Keith Jones,
Matthew MacKenzie, Nicole Scott, and Carly Reedholm.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. K. MICHAEL CONAWAY, A REPRESENTATIVE
IN CONGRESS FROM TEXAS
The Chairman. Good morning. Before we start, I want to ask
David Scott to open us with a prayer. David.
Mr. David Scott of Georgia. Dear Heavenly Father, we come
before your throne of grace to first of all say thank you. We
thank you for so much. So many blessings you bestow upon us
that we don't even know. We thank you for that. We thank you
for our health and our strength. And dear Heavenly Father, we
ask your special blessing to anoint this Committee room this
morning, that you would usher in your Holy Spirit into the
hearts and minds of everyone sitting in this room, that we
understand the full responsibility to provide for our African
American community the true opportunity, the financial support
that we need for scholarships. This is what we pray for this
morning, dear God.
We thank you for this mindful Committee. We thank you for
the Chairman with the insight and the compassion to have this
hearing. And we just ask in your holy name that we be
successful in doing your work, in doing your will, which is to
provide these scholarships for these African American students,
for these African American colleges that were founded through
the grace coming out of the Civil War. We made it through.
And dear God, only in your kindness, as you give us your
loving-kindness, please spread your loving-kindness today in
this Agriculture Committee room, that we be successful in this
journey to take the first step here today to award these
colleges $1 million each year to help our African American
students. And this we pray and we thank you for. In the name of
your son Jesus Christ we say amen.
The Chairman. Thank you, David.
This hearing of the Committee on Agriculture entitled, 1890
Land-Grant Institutions: Recruitment Challenges and Scholarship
Opportunities, will come to order.
Good morning. Today, we will discuss one of the Committee's
longstanding areas of jurisdiction, agricultural research
universities. More specifically, we will hear from our 1890s
institutions, the land-grant colleges and universities for
African American students established pursuant to the Second
Morrill Act of 1890.
Last July, we had a hearing to celebrate the 125th
anniversary of the 1890 universities and the contributions they
have made and they continue to make to the agriculture industry
in the United States. Today, we will build on that discussion
and explore challenges that the 1890s face in recruiting
students to careers in agriculture. There is currently an unmet
demand for highly skilled jobs within the agricultural
industry. The 1890s have recognized the opportunity that such a
gap presents for graduates with degrees in agricultural
studies, and they are focusing their efforts on generating
greater interest in agricultural programs within their
respective schools.
Today, we will start by hearing from a panel of our fellow
Congressmen who have sponsored H.R. 6020, Funding for Student
Scholarships for the 1890s Land-Grant African-American Colleges
and Universities Act. I am looking forward to the acronym on
that one.
Now, as my colleagues will explain, this bill allocates
scholarships to 1890 universities for students interested in
food and agricultural sciences.
In our second panel, the Committee will hear from the
Presidents of three of those schools about the challenges they
face in recruiting African American students to agricultural
areas of study, as well as their suggestions for moving
forward.
While only three of the 1890s Presidents will testify this
morning, we are fortunate that Presidents and/or their
representatives from several of the other 1890 schools are in
attendance today, and we would like to recognize them at this
time.
In addition to our witnesses, we have Dr. Makola Abdullah,
President of Virginia State University.
Mr. Abdullah. Thank you very much.
The Chairman. Okay, thank you. Dr. Anthony Jenkins,
President of West Virginia State University.
Dr. Larry Robinson, interim President for Florida A&M
University. Dr. Robinson, glad you are here.
Dr. Kirk Pomper, Director of Land-Grant Programs in
Kentucky State University.
Dr. Albert Essel, Director of Cooperative Research and 1890
Administrator, Lincoln University. Good morning, sir.
Zachary Faison, General Counsel and Vice President for
External Affairs, Tuskegee University. Zachary, good morning.
Dr. Antoine Alston, Associate Dean for the College of
Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, North Carolina A&T.
And finally, Mr. Tony Wells, previous President of the
Alumni Association for Tennessee State University. Tony, good
to have you with us this morning.
If there are others in the audience who we haven't
mentioned, please know you are welcome. We are glad you are
here. We value your contribution.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Conaway follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. K. Michael Conaway, a Representative in
Congress from Texas
Good morning.
Today we will discuss one of the Committee's longest standing areas
of jurisdiction--agricultural research universities. More specifically,
we will hear from our ``1890s'' institutions--the land-grant colleges
and universities for African American students established pursuant to
the Second Morrill Act of 1890.
Last July, we held a hearing to celebrate the 125th anniversary of
1890 universities and the contributions they have made and continue to
make to the agricultural industry in the United States. Today, we will
build on that discussion and explore challenges that the 1890s face in
recruiting students to careers in agriculture.
There is currently an unmet demand for highly-skilled jobs within
the agricultural industry. The 1890s have recognized the opportunity
that such a gap presents for graduates with degrees in agricultural
studies, and they are focusing efforts on generating greater interest
in the agricultural programs within their respective schools.
Today, we will start by hearing from a panel of my fellow
Congressmen who have sponsored H.R. 6020, the Funding for Student
Scholarships for the 1890 Land-Grant African-American Colleges and
Universities Act. As my colleagues will explain, this bill would
allocate scholarships to 1890 universities for students interested in
food and agricultural sciences.
For our second panel, the Committee will hear from the Presidents
of three of those schools about the challenges they have faced in
recruiting African American students to agricultural areas of study, as
well as their suggestions for moving forward.
While only three of the 1890s Presidents will testify this morning,
we are fortunate that Presidents (or their representatives) from
several of the other 1890 universities are in attendance today, and I
would like to recognize them at this time:
In addition to our witnesses, we have joining us:
Dr. Makola Abdullah, President of Virginia State University;
Dr. Anthony Jenkins, President of West Virginia State University;
Dr. Larry Robinson, Interim President of Florida A&M University;
Dr. Kirk Pomper, Director of Land Grant Programs at Kentucky State
University;
Dr. Albert Essel, Director of Cooperative Research & 1890
Administrator, Lincoln University;
Zachary Faison, General Counsel and Vice President for External
Affairs, Tuskegee University;
Dr. Antoine Alston, Associate Dean for the College of Agriculture
and Environmental Sciences, North Carolina A&T State
University; and finally
Mr. Tony Wells, Previous President of the Alumni Association,
Tennessee State University.
If there are others in the audience that I didn't mention by name,
please know that the Committee values your contributions.
It is now my pleasure to recognize the Ranking Member for any
comments he wishes to make.
The Chairman. And now it is my pleasure to recognize the
Ranking Member for any comments he has.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. COLLIN C. PETERSON, A REPRESENTATIVE
IN CONGRESS FROM MINNESOTA
Mr. Peterson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And welcome,
everybody, to today's Agriculture Committee hearing.
As the Chairman said, today's hearing is focused on
recruitment challenges and scholarship opportunities at 1890
land-grant universities. We are also going to be learning more
about legislation sponsored by Congressman David Scott, H.R.
6020, to make more scholarships available to students attending
these schools. Our land-grant universities play an important
role in agricultural research, extension, and educational
programs, and I am looking forward to hearing today's
testimony.
I want to welcome the 1890 Presidents who are joining us
today and some of whom were here last summer when we met to
recognize the 125th anniversary of the Second Morrill Act.
Before I yield back, Mr. Chairman, this is our final
hearing of this Congress, hopefully.
The Chairman. Yes.
Mr. Peterson. And I believe that we have held more than 80
hearings, which is a record. As we wrap up here, I want to just
thank all the Members for their hard work and the Chairman for
his leadership and service to the Committee. And, with that, I
yield back.
The Chairman. Well, I thank the Ranking Member for those
kind comments at the end. We have had a great 114th Congress
and most of us are looking forward to a great 115th Congress.
We may have a few folks that move on to committees of lesser
importance throughout the Congress as we move forward, but it
has been a great pleasure.
So, with that, the chair will request other Members submit
their opening statements for the record, so the witnesses may
begin their testimony and to assure there is ample time for
questions.
I would like to welcome our first panel, the Honorable
David Scott, Member of Congress from Georgia, Member of the
Committee; the Honorable Emanuel Cleaver, Member of Congress
from Missouri; and the Honorable Kevin Cramer, the only Member
of Congress from North Dakota.
Congressman Scott, begin when you are ready, sir.
STATEMENT OF HON. DAVID SCOTT, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FROM GEORGIA
Mr. David Scott of Georgia. Well, thank you very much, Mr.
Chairman. First of all, I want to thank you, Chairman Conaway,
for your dedication and for your understanding, and for your
longtime support of the 1890s African American colleges and
universities. Thank you so much for this hearing.
I also want to thank Speaker Paul Ryan, who was very
helpful to us in getting this moving.
And I certainly want to thank our Ranking Member Peterson
for the great job he has done over the years. He has been a
champion of the 1890s.
I want to thank my cosponsors too, if I may, Mr. Chairman.
Representative Kevin Cramer, my dear good friend. We have been
on this journey now for a couple of years in getting this bill
moving and our bill to provide training and job training for
African American young men as we move to rebuild the crumbling
infrastructure. I want to thank Ms. Marcia L. Fudge, our former
Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, who has been a
stalwart supporter of our African American schools; Brad
Ashford from Nebraska, who is a great sponsor; Mrs. Mia Love,
another one of our Republican cosponsors; Ms. Gwen Graham; Ms.
Alma S. Adams; Mr. Pete Sessions, who is the Chairman of our
Rules Committee; and my good friend Reverend Emanuel Cleaver,
who is an extraordinary champion. Thank you all for this. We
appreciate it.
Thank you for your staff work on this, Mr. Chairman, your
staff, and my hardworking staff of Ashley and the team back in
my office.
This is a monumental moment in the history of our African
American colleges and universities, ladies and gentlemen. We
humbly come before this Committee to plead our case that we
establish the grants in this bill that will enable the African
American land-grant universities to be able to provide $1
million each year for scholarships for our African American
students. The caveat is that the African American students will
then commit to careers in this burgeoning field of business
agriculture. The most important industry in the world is
agriculture. It is the food we eat. It is the clothes we wear.
It is our energy. It is high finance. It is derivatives. It is
risk management. It is commodities and futures trading abroad,
which makes just the derivatives sector a $800 trillion piece
of the world's economy. And we want this opportunity for our
students.
I want to say one other thing. There was a great
conversation that was held by two great Americans. One,
President Abraham Lincoln; the other, General Robert E. Lee.
The Civil War had ended. And they had this conversation right
on these hallowed grounds. And as they looked over the expanse
and looked south to Virginia, Mr. Lincoln said to General Lee,
``It is not incumbent for us to complete this task,'' and
before he could finish that, General Lee finished that sentence
by saying, ``But, Mr. President Lincoln, neither are we free to
desist from doing all we possibly can.''
That is what is at our place today. And, Mr. Chairman, I
want us to have this opportunity. There is no greater need in
the African American community, as in all communities, than
economics, jobs, financial security, and the education and job
training that goes along with them. That is why all of us
sponsors have sponsored a companion bill to provide job
training targeted for the 18-39, the hardest hit group, to help
build the crumbling infrastructure. That sits in another
committee, but today this is the education piece.
And, Mr. Chairman, this also gives us an opportunity. I
received some notice that President-elect Donald Trump is
interested in what we are doing with these two bills. I want us
to have an opportunity, give us this opportunity, because in
these two bills it is the Secretary of Labor that will be the
supervisory agency for the jobs bill, but this bill will come
under the new Secretary of Agriculture. It is important that we
engage them.
And I take President Trump, and as many of you know or some
of you may not know, he and I finished from the great Wharton
School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania together. I
ask for an opportunity to allow us to work, and maybe we bring
some of that Wharton School of Business magic to this. I
appreciate the opportunity to do that and hope you will pass
this bill out. Thank you.
[H.R. 6020 and H.R. 6021 follow:]
H.R. 6020, Funding for Student Scholarships for the 1890s Land-Grant
African-American Colleges and Universities Act
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
H.R. 6021, Jobs, On-the-Job `Earn While You Learn' Training, and
Apprenticeships for African-American Young Men Act
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
The Chairman. The gentleman yields back.
Reverend Cleaver.
STATEMENT OF HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FROM MISSOURI
Mr. Cleaver. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member
Peterson, for having this hearing. And I would thank my
colleague David Scott for the vision that he has. You will hear
from my esteemed colleagues, the original sponsors of H.R.
6020, on the importance of this legislation and its benefits.
I will just say that this bill is critical if we are to
increase the number of African American young people seeking
careers in agriculture and agribusiness. When I look back, I
happen to have known both of my great-grandfathers. On the
Cleaver side, they tend to live into their nineties. My father
just reached 94. I had the chance to know them. And on both
sides, they were farmers. Henry Barton and the Reverend Noah
Albert Cleaver, my great-grandfathers. And my great-uncle was
the head of the agricultural department at Prairie View A&M
University.
There is an 1890 university in my state, Lincoln
University, and we are very proud of it, as I am proud to be a
Prairie View A&M graduate, in fact. When my nephew graduated 2
years ago, he made the 15th Cleaver to graduate from Prairie
View. And it is a school that has produced two Members of
Congress. Some of you probably served with Craig Washington,
who filled the seat that is now held by Sheila Jackson Lee of
Houston. And many people know of the Gang of Three in New York,
one of them Percy Sutton. You see his name almost always
associated with Congressman Charlie Rangel. Percy Sutton is a
Prairie View graduate, as is Mr. T. Mr. T was a freshman when I
was a senior. And Cecil Cooper who, for the baseball fans,
played for the Red Sox. And, of course, Otis Taylor and Ken
Houston and Jim Kearney and many others were NFL standouts.
Lincoln University in Jefferson City was established at the
end of the Civil War by members of the 62nd United States
Colored Infantry. It was created to educate freed African
Americans. The school was founded on the idea of combining
study and labor. In 1890, Lincoln became a land-grant
institution, enabling the university to offer industrial and
agricultural courses. As one of Missouri's two historically
black colleges and universities, Lincoln University has
continued to open its doors to a diverse population.
You may be surprised to learn that my close friend, Blaine
Luetkemeyer, is a graduate of an HBCU, Lincoln University. And
Prairie View A&M University, the first state-supported college
in Texas for African Americans, was established during the
reconstruction period after the Civil War. It is the second
oldest public institution of higher education in Texas.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member, and especially
to my colleague and friend David Scott.
The Chairman. I thank the gentleman. Do I have it correct
that both you and David have degrees from land-grant schools?
Mr. Cleaver. Yes. I am a graduate of Prairie View.
The Chairman. And David?
Mr. David Scott of Georgia. And I am a graduate of Florida
A&M University.
The Chairman. All right.
Mr. David Scott of Georgia. Go Rattlers.
The Chairman. Mr. Cramer, can you top that, sir?
STATEMENT OF HON. KEVIN CRAMER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
FROM NORTH DAKOTA
Mr. Cramer. No, Mr. Chairman. I am getting a strong sense
of what it is like to be in the minority, however.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Peterson, and
Members of the Committee, for this wonderful opportunity to
provide testimony on this important bill.
And I am sure Wharton is fine, but it is clearly no Florida
A&M, so I am glad we got that out of the way. I wouldn't fault
any of you for being curious right now about how a white
Lutheran Republican from Fargo, North Dakota, gets hooked up
with a black liberal Democrat from Georgia, but it has been a
great pleasure, I'll tell you that.
The seeds of this bill that we are discussing were planted
at the beginning of this Congress, 2 years ago in January, when
I introduced H.R. 3, the Keystone XL Pipeline Act, as its lead
cosponsor. And Congressman Scott, and I am not one bit shy
about saying, changed my heart when he took to the floor to
support that bill, to the point where this very conservative
capitalist Republican went to his office to learn more, to
learn more about his vision for how we change America, about
how we can use economic bills and economic solutions to solve
social problems and crises. And I thought to myself, man, if I
believe that a rising tide lifts all boats, then I need to hang
around David Scott more, because he taught me that there are
legitimate strategic ways to do that. And I am so far off my
script now, I am going to have a hard time getting down here.
But what he taught me, what he showed me is that, with a
high unemployment rate among young black men, and nationwide it
is about 40 percent, in many places it is 50 percent or higher,
that with minor adjustments to policy, even outside of policy,
David and I, ever since we have been working on policy
together, we have been talking to companies and labor unions
and trade organizations who are very enthused about being
strategic, about how we match the workforce demands with the
availability of a workforce and our education system, to get it
all back in sync and change for the better. By the way, I want
to stress, it is not just for economic benefit, not just for
job creation, but to heal our land, for the benefit not just of
our country but of this institution that needs help healing as
well.
And so I am enthused, David, to stand here with you. You
had me at the prayer, by the way. You had me at the prayer.
So our final amendment wasn't included in the Keystone XL
bill, the amendment that would target enthusiasm for job
training, but the concept lives on. And hopefully yet, as we
start working on a major build-out of our infrastructure of
this country, as we strive to feed a growing population in the
world with the same number of acres or less, we need smart
people. We need smart people who learn from the universities
represented on the next panel to help us grow more food in a
responsible way, to train up the engineers, to train up the
soil agronomists, and train up the horticulturists and all
those smart people that help our farmers do what they do so
well, and that is feed a hungry world. And if in the process we
serve a testimony to what people can do working together, all
the more great, you see, to me, all the more great.
And so, Mr. Chairman, I am absolutely convinced that the
concepts promoted in this legislation and in the companion
legislation that David talked about earlier to provide targeted
training and, really, encouragement more than anything, can
change a country and can change this body and perhaps could
change this town that is so vital to changing policy. And then
in the process, we can go home and work on changing hearts as
well, just as David Scott has done for me.
And so, with that, Mr. Chairman, thanks for the opportunity
to highlight this important issue today.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Cramer follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Kevin Cramer, a Representative in Congress
from North Dakota
Chairman Conaway, Ranking Member Peterson, and Members of the
Committee, thank you for this opportunity to provide testimony today in
support of H.R. 6020, a bill introduced by my good friend and Committee
Member, Congressman David Scott.
Please know I will not fault you for being curious as to why a
Congressman from North Dakota, where the nearest 1890 land-grant
university is over 900 miles away, is the lead Republican cosponsor of
a bill to establish a scholarship program for young African American
college students. My interest in this issue stems from my close
relationship with Congressman Scott, and our shared mission of seeking
pragmatic solutions to fix our nation's most pressing economic and
social crises.
The seeds of the bill we are discussing today were planted at the
beginning of the 114th Congress during the House's consideration of
H.R. 3, the Keystone XL Pipeline Act. As lead sponsor of the Keystone
XL legislation, Congressman Scott approached me about working together
on an amendment to help tackle a social crisis in his district and
around the country, which is the high unemployment rate among young
African American men. The unemployment rate among this group is around
40 percent nationally and as high as 50 percent in some inner city
communities. Our proposed amendment would have utilized existing
apprenticeship programs to urge labor unions and contractors to
actively recruit and train African American men between the ages of 18
to 37 for jobs related to the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.
Both Congressman Scott and I saw this as a unique opportunity to not
only help spur the hiring of underemployed blue-collar American workers
who are ready and eager to rebuild the nation's infrastructure, but
also as a strategy to help alleviate a social crisis without the use of
additional Federal resources or mandates.
While our amendment was not included in the final Keystone XL
pipeline bill passed last year, Congressman Scott decided to expand on
this effort through the introduction of two inter-connected pieces of
legislation, H.R. 6020 and H.R. 6021.
H.R. 6020, which is before the Committee today, would establish
scholarship programs at the 19 historically black land-grant
universities for students interested in studying agriculture-related
fields such as agribusiness, food production, retailing, horticulture,
and soil sciences.
H.R. 6021, modeled off our Keystone amendment, would urge the
Department of Labor to work with businesses, labor unions, and
contractors to actively recruit, hire, and provide on-the-job training
and apprenticeship programs in infrastructure-related fields for
African American men between the ages of 18 to 39.
While the unemployment rate has fallen in recent months, the number
of Americans who have dropped out of the labor force continues to
climb, and good paying jobs are still difficult to find for many
Americans. According to the latest employment statistics released by
the Department of Labor, a record 95 million Americans have dropped out
of the workforce. Moreover, the current labor force participation rate
sits at 62.7 percent, which is among the lowest levels we have seen in
the last 40 years. Looking at just the agriculture industry alone, the
number of farmers in the United States has declined over four percent
in recent years and the median age of an American farmer is now 60
years old.
These alarming statistics indicate a new strategy is required to
better sync our country's education system with the needs and demands
of a 21st century workforce. The bills offered by Congressman Scott
provide a targeted two prong approach to helping improve America's
employment crisis by increasing the number young people receiving a
good education in career fields which need the labor, such as
agriculture, while also encouraging the building trades to invest in
the wealth of human capital and potential which currently sits untapped
on the sidelines.
To conclude, I firmly believe these two bills will reap major
rewards for the nation, all at a minimal cost to the Federal
Government. Further, there is no social program more successful than a
good education which leads to a good paying job. In North Dakota, I
have witnessed the economic power which can be unleashed when the
education system and private industry work in tandem to meet the needs
of our state.
I am proud to support this bipartisan piece of legislation, and I
encourage the Agriculture Committee to give it full consideration. I
want to thank Chairman Conaway and Ranking Member Peterson for agreeing
to hold this hearing and for the opportunity to provide testimony in
support of this important bill.
The Chairman. The gentleman yields back.
I thank all three of you. While we are not going to
question each of you, are there other Members who would like to
discuss H.R. 6020 as a part of the conversation this morning? I
would be happy to recognize anyone for 5 minutes. Brad.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. BRAD ASHFORD, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM NEBRASKA
Mr. Ashford. Yes, thank you. And I would like to reflect
just a bit as well, and I will be brief.
Nebraska is a state where the TransCanada pipeline has now
ceased to go. In Nebraska, we struggled with trying to move the
pipeline, and Kevin knows about this, and David. We have a
little bit of history on the pipeline part of this or the
construction job part of this.
But I also want to talk about the speech very quickly that
David Scott gave on the floor, because I was only in the
Congress a week or so when David gave that speech. And I have
been working in my community for 35 years with the African
American community, ran a housing authority, did work there,
and have been struggling with how do we put together, as
Representative Cramer aptly says, put together the job
opportunities with the unemployment rates that are so
staggering.
And when David gave that speech, and I was listening. I
just, again, had been there just a brief time, maybe 2 weeks. I
didn't know David very well. I didn't know anybody at that
time. And I went up to David. I said, ``David, that was truly
the greatest speech I have ever heard on the issue, because it,
in fact, identified in clear language a problem and a crisis
and an issue of black male unemployment between 18 and 39,''
something I have struggled with in my community my entire adult
life, trying to find that way out. And I said, ``David, this is
great, I want to get on this deal.''
So we talked to Kevin Cramer and all the other cosponsors
got involved. But of all the pieces of legislation I have been
involved in all my years of legislative experience in Nebraska
and a few years here, this is really one that I am most proud
of, because it really is, and combined with the scholarships,
is just an ingenious merging together of the education with
jobs and with the mentoring piece.
And I just want to take this opportunity in my last day or
so here in Congress to underline my appreciation to the three
of you, certainly, and to David for his eloquence that got me
going 2 years ago on this issue.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
The Chairman. The gentleman yields back.
Ms. Adams, 5 minutes.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. ALMA S. ADAMS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM NORTH CAROLINA
Ms. Adams. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And let me thank all of the Presidents and the deans and my
colleagues for not only your support of this bill, but for the
work that has been done on it. And, Congressman Scott, I
especially want to thank you. I am just pleased to be a proud
sponsor, a cosponsor as well.
But I sit here today in this Congress because of North
Carolina A&T State University. I am a proud alum. I am a
graduate twice from North Carolina A&T. I do want to recognize
Dr. Antoine Alston, who is our Associate Dean for Academics at
the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. And I
want to thank you for being here and thank North Carolina A&T
for all that it did for me, who took a poor black girl from the
ghetto of Newark, New Jersey, came to North Carolina in the
mid-sixties, was able to complete my work there, because A&T
saw a lot in me and what I could become, and they made an
investment. And so I was able to complete my degrees there and
to go on to the Ohio State University and complete my Ph.D.
there, only because of the North Carolina A&T.
So I say that to say that I understand the plight of
students. I am a 40 year educator. I taught at Bennett College,
a small college, African American women's college in
Greensboro, for 40 years. I have that HBCU experience inside
and out. And I understand what it did for me, and I know what
our 1890 schools can do and what they have done.
And I am so pleased to support this legislation, because I
know that it is going to not only benefit many of our students.
Now, we do a lot with little. Our schools do a lot with little.
I am proud to say that we are the largest HBCU in North
Carolina and maybe even in the nation. I haven't looked at all
the numbers. But we do great things for students who deserve an
opportunity. And W.E.B. Du Bois said a long time ago that the
most fundamental right is a right to education. And providing
opportunities for scholarships for these young people will
certainly do that, and help us with our unemployment rate.
I am proud to say that my daughter, my only daughter, is a
graduate of North Carolina A&T from the School of Agriculture,
and is doing very well in Greensboro. But this is a field that
is an important area. And as Congressman Scott has said, it is
about everything, agriculture. It is about the clothes we wear.
It is about energy, agribusiness, all of those things that we
need and depend on.
I don't know if Congressman Mark Walker is still here, one
of the members of his staff, who now, as they changed my
district, you all may have heard about all of that. But, at any
rate, I represented North Carolina A&T and will through the end
of this year. I am happy to not only advocate now but to
continue to do that. But Congressman Walker has been given that
part of the district now, and so I invited him to come. But I
just want to say that we too have had some great Congressmen to
come through from North Carolina A&T. Former Congressman Jesse
Jackson, Jr., Edolphus Towns, and now Alma S. Adams.
And so, Mr. Chairman, I just want to thank these gentlemen
and ladies for coming today and for advocating for what I know
will be a tremendous benefit to all of our schools and the many
students that we seek to serve. I am way off script too.
But anyway, those are the comments of my heart. And I just
wanted to thank all of you for being here and just say this is
a very important piece of legislation, and we certainly hope
that you will join us in supporting that and getting this bill
passed.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
The Chairman. The gentlelady yields back.
Austin Scott, 5 minutes.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. AUSTIN SCOTT, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM GEORGIA
Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I just wanted to take a second to thank my long-time friend
and colleague David Scott. We have known each other since 1996.
He has been a great advocate on many things that have helped
move the country in the right direction.
And any time I think of Fort Valley State, I can't help but
think of another friend of ours, Lynmore James, who was a great
advocate for Fort Valley, did a tremendous number of things
when he was a Member of the State Legislature in Georgia and
served with us. I just want to thank you, David, for your work
on this, look forward to supporting it, and I look forward to
continuing to work with you.
Mr. David Scott of Georgia. Thank you, sir.
The Chairman. The gentleman yields back.
Gwen Graham, 5 minutes.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. GWEN GRAHAM, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM FLORIDA
Ms. Graham. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And I want to thank my colleague Mr. Scott for including me
in this legislation. I am proud to be an original cosponsor as
I am ending my term in Congress and leaving Congress. My
district was redistricted too, Congresswoman Adams.
There is nothing that I could be prouder than to be able,
in some of my last days, to be here advocating on behalf of
HBCUs. And I want to recognize Dr. Robinson, who is the interim
President of Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, and I am so
proud to represent the Rattlers. Strike, strike, strike again.
I am still working on the wrist action, still working on it.
The 1890 land-grant universities, they have the important
task of recruiting, educating, and ensuring that future
generations are excited about, and prepared for, careers in
agriculture. This is an immediate need. And I know that we must
do all we can to support these wonderful universities in that
effort.
This bill would make an education in agriculture more
accessible and affordable. And I know in north Florida that
what Florida A&M is doing is helping young people get into the
field of agriculture, and it is such a critically important
area. As the age of those that are in agriculture goes up, we
need to encourage young people to get into this wonderful
field. Again, I want to thank you. It is such an honor to
represent Florida A&M.
And, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
The Chairman. The gentlelady yields back.
Rick Allen, 5 minutes.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. RICK W. ALLEN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM GEORGIA
Mr. Allen. Well, I have to tell my David Scott story real
quick. But Kevin, all I can tell you is he walks the talk,
because I had the opportunity to ride back to Georgia on an
airplane and got to sit next to Congressman Scott. And he had
his Bible open and, of course, we got into a discussion about
his study and our faith journey. And I can't tell you,
Congressman, how much I appreciate that opportunity to talk
about how we could make a difference. Thank you, and thank you
for walking the talk.
Mr. David Scott of Georgia. Thank you very much. I
appreciate that.
The Chairman. The gentleman yields back.
Are there others who want to be heard?
I want to thank our first panel for getting us kicked off
in a great way.
We will now ask our second panel to join us at the witness
table.
The Chairman. I would like to welcome our second panel now
to the witness table.
We first have Dr. Juliette Bell, who is President,
University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD,
outgoing chair of the Council of 1890s Executive Committee. We
also have with us Dr. Cynthia Jackson-Hammond, who is
President, Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio; and Dr.
Paul Jones, President, Fort Valley State University, Fort
Valley, Georgia.
I would also again like to welcome the other Presidents and
representatives of the other schools. During the question-and-
answer period, Members will be able to ask questions not only
of the witnesses at the table, but of any of the other guests
who represent the 1890s schools.
So, with that, Dr. Bell, the floor is yours for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF JULIETTE B. BELL, Ph.D., PRESIDENT,
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE; OUTGOING CHAIR, COUNCIL
OF 1890's EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE,
PRINCESS ANNE, MD
Dr. Bell. Thank you very much. And good morning to the
House Agriculture Committee. It is my great pleasure to have
another opportunity to speak before this august group.
First, I want to thank the Chairman for his support and for
providing this opportunity for us to speak before the
Committee. And I also want to thank Congressman Scott for his
diligence and his undying support, and those who are also
cosponsors of this bill. We are very encouraged by your support
and we appreciate the opportunity to speak before you this
morning.
As was said, my name is Dr. Juliette Bell. I am the
President of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and the
immediate past Chair of the Council of 1890 Universities, and
of the USDA/1890 Task Force established by the U.S. Secretary
of Agriculture.
My purpose here this morning is to really speak to you
about the importance of providing scholarship support that will
help our students to achieve their dreams of careers in the
agriculture fields.
Let me start by saying, I grew up on a farm in Alabama. I
picked cotton and corn and all other kinds of things. And one
of my greatest ambitions was to get off the farm, and I was
able to do that as a result of being a first-generation college
student with support through scholarship. I find it in some
ways ironic and in some ways divine providence that I am now
leading a school that is a land-grant agriculture-based
institution, because many of my students have similar
backgrounds to myself. They are first generation, economically
disadvantaged students.
The advantage that I see for my current students is that
the agricultural field has evolved greatly, and there are many
opportunities for our students to explore the use of technology
and to learn what modern agriculture really is all about. We
want to be able to increasingly provide that opportunity to
more students of African American descent and help them to be a
part of the American Dream.
As I mentioned, we serve a very diverse student population.
Many of my students, about 50 percent are first-generation
college students; and about 70 percent of my students are Pell-
eligible, meaning they are also economically disadvantaged.
And, on top of that, about 90 percent of my students depend on
some form of financial aid.
When students in that situation are faced with whether they
can afford to come back to school, whether they are
academically prepared or not, oftentimes they are forced to
withdraw and as a result of that withdrawal, they lose the
opportunity to achieve their dreams. This bill will provide the
university, in particular my university, and the other 18 1890
institutions an opportunity to provide some financial support
to those students who are academically well-prepared, but just
not economically prepared to sustain their educational
experience.
We know that the workforce is underrepresented in terms of
African Americans in agriculture. We also know that the
workforce is graying, especially in agriculture. I believe I
heard that the average age for farmers now is 60+ years, and
among African Americans that number is proposed to be much
higher. We also know that it is important that students know
that agriculture is a career that they can pursue and that
there are jobs.
A report that I cited in my testimony indicates that ten
percent of the economy is driven by agriculture, but the number
of jobs that are being filled is much less, and the diversity
of those jobs is even less.
So this bill will provide our universities, which are often
not able through endowments and private funding, to be able to
provide that level of support to these very deserving students,
not just to help them get a degree, but to address the
workforce needs and the economic development of our regions,
and of our country.
So, again, I ask for your support. I thank you for this
opportunity, and I will be happy to answer any questions.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Bell follows:]
Prepared Statement of Juliette B. Bell, Ph.D., President, University of
Maryland Eastern Shore; Outgoing Chair, Council of 1890's Executive
Committee, Princess Anne, MD
Moving Full STEAM Ahead: Meeting 21st Century Challenges for Innovation
in Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, and
Mathematics
To Members of the Agriculture Committee of the U.S. House of
Representatives--Good morning!
My name is Dr. Juliette B. Bell and I am honored to speak before
you, not only as President of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore,
but also as the former chair of the Council of 1890 Universities, which
consists of Presidents of the nineteen 1890 Universities, and as former
co-chair of the USDA/1890 Taskforce established by the U.S. Secretary
of Agriculture.
I am here today to testify in support of H.R. 6020, a bill that
establishes funding for Student Scholarships for the 1890 Land-Grant
African American Colleges and Universities Act. I ask your support of
this bill, which provides much-needed student scholarship funding of
$1,000,000 a year for 5 years for each of the 19 Historically Black
Land-Grant Universities, including the University of Maryland Eastern
Shore (UMES).
Congressman Justin Morrill, one of the founders of the Republican
Party, authored the Land Grant College Act of 1862, in order that
colleges be established for the endowment and support of the education
of the ``sons of toil;'' that they should be educated not only in
classical studies and military drill, but also in the mechanical arts,
and agriculture, which Morrill described as ``the foundation of all
present and future prosperity.''
Enacted in the midst of the Civil War, The Morrill Act did not
provide for the education of the African American citizenry, as
segregation of races prohibited the admission of African Americans to
many of these land-grant colleges. Following the Civil War, in the
years of reconstruction, Senator Morrill, continued his advocacy for
the ``sons of toil,'' this time seeking to include those citizens of
color who were not provided for under the original Act.
Thus, in 1890, with the enactment of the Second Morrill Act, funds
from the sale of public lands were set aside for ``the more complete
endowment and maintenance'' of land-grant colleges except that no funds
would be distributed to states where there was a ``distinction of race
or color'' in admissions. However, the Act did stipulate that ``the
establishment and maintenance of such colleges separately for white and
colored students'' would be considered compliant with the Act provided
the state ``equitably divided'' those funds between the institutions.
Last year, we had the honor of celebrating the 125th anniversary of
the signing of the Second Morrill Act, with several activities here in
Washington, D.C. including testifying before this august body, the
Agriculture Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. In
recognition of the critical mission of 1890 Universities as educators
of the nation's ``sons of toil'', Congressman Scott has introduced H.R.
6020, to support our efforts. We salute him and the cosponsors of H.R.
6020. For many students, our institutions represent their only access
and opportunity to attaining a college education.
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) is pleased to be
one of the nation's 1890 Land-Grant Universities. Founded in 1886, UMES
is located on the Delmarva Peninsula, east of the Chesapeake Bay and
west of the Atlantic Ocean, in the heart of Somerset County, on
Maryland's Eastern Shore. In less than a 3 hours' drive from where we
sit today, one can tell that ``agriculture'' is a driving force on
``the Shore.'' From the time of the first settlements in our state, the
economy of the Eastern Shore has traditionally been driven by the land
and the waterways that make our region so bucolic. Farmers, oystermen,
crabbers, fishermen and poultry growers have not only made livelihoods
for their families and employed countless others, but they have helped
our region thrive. Further, the Atlantic Ocean, lined by sandy beaches
and natural habitats, provide for a booming tourism industry that
undergirds the state's economy. Indeed, one cannot think of Maryland's
iconic foods (Maryland Crab Cake) and places (Annapolis, Baltimore, St.
Michael's and Ocean City), without thinking about the contributions of
the many stewards of the land and sea that make our state the land of
opportunity.
As a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) with a land-
grant mission, much of our work at UMES has been to open doors of
opportunity for capable students from diverse backgrounds and prepare
them for meaningful careers that enable them to support their families,
our state and our nation.
The university's 3,900 students are culturally and geographically
diverse. Currently, UMES is one of the most diverse HBCU's in the
nation--67% of our students are African American, 13% are white, and
20% are multi- or other-race students. More than \3/4\ of our students
are Maryland residents, with a significant number from others states
and some 30 nations. And, all of these students are being prepared for
careers that will move us forward in our efforts to make America
greater.
One common denominator that many of our students share is their
economic status. We recognize that the 1890 Universities serve a
diverse population and that many of our students are economically
unprepared to fund their college education. At UMES, more than 50% of
our students are the first in their families to go to college and
nearly \2/3\ are Pell-eligible. Unfortunately, many of these students,
while academically succeeding, are forced to drop out of college
because they don't have the money to cover the modest tuition that our
institutions charge. At the same time, our institutions do not have
large endowments and private support that allow us to assist every
student who needs it.
The scholarship funds provided by H.R. 6020 will help our students,
not only African Americans, but also the many white students that our
1890 Universities proudly serve. These economically disadvantaged
students, black and white alike, will benefit from the scholarship
funds that will help them fulfill their dreams of a college degree in
fields that will help them land good jobs, contribute to the nation's
economy, and improve the lives of their families for generations to
come.
Your support of the H.R. 6020 is critical to our ability to assist
these students and support the economic growth and development of our
country. This bill would provide scholarships for students to pursue
careers in food and agricultural sciences, including agribusiness; food
production; retailing; clothing industries; energy and renewable fuels;
and farming marketing. All of these are vital career paths for
residents in rural communities like ours on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
Despite the strides that our nation has made in diversifying many
industries and professions, minorities are still grossly
underrepresented in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture,
and Mathematics--what we call STEAM--disciplines. The 1890 Universities
continue to be major producers of minority STEAM graduates in areas
including engineering, mathematics and statistic, agriculture, and
marine sciences.
A recent report by the White House Office of Science and Technology
Policy (OSTP) and the White House Rural Council, in collaboration with
Federal agencies and private-sector stakeholders, in announcing new
efforts to expand and diversify the U.S. agriculture workforce, brought
the issue of the diversity in agriculture into stark reality. The
report, titled America the Bountiful Initiative to Strengthen U.S.
Agricultural Workforce, stated the following:
Agriculture and its related industries provide nearly ten
percent of U.S. employment, but the number of students
graduating with degrees in agricultural fields is not meeting
industry demand. Agricultural education needs to attract a
diversity of students and keep pace with the increasingly
complex nature of agricultural innovation needed to address
global challenges. Falling behind in agriculture is a threat to
national security and must be addressed as such.
UMES offers more than 30 undergraduate majors including:
Agriculture and Agribusiness and offers more than 20 graduate programs
including masters and doctoral degree programs in Food and Agricultural
Sciences, Food Science and Technology and Marine and Estuarine
Sciences, Natural Resource Sciences and Quantitative Fisheries and
Resources Economics.
With additional support, UMES can continue to engage our students
in ways to enhance our ability to deliver solutions in key areas. For
example, funding under H.R. 6020 would allow us to support students to
engage with our faculty in expanding the work of four centers of
excellence that we launched last year in the following areas:
Chesapeake Water Quality Center;
Center for Obesity Prevention;
Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development; and
International Center for Personal Protective Equipment.
At UMES, we have translated our historic land-grant mission to
support 21st century life and learning. Academic programs such as
engineering, cybersecurity, aviation, construction management, and
technology, have their roots in the mechanical arts. Further still,
programs like hospitality and tourism, child and family development and
human ecology owe their genesis to the former domestic sciences, which
have long been a staple of the land-grant mission. And even agriculture
has had a 21st century transformation in the areas of precision
agriculture, renewable energy, sustainability and biomedical and life
sciences.
UMES is appreciative of funding from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture to support our 1890 land-grant mission. Largely due to this
support, the university has been able to expand its research portfolio,
which enabled the university to achieve the coveted status as a
Carnegie Doctoral Research University in February of this year. The
university's research portfolio includes such innovative projects as
using beets as a source for jet fuel, and converting chicken waste to
fuel and fertilizer. Moreover, the University currently serves as the
lead institution in a coalition of six universities nationwide in the
operation of the Living Marine Research and Cooperative Science Center
(LMRCSC), which conducts research to preserve the marine and estuarine
environment so vital to the health of the Chesapeake Bay and other
waterways in the country.
Our scientists have continued to position themselves at the cutting
edge of new innovations. For instance, given the importance of food and
water security, our scientists are exploring how unmanned Aerial
Vehicles (UAVs) can be used to improve the efficiency of water use and
application of nutrients to large commodities such as corn with very
promising results.
Just over a decade ago we were able to establish a state of the art
research facility with Federal and state support where critical
research on poultry and seafood safety and quality is carried. Our
scientists are nationally recognized. Indeed Dr. Parveen one of our
Food safety specialists serves on the Secretary of Agriculture's
National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods.
Through our extension funding, we have engaged our local community
through numerous community forums and presentations in an effort to
educate them about the benefits of agriculture to our community, our
state and our nation. And, UMES actively engages youth in order to
promote careers in the STEAM disciplines.
I believe that strategic investment in 1890s will lead to a more
level playing field that will allow us to be even more competitive and
effective. Our graduates have been successful in diversifying the
workforce and making meaningful contributions in the Federal, state,
and business sectors. Certainly, by supporting H.R. 6020 and funding
for Student Scholarships for the 1890 Land-Grant African American
Colleges and Universities Act, you will be making an investment that
will reap dividends for our students and this country.
Strategic investment in 1890 Universities is an investment in the
future. Again, thank you for your commitment and continued support of
the 1890 Universities and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
The Chairman. Dr. Bell, thank you.
Dr. Jackson-Hammond, 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF CYNTHIA JACKSON-HAMMOND, Ed.D., PRESIDENT, CENTRAL
STATE UNIVERSITY, WILBERFORCE, OH
Dr. Jackson-Hammond. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank
you, Committee, for allowing me to be here to talk about some
of the issues that are associated with Central State University
and other 1890 universities.
I must try to restrain myself because, as a college
President, the first thing you want to do is tell the wonderful
things about your university. I don't have much restraint. Let
me begin by telling you a little bit about Central State
University.
Central State University is the only 1890 public land-grant
university. We are also partners with an 1860, a little school
in Columbus called the Ohio State University. Our partnership
with them is very, very critical to making sure that we are
meeting the needs of the people of the entire State of Ohio.
We are the last of the 1890 institutions, receiving the
designation February 13, 2014. And that was really a charge
that came out of the farm bill and supported so fervently by so
many people. And we certainly do want to recognize Congresslady
Marcia L. Fudge, who we have adopted as a Centralian, and we
thank her for all of her efforts in that regard.
We do have wonderful alums who have come from Central State
University, and the list goes on. But one that you might know
quite easily is Congresslady Joyce Beatty, who is a soft-
spoken, demure Congresslady who has done a tremendous amount of
work here in support of land-grant institutions. She is one of
our stellar alums.
You've heard President Bell talk about the needs of our
students. And I want to make sure that we are very clear in
understanding that the students who attend 1890 universities
are very academically gifted students. We have the same sort of
expectations, the same requirements, the same performance
outcomes as any 1860 university. We expect for our students to
perform. We expect for them to be contributors to society. We
expect for them to get in, get out, get a job and contribute to
the State of Ohio.
We are very, very happy to know that we have a supportive
governor, Governor John Kasich, who supports Central State;
Representative Jim Buchy from Ohio, who is also a very
supportive person for Central State's 1890 land-grant
initiatives. On our staff, we have retired Senator Chris
Widener from Ohio, who is also a proponent of support for
Central State University.
Our main focus as an 1890 university is to address some of
the common issues that plague so many of our Ohio residents:
Health issues, nutrition, obesity, high blood pressure, all of
those issues that really can be ameliorated through a very,
very sound agriculture program. What do you eat? What do you do
with the food that you ingest? We are really proud to have a
research component and an extension component that reaches out
to ten counties, along with the Ohio State University, to try
to solve those issues.
This particular legislation, H.R. 6020, will allow
students, and not just African American students, but a vast
amount of all students who wish to seek this kind of
educational experience, to be contributing citizens of the
State of Ohio. It is important that we begin very early in
training and preparing students to understand their worth and
value added to the state. In support of H.R. 6020, we need this
sort of legislation to help keep students in school.
Basically, you cannot get a job at USDA or improve the
economy if you are not well-educated. H.R. 6020 allows us to
provide those opportunities. Too many of our students stop out,
not because of academic reasons but because of financial
reasons. And this is a burden on the families and on the
students. And in order to make sure that we are meeting the
state performance for students being able to contribute, they
have to be able to get into school, complete their course of
study within 4 or 4\1/2\ years.
Now, if you are a STEM-Ag major, it is going to take you a
little bit longer because of the increased number of science
courses that are associated with those fields. They need some
additional help. Our students who are in our STEM-Ag programs,
they get employment opportunities before they graduate. Water
resource management, agribusiness, sustainable ag, ag
education. It is important that we keep those students in
school and try to increase the number of students who are going
into those fields.
Students make the decision about what field they want to go
into based on what they can afford. And it should not be that.
It should not be that rationale. It should be what can we do to
contribute to the state and to the nation. By 2020, USDA has
said that they will have over 60,000 job availabilities. We
need to be in a position to fill those jobs.
We ask for your support for H.R. 6020, and we know that we
will make a difference because of its passage. Thank you very
much.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Jackson-Hammond follows:]
Prepared Statement of Cynthia Jackson-Hammond, Ed.D, President, Central
State University, Wilberforce, OH
Members of the Committee on Agriculture and other Congressional
Members, thank you for giving me, the President of Central State
University, an audience in order to provide testimony in support of
H.R. 6020. I wish to especially thank the Members of the Ohio
Congressional leadership for their support of our efforts and their
willingness to support this very important legislation. Thank you,
Congressman Gibbs for your introduction of me to this Committee. Thank
you, Representative Fudge and Representative Beatty for your direct
engagement with Central State University in encouraging and providing
innovation and unending support to the countless students from Ohio and
all students who need ``champions'' for their success!
The history of Central State University, an 1890 Land-Grant
Institution, begins with our parent institution, Wilberforce University
(WU), named in honor of the great abolitionist William Wilberforce.
Established in 1856 at Tawawa Springs, Ohio, WU is affiliated with the
African Methodist Episcopal Church and is one of the oldest Black-
administered institutions of higher education in the nation.
In 1887, the Ohio General Assembly enacted legislation that created
a Combined Normal and Industrial Department at Wilberforce University.
The objectives of this new state-sponsored department were to provide
teacher training and vocational education, and to stabilize these
programs by assuring a financial base similar to that of other state-
supported institutions.
The statute establishing the Combined Normal and Industrial
Department declared that the institution was ``open to all applicants
of good and moral character'' thereby indicating no limitations as to
race, color, sex, or creed. It was clear, however, that the Department
and its successors were designed to serve the educational needs of
African American students.
Although this Department operated as part of Wilberforce University
in most respects, a separate board of trustees was appointed to govern
the state-financed operations. In 1941, the department expanded from a
2 to a 4 year program, and in 1947, it legally split from Wilberforce,
becoming the College of Education and Industrial Arts at Wilberforce.
The name was changed in 1951 to Central State College, and in 1965, the
institution achieved university status. The University has grown
steadily since its' founding. In recent years, it has added new
academic programs, established a new College of Science and Engineering
and constructed the accompanying Joshua I. Smith Center of Education
and Natural Sciences, four new residence halls, and completed
construction of a new University Student Center in fall 2015.
In February 2014, the 113th Congress of the United States
designated Central State University an 1890 Land-Grant Institution.
This designation is a distinct recognition for an Ohio institution of
higher education, and Central State is one of two institutions to hold
this distinction. The major impetus of the designation is to provide
access to education and to promote opportunities for students with
interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and
Agriculture (STEM-Ag) integrated through all academic disciplines.
In tandem with progressive academic achievement, the University has
embodied tenets of Service . . . Protocol . . . Civility'.
Its faculty, staff, and students will provide service to the
institution, and various communities for the greater good; be guided by
protocol and adherence to best practices in order to gain desired
results; and actively demonstrate civility with the understanding that
respect for each voice is essential to a learned society.
Much more has changed at Central State University throughout its
history. However, one constant is the commitment to providing an
excellent, affordable education to the residents of Ohio and beyond.
Embedded in the University's Strategic Plan is Six Compelling
Priorities that will be the focus of Central State University's
initiatives. Those Compelling Priorities are:
1. Provide quality collegiate and academic experiences.
2. Focus on targeted student enrollment.
3. Reduce time to degree.
4. Promote higher retention rate.
5. Development of graduates with the knowledge, skills and
dispositions for professional careers and/or advanced
studies.
6. Implement efficient and effective institutional operations.
Each of these Priorities is correlated to Ohio's performance model
that allocates 50% of the University's state funding based on course
completion and graduation. Central State University is the only 1890
public university in Ohio and it is has the highest percentage of
students (83%) who are Pell Grant eligible. As of 2016, 87% of the
student body applied for loans to subsidize attendance.
In order to receive Grants, Loans or Institutional Aid, students
must meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) threshold. Every
year, Central State University's attrition rate is on average 40%
across the University with the highest attrition occurring between the
first and second year. Approximately, 73% of the students who do not
return are students who have met the SAP eligibility but, are unable to
maintain their monthly debt loan payment.
Although the University attempts to ameliorate this serious
attrition issue by providing institutional funding and by teaching
financial literacy modules, we are unable to provide substantial
support that will stop the erosion of students who must ``stop out'' or
completely withdraw from the University.
The H.R. 6020 presented by Representative David Scott of Georgia
and co-presented by Mr. Cramer, Ms. Fudge, Mr. Ashford, Mr[s]. Love,
Ms. Graham and Ms. Adams supports the hundreds of students who have the
academic propensity and acumen to not only change their future but the
future of their families and communities. Beyond the financial
stability that H.R. 6020 would provide, there are other benefits that
can be derived: complete their college degree uninterrupted; graduate
with little or no debt to the Federal Government or to the institution;
better focus on college completion and securing employment or an
advance degree; less concern and stress on working families who support
the college experience; opportunities to pursue meaningful academic
disciplines in STEM-Ag and opportunities to pursue internships in
fields that lead to careers with the U.S. Departments and or other
state and Federal agencies.
Central State University with a 129 year history of academic
excellence has produced outstanding graduates who have made significant
contributions in medicine, arts, politics, business, law, education and
certainly in service sectors. Representative Joyce Beatty is an alum
and she joins such notables of history as Leontyne Price, Arsenic Hall,
Michael Ajisefe (President of ABUAD University, Nigeria), Hugh Douglas,
Joshua I. Smith, Michael D. Brown, Hastings Bandu, and Nancy Wilson.
All of these notables of history were first-generation college
students. The students we educate today are so very much like the
mentioned alums. The difference is that today's students are more at
risk because of the lack of family financial support and knowledge of
sound financial decision making.
H.R. 6020 will set a standard of support that breaks the cycle of
``unfulfilled'' promise to many generations of students who can either
positively make their mark as productive citizens or become a part of
the American dream that's often relegated to the shadows and fringes.
Central State University has the ability, dedication and determination
to produce the best graduate possible. As President of this iconic and
historical institution, I seek your support for H.R. 6020.
The Chairman. Thank you, Dr. Jackson-Hammond.
Dr. Jones, 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF PAUL A. JONES, Ph.D., PRESIDENT, FORT VALLEY STATE
UNIVERSITY, FORT VALLEY, GA
Dr. Jones. Chairman Conaway, Ranking Member Peterson, and
Members of the House Committee on Agriculture, my name is Paul
Jones and I am privileged to serve as the 10th President and
probably the newest President of the 1890 Fort Valley State
University, which is located in the heart of middle Georgia.
I am honored to be here today, along with several of my
colleagues, to testify for your support, support of
scholarships for young men and women who aspire to serve our
nation pursuing careers in the agricultural and related fields.
This bill is designed to address the urgent need to train
and educate students to fill crucial jobs in our country. USDA
estimates, as Dr. Jackson-Hammond said, nearly 60,000 jobs will
be available in these related fields, and yet they only
anticipate our ability to meet the needs of about 30,000. There
is a significant gap.
With the resources from this scholarship support, we
believe, as 1890 institutions, that not only do we have the
potential, but we have the capacity to address this urgent
concern. The National Center on Educational Statistics data
shows the power and potential of HBCUs. The data reveals that
while HBCUs constitute three percent of postsecondary
institutions, they are home to approximately eight percent of
African Americans enrolled in colleges and universities during
the period of 2012 to 2014. And NCES predicts that African
American enrollment in higher education will increase through
2025.
The characteristics in the same USDA report reflects that
the percentage of ethnic minority students in agriculture, life
sciences, veterinary medicine will continue that increase. And
1890 land-grant institutions have played a major role in
fueling this continued increase. We are proud at Fort Valley
State University in that we have the distinction of ranking
number six in awarding the number of agricultural degrees
earned by African Americans. And this funding is important as
HBCUs look to actively recruit and embrace a more diverse
student body.
There is a popular misperception about HBCUs and 1890 land-
grant institutions, and that is that we are not diverse. As a
matter of fact, HBCUs and 1890s are very diverse, diverse in
terms of race, ethnicity, political backgrounds, nationality,
you name it. And issues of affordability and the strength of, I
believe, our academic programs have been major factors in
ushering this diversity, this welcome diversity that we are
seeing on our campuses.
The notoriety of signature academic research that we do, at
Fort Valley State we are very proud of the cutting-edge
research that we are doing; and we do that even partnering with
many of our other land-grant institutions, both 1890 and 1860
institutions. The fact that our biotechnology and plant science
graduates routinely are accepted in Ph.D. programs across the
country is a testimony to the quality. And I believe that
quality is something that we all share together. It is often
another misconception that to choose our campuses is to
sacrifice in terms of quality.
I have attended two land-grant institutions in my career,
and I will say that our land-grant institution, and the other
1890s, equally have the same quality. And we are under the same
accreditation as our peer institutions. And so we don't
apologize for what we do.
But your support of this legislation I believe is very
important, important not only to us but the history--or the
future of this country in our number one industry.
I thank you for allowing me a few minutes to testify before
you. I thank you for your support, your bipartisan support, and
we look forward to your conversation. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Jones follows:]
Prepared Statement of Paul A. Jones, Ph.D., President, Fort Valley
State University, Fort Valley, GA
Regarding H.R. 6020, Funding for Student Scholarships for the 1890s
Land-Grant African American Colleges and Universities Act
Chairman Con[a]way, Ranking Member Peterson, and Members of the
House Committee on Agriculture, I am Paul Jones and I have the
privilege of serving as the tenth President of Fort Valley State
University located in the heart of Middle Georgia.
I am honored to be here along with my colleagues to testify in
support of H.R. 6020, funding for scholarships for young men and women
who aspire to serve our great nation by pursuing careers in the food
and agricultural sciences including agribusiness, food production and
food distribution.
As the only 1890 Land-Grant institution in the State of Georgia,
Fort Valley State University has, since 1895, contributed greatly to
the advancement of agriculture and agricultural research in the state
and beyond. Those contributions started modestly by simply planting
gardens to feed students. Today, the university is an international
leader in many aspects of agricultural research and leads a worldwide
consortium research involving small ruminant animals like goats.
Because of the support you have provided through the Department of
Agriculture and other agencies, Fort Valley State University has forged
collaborations with other universities, including the University of
Georgia and Oklahoma State University to research and develop
sustainable bioenergy systems. Our university has partnered with the
United States Department of [Agriculture] Rural Development and the
Forest[] [S]ervice to provide technical assistance to farmers and
citizens in 35 rural counties in Georgia. The university's outreach in
those counties has been particularly focused on supporting beginning
farmers, ranchers and military veterans. Fort Valley State is engaged
in developing cost-effective strategies to address food safety issues
like controlling pathogens in animals and teaching those strategies to
farmers and meat processors. As part of the Expanded Food and Nutrition
Extension Program, the university is helping parents learn how to make
healthy choices to feed their children and thereby addressing the
increasing problem of childhood obesity.
Fort Valley State University has been able to make such amazing
contributions in agriculture because of the support you and your
predecessors on this Committee have historically provided. This
Committee understands the importance of agriculture to every person in
every state and around the world. This Committee intimately understands
the seriousness of issues like obesity, hunger and the increasing
challenges associated with an increasing population. In particular,
while the human population is increasing, the number of farmers is
decreasing. I am thankful that your consideration of H.R. 6020,
provides the opportunity to highlight the importance of having a
consistent and sufficient number of educated, trained individuals eager
to face our agricultural challenges and carry forward the critical work
of feeding, clothing and providing energy for a global society.
I'm elated to share with you that 1890 land-grant universities are
ready to meet the noted challenges by using our excess capacity to
educate a greater number of students in Agricultural disciplines.
However, affordability remains a huge impediment for those wanting to
earn a college degree. The majority of students at Fort Valley State
University, and I am sure it is the same at other 1890 land-grant
institutions, qualify for need-based financial aid. Sometimes, a few
hundred dollars may be the only thing standing between a student who
can and cannot enroll in college. The funding requested in H.R. 6020
would provide opportunities not only for students to pursue a college
degree, but also to work in a career field that is critical for the
prosperity and health of our nation. The USDA projected in its United
States, 2015-2020 Employment Opportunities for College Graduates in
Food, Agriculture, Renewable Natural Resources and the Environment
report that there will be 57,900 annual job openings for graduates with
bachelor's degrees or higher in those areas. The report also states
that only an annual average of 35,400 graduates with those degrees will
be available to fill the 57,900 openings.
The Characteristics of Graduates, in that same USDA report reflects
that the percentage of ethnic minorities with degrees in Agriculture,
Life Sciences and Veterinary Medicine has continued to increase since
2013. 1890 Land-Grant colleges and universities have played a major
role in fueling that continuing increase. In fact, according to the
publication Diverse Issues in Education, Fort Valley State University
ranks sixth in the nation in Agricultural degrees earned by African
Americans. Enrollment in our Agricultural programs increased 28% from
Fall 2014 to Fall 2015. However, overall, there is a huge opportunity
to increase African American participation in agriculture careers. Fort
Valley State University has strong programs and the capacity to assist
in making that increase.
All of the university's agriculture programs are accredited by the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Four of the eight
undergraduate agriculture programs have additional professional
accreditations. Our program and research areas include small ruminants,
bioenergy, medicinal plant biotechnology, horticulture and agronomy,
food product technology and safety, and agricultural economics. Our
students regularly excel in national and international research
competitions. We have multiple faculty members who have received
recognition from United States Presidents. Current faculty members
Sarwan Dhir and Isaac Crumbly, and retired faculty member Clinton Dixon
each have received the President's Award for Excellence in Math Science
and Engineering Mentoring. Professor Young Park is world renowned for
his research in dairy technology. His books and publications have been
translated into several languages. The Dean of our College of
Agriculture, Dr. Govind Kannan, serves on the National Agriculture
Research, Extension, Education and Economic Advisory Board to the
United States Secretary of Agriculture and was recognized at the White
House as a Champion of Change for Global Food Security.
The university is located in the middle of the state, in the heart
of peach and pecan country. Students in rural Georgia see agriculture
through the windows of their Blue Bird school buses but may not
recognize the tremendous career opportunities available in agriculture.
The university is surrounded by high schools with large and active
Future Farmers of America chapters of students with a passion for
agriculture. H.R. 6020 funding will enable us to more successfully
recruit and educate students that already have an interest in
agriculture as well as those whose vision of farming is a mule and a
plow.
Fort Valley State University graduates go on to make outstanding
contributions in their career fields. Some graduates, like Romanda
Phelps, go to work for the USDA or other government agencies. Some
graduates go to work in the private-sector like Dexter Johnson, an
employee of Weyerhaeuser. Others choose to pursue an advanced education
degree like Betsy Ampofo who is about to earn a Ph.D. at Cornell.
Funding requested in H.R. 6020 will help 1890 Land-Grants continue
to contribute to the much needed supply of Agriculture and Ag-related
graduates. In addition, the funding requested in H.R. 6020 will assist
1890 Land-Grant institution's efforts to successfully recruit non-
traditional students, including returning veterans, to our universities
and into careers in Agriculture. 1890 Land-Grant institutions are doing
great things in Agriculture and most have the capacity to do more if
given the opportunity and the resources. H.R. 6020 will provide the
funds necessary to allow us to use our capacity do even more.
I am grateful for this opportunity to address the Committee. I
especially want to thank you, Congressman Scott for your unceasing
efforts to support public education in general and 1890 Land-Grant
institutions in particular.
The Chairman. Well, I thank our witnesses.
I will remind our colleagues that during the question
period, you can ask questions of the witnesses at the table or
of any of the other individuals representing land-grant schools
that are in attendance as well. I also ask that Members be
recognized in order of seniority for those who were here when
the gavel went down, and subsequent to that they will be
recognized upon arrival.
So, with that, I recognize myself for 5 minutes.
Again, thank you for being here. Dr. Jackson-Hammond, you
mentioned the partnership you have with the Ohio State
University.
Dr. Jackson-Hammond. Yes.
The Chairman. And I know that, I believe, Prairie View A&M
and Texas A&M have partnerships as well. Can you talk to us
about the benefits that brings to the educational experiences
that students have? For all of you with the other land-grant
schools in your states, how are the educational opportunities
that are strengthened by having cross-pollinization, for lack
of a better phrase, with the 1862 schools that in many
instances are bigger with broader programs that allow your
students to specialize and/or do things that you couldn't
necessarily do if you were on a standalone basis? Is that going
on and, if so, can you explain to us? We will just start with
Dr. Jackson-Hammond and then Dr. Bell and Dr. Jones.
Dr. Jackson-Hammond. Absolutely. And thank you so very much
for that question. It is important to realize that the Ohio
State University has been an 1860 land-grant institution for
somewhere around 100 years. With that designation they have a
jump start over us.
At the time, President Gordon Gee was the President of the
Ohio State. He really did try to foster and did foster with the
Ohio Legislature the ability for us to seek that designation.
And from that point, we have been working with the Ohio State
to help build our structures as a new 1890 land-grant.
There are two parts of the 1890 funding: Research and
extension. We work on our work plan with the Ohio State and
will be submitting a joint report indicating the colocations we
have in ten counties throughout Ohio State. Those counties--
yes.
The Chairman. Actually, Dr. Jackson-Hammond, thank you. I
was trying to figure out the experiences of students that would
get these scholarships. Can they take classes at the Ohio State
University? How do you facilitate that crossover?
Dr. Jackson-Hammond. In the state of Ohio, we have a SOCHE
plan that allows for any students to take courses that are not
offered at their university at another university at no cost.
That partnership was already established.
But our research plan does include both institutions
working on joint research projects where students do
internships at the Ohio State, and Ohio State students will
also be able to do joint research with us at Central State
University.
The Chairman. Dr. Bell.
Dr. Bell. Thank you very much for that question. The
University of Maryland Eastern Shore works very closely with
the University of Maryland College Park, which is an 1862 land-
grant for the State of Maryland. In particular, we work closely
in our extension programs. Our extension programs operate
jointly. And so there are many opportunities for our students
who participate in the agriculture programs to be involved and
engage with students from College Park.
We also have joint degree programs, and especially at the
master's and doctoral levels. One in particular is our Marine,
Estuarine and Environmental Science Program, which is a joint
program between University of Maryland Eastern Shore, College
Park, and several other institutions. And through that program,
students take joint courses. They have joint research projects
and so forth. There is good collaboration between the
institutions.
The Chairman. Dr. Jones, how about in Georgia?
Dr. Jones. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for that question as
well.
One quick example of a partnership with University of
Georgia is with our veterinary technology program, which is the
only accredited program in the state. That partnership allows
our students to have a clinical rotation of 12 weeks at the
University of Georgia. I think that is a wonderful partnership,
and as we are able to expand with scholarship support, it will
enable us to develop more of those rich kinds of experiences
for our students going back and forth between the two campuses.
That to me is a great example of something that we believe we
can enhance through this scholarship support.
The Chairman. Are there distance learning programs between
the schools where students can take specialized classes that
might not be offered at the 1890 school that would strengthen
their role in production agriculture as they go out? Can they
take those classes at the 1862 schools by distance learning?
Dr. Jones. I will say that being part of the University
System of Georgia, that is one of the real positive things that
we have in our system, the opportunity for students to take
courses through, we call it eCore, or other collaborative
efforts that we have underway where our students can take
courses on any of the campuses. But certainly, University of
Georgia is a good example of where our students may take those
kinds of courses.
The Chairman. All right. Dr. Jackson-Hammond, is it the
same thing there at your school?
Dr. Jackson-Hammond. Yes, a similar collaboration exists
within the State of Ohio. Because we are primarily an
undergraduate institution, we have opportunities with the Ohio
State to help build master's and doctoral programs, and that is
where we are. Especially in one of our recent disciplines that
we are trying to get on board is having to do with water
conservation and water resource management.
By the way, we have the only water resource management
undergraduate program, residential program in the United
States. That is a really strong program that the Ohio State
University is really trying to work with us to develop graduate
and collaborative programs throughout.
The Chairman. I want to thank our witnesses. I am over
time.
David Scott, 5 minutes.
Mr. David Scott of Georgia. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
It is very important also for the Presidents to address the
importance of this bill in relationship to their own standing,
their own ability that this will heighten their ability to
genuinely have a seat at the table in higher education in a
much more profound way than we have now.
On two points that you mention, we want to make sure that
the Committee is aware that we have White students as well at
these schools. And it is very important also to know that
several of our colleagues who are Congressional partners here:
Congressman Luetkemeyer, who is a graduate of Lincoln
University; and Senator Joe Manchin III, who is a graduate of
West Virginia State University. You see the critical role in
the reach-out here.
And then the other point, following up on your excellent
line of questioning, Mr. Chairman, is the enhanced position
that these universities will have as they interlock with the
1860s, who are much further, more well-endowed financially to
be able to do that. So that there will come a day when students
at the University of Georgia will come over and be able to take
courses that they don't have or that experience that they can't
have at the University of Georgia at Fort Valley.
So the other point I would like to get to is, the other
measure of this is the African American community itself. And I
would like to just ask each of the Presidents to respond to
what this bill will mean to you in terms of an enhanced role of
leadership in the African American community, which is
certainly badly needed. I am not sure many people realize that
we do have a critical crisis of a breakdown in the African
American family structure and what this means to be able to
provide that kind of financial assistance.
I might just add, Mr. Chairman, that I am, as you know, a
product of an 1890. But my experience is the experience of
literally hundreds of thousands of young African Americans out
there. For when I graduated from high school, I got an
opportunity only because the people of Daytona Beach, Florida,
got together and raised $300 for me to go to the college of my
choice. I gave my mother $150. I took $150 and a Greyhound bus
ticket to Tallahassee, Florida. Thank God there was Florida
A&M. That situation exists today, and that scholarship opened
up into others. Eighty-eight percent of all of the African
American students that obtain a college education do so because
they have had scholarship and financial assistance.
So if you could, I know my time is running short, but could
you please respond as to what this truly means to you in each
of your schools in terms of the leadership you can provide for
the African American community and the nation as a whole?
Dr. Bell. Thank you, Congressman Scott. I would like to
start in addressing that the University of Maryland Eastern
Shore sits on the lower Eastern Shore of Maryland in Somerset
County, which is the poorest county in the State of Maryland.
We draw a large percentage of our students also from Prince
George's County, which is the inner city of Baltimore, and so a
higher education is a transformative thing for many of our
students. Having the opportunity to pursue a course of study
that will lead to a lucrative career where there are jobs
available is going to transform not only the immediate person
that the scholarship will address, but it will also transform
that family as well as that community.
So we see this opportunity, as I have indicated from my own
situation, as transformative. Getting an education that opens
up doors of opportunity certainly not only impacts the
immediate recipient but everybody that that person touches. And
so we are very excited about the opportunities that this type
of award will provide for our students and the communities we
serve.
Dr. Jackson-Hammond. Thank you, Mr. Scott, for that
wonderful question about what we do; 1890 universities are
about the value-added that we give to families and communities.
As Dr. Bell said, we work with a population of students who are
academically gifted but may not have had role models or a level
of leadership within their immediate communities that could
guide them through the college experience. When they come to
our institutions, and it is not just one ethnic group, it is
all students who come to our university, they get hands-on,
touch points at every level that helps to build their
character, their self-esteem, their confidence, so that they
can become competent leaders once they leave the universities.
One of the things that we do at most 1890 universities is
say that your job is beyond getting just a college degree. It
is about changing the landscape of the people in your
communities. That is a built-in inherent part of our
educational program. And the thousands and thousands of
students who have gone on to make that difference is
unbelievable.
Dr. Bell talked about her experience as a child in Alabama.
I am from Louisiana. I have to share this, my father had a
graduate degree but was not allowed at that time to practice as
a psychologist. He became a school principal and worked in a
very agrarian area of Louisiana where they had something called
split sessions, and the students went to school year round
because they had to pick cotton during the off seasons. I don't
really know how that works. But it was a 12 month experience.
And those are the students, for generations and generations
while he served there, learned the importance of giving back to
their communities. And that was long before there were
institutions in some of these areas that spoke to the land-
grant mission.
But that land-grant mission was embedded in those students,
and we still embed that in the students that we work with
today. Giving back to the communities, becoming leaders,
becoming change agents. That is the core of what we do as an
1890, in addition to providing opportunities academically, so
that they can have jobs and careers that change the economic
and social dispositions of their communities and their states.
The Chairman. Dr. Jones, if you would respond quickly. We
are way over time with Mr. Scott.
Dr. Jones. Yes. Let me just briefly say that in terms of
your question, Congressman Scott, in terms of the impact from a
leadership standpoint, I believe that today more than any other
time in our history, our communities are calling for
extraordinary leadership. The kind of visibility that this will
bring to our communities that are challenged right now a great
deal from an economic standpoint, from a social standpoint,
from just about any way in which you would like to look at
this.
So this call for leadership is important, and what we can
bring in this kind of initiative or this kind of scholarship
support can dramatically increase the visibility and the
economic impact in our communities. Our communities are calling
on all of us to bring forth a level of leadership that they
have never seen before, and we are excited to be a part of that
and thank you for this kind of opportunity.
The Chairman. The gentleman's time has expired.
Mr. King, 5 minutes.
Mr. King. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate being
recognized and I appreciate the testimony of the witnesses.
I want to start out and say I am completely convinced all
of your hearts are right. And we will make that point first,
but then I want to put a little piece of history in. We always
have to do that for our own locale and point out that the Iowa
Legislature was the first state legislature to accept the
provisions of the original Morrill Act. They did that on
September 11, 1862. And they would have been the first
designation of a state agriculture college had it not been for
K-State, bumped us on the third turn and slipped in ahead of
us.
So we pay attention to land-grant colleges and know what it
means to have the resources. I would prefer that they were
based on the land, especially when you are focused on
agriculture, rather than on the cash that came with the 1890
version. However, that is where we are today and land is a lot
harder to come by, so I don't see any reason to try to change
that. It is just, I notice the distinction.
And I wanted to point out also that listening to the spirit
of this discussion here, that the inner cities in America are a
disaster. Anything that we look at from the data out of the
inner cities, especially young men, especially young African
American men, it is a resource to this country that we have
just not figured out how to mobilize. We haven't figured out
how to lift them up and get them into the flow.
And I say that because the next statement I want to make
is, and I would sense this from Dr. Bell in particular, but the
rest of you, the very best place in the world to raise a family
is on a family farm. And if we are going to do good things to
help our society to go in the right direction, then for me, if
we can get people going to the farm and raising their families
there, they learn about the whole spectrum of life, the cycles
of life of livestock from birth to death, to, we call it now
harvest rather than that other word that seems to be abhorrent
to people in the inner city, and it is what I grew up all
around and had to wash it off my hands afterwards. But, all new
wealth comes from the land. And we can trace every dollar right
back to that soil.
So this is inspiring to me in these ways. But I am getting
to a but. And it is this, that I have a deep conviction and
strong support for Ward Connerly's Proposition 209 in
California. I have invested a significant amount of my
legislative time in that and succeeded to a degree, in fact, in
conflict with the current Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary
Vilsack. But I would point out for this Committee what that
proposition is, and we haven't had discussions in a long time
on that. And it says this: The state, meaning the State of
California, that was a constitutional amendment, the state
shall not discriminate against or grant preferential treatment
to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color,
ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public
employment, public education, or public contracting.
Now, that language of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or
national origin is lifted exactly out of Title VII of the Civil
Rights Act, and I support it 100 percent. It is the right
thing. It is the right thing for us to pour forth all resources
and all constitutional focus and all statutory focus to provide
equal opportunity.
And so my question, and I would start first with Dr. Bell,
is this an equal opportunity bill before us or is it a
preferential treatment bill before us?
Dr. Bell. Thank you, Congressman, for that question. Let me
say that, as I indicated before, our institutions, the 1890s,
and mine in particular, are diverse institutions. My
institution, in particular, consists of about \2/3\ African
American students, about 13 percent White students, and about
20 percent of students who either classify themselves as
multiracial, or of other race, including Hispanic.
Mr. King. Excuse me. Could I ask you then, is it your
expectation that the scholarships that would be granted in your
institution under the foundation of this bill would reflect the
diversity within your institution today?
Dr. Bell. The total scholarship package that we offer to
students, including those resources provided through this bill,
would provide opportunities for not only the African American
students, but other students as well. We see this as an
opportunity to leverage our support from the Agriculture
Department and for our students.
Mr. King. Thank you. I am running out of time. I am sorry.
But would that also be your observation then, Dr. Jackson?
Dr. Jackson-Hammond. Yes.
Mr. King. And Dr. Jones?
Dr. Jones. Yes.
Mr. King. Then I would point out that in the bill, there
are four references here that say, and it is the language that
jumped out at me, four references that say young African
Americans, four places. It seems to me the bill is more
specific to this than you anticipate. And I wonder if you would
be open to maybe making a little more specific language here
that would allow for more equal opportunity.
Dr. Jackson-Hammond. Thank you for that observation. It is
important that, although we mention the word is historically
black colleges and universities. We have never been
institutions that eliminated or disenfranchise any group of
people who wish to come. As a matter of fact, Central State
University's charter speaks not to African American students,
but it speaks to those of good character who wish to have----
Mr. King. Thank you, Doctor. We are out of time. I would
point out that the word historical doesn't show up here in
these four references that I made. I appreciate your testimony.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The Chairman. The gentleman's time has expired.
In deference to trying to make sure everybody has a chance
to talk to you, I am going to be a little tighter on the clock.
Ms. Adams, 5 minutes.
Ms. Adams. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, I want to thank
our Presidents and deans for coming today.
I want to say, again, what a proud honor it is for me to be
a graduate of North Carolina A&T, an 1890 school, and to
support the legislation.
When we talk about what we are talking about today, we are
talking about equal opportunity. We are also aware that there
has been inequity in terms of funding for 1890 schools and
HBCUs in general over the years. I am responding to the
question that you asked. It is about equal opportunity. And
most of our students, as we have mentioned who attend 1890
schools, are first generation, come from families with very,
very meager means, and who just don't have the finances. And of
course, if you have access to get into college and you don't
have the money, then you don't have that opportunity.
I am a proud co-chair of the bipartisan HBCU Caucus, and I
am still committed to raising the profile of 1890s and the
Historically Black Colleges and Universities as institutions
that not only promote and nurture students. Some of the
students, a lot of the students are students that look like me.
Many of them don't. But we are about educating and providing a
great education.
So my first question is to the entire panel. If each of you
can outline the importance of having a more diverse workforce
in the field of agricultural science and speak briefly to how
your schools are contributing to this critical pipeline.
Dr. Bell. I will start in trying to address that question.
I think that, clearly, we believe that diversity is important
from every aspect and every discipline. In particular, many of
the communities that suffer the most in terms of food deserts
and issues related to the production of food, fiber, and fuel
are minority communities. And we believe that diversifying the
workforce, including more ethnically diverse members in this
community who are working toward solutions, will bring
different perspectives to solving these major issues that
confront us today.
Ms. Adams. Thank you.
Dr. Jackson-Hammond.
Dr. Jackson-Hammond. Thank you so very much. Where Central
State University is situated, it is in a very small community,
and the majority of the residents there are not persons of
color. This particular bill and this particular opportunity to
reach out to a diverse population of students who don't look
like me but also need the opportunities to go into fields such
as science, technology, and ag, we certainly diversify the
campus, the environment, and the communities so that there is a
synergy about building a strong workforce in the area of
agriculture.
Ms. Adams. Thank you.
Dr. Jones.
Dr. Jones. If I may, I am sorry that Congressman King is
not here, but just for a clarification standpoint, I do think
that this is an equal opportunity solution here. And I believe
that very strongly. And I believe that having this funding
support allows us to leverage in a way that all students, all
Americans benefit. And this kind of support is critical to our
community, to our region, to the state, to the nation, and I
just wanted to say that to make sure that is on record.
Ms. Adams. Well, thank you very much. Let me quickly say
that when we had our last Committee hearing with the 1890s, a
number of the Presidents addressed the issue of the state 1-to-
1 matching funds and, of course, we have seen a trend where our
schools are struggling. And the inequality, as far as I am
concerned, is very problematic. Has there been any progress
made on that issue and has the lack of funds impacted your
universities? Anybody? We have 23 seconds here.
Dr. Bell. That is still a major issue of concern to the
1890 universities.
Dr. Jackson-Hammond. It is definitely a concern, but I can
say in the State of Ohio, we have a very supportive governor
and legislative body who supports Central State University.
Dr. Jones. It remains a concern, however, I will say in
Georgia, we do get the 1-to-1 match. We are very proud of that.
Ms. Adams. Thank you very much. I am out of time. Mr.
Chairman, I did want to just recognize my intern whose last day
will be with me on Friday, who is a very proud graduate as well
of North Carolina A&T, Alana Covington.
The Chairman. The gentlelady yields back.
Mr. Gibbs, 5 minutes.
Mr. Gibbs. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Talk about a little bit, Dr. Jackson-Hammond is from Ohio,
Central State, and they are doing a great job down there. And
they started a new ag education program that is much needed,
and she mentioned in her testimony about the job placement and
how these are the next generation of young men and women that
are getting jobs right off the bat, so the need is there, and
also the program they are doing with water and it is a huge
issue in Ohio with Lake Erie and some other areas in the state
with some challenges.
But something I want to maybe reemphasize, it is really
important, Central State is the last 1890 land-grant, and they
just became that, I don't know, 3 or 4 years ago?
Dr. Jackson-Hammond. In 2014.
Mr. Gibbs. In 2014. Because Ohio State, the Ohio State
University in Columbus is the land-grant. But, what needs to be
talked a little bit about is how that all came about. She
mentioned Dr. Gee, but think about this, you have the massive
the Ohio State University, that saw the benefit to making
Central State an 1890 land-grant.
And so Dr. Jackson-Hammond, can you maybe expound a little
bit on that? Because, that is really remarkable when you think
about that. And I know we talk about the research and the
partnership, but also there are some cost-benefits there. But
Ohio State, in the legislature, had to recognize the benefit
this was to the people in Ohio and maybe more broadly. And, it
is worth maybe talking a little bit about, because when you
think about that, Mr. Chairman, that is really incredible.
And you think Ohio State University, that might be the
largest university in the country now. It is right up there,
and to have this partnership and then make the partnership work
even better to a university with only a couple of thousand
students, is remarkable.
So, Doctor, would you maybe expound on that a little bit
more?
Dr. Jackson-Hammond. Thank you, Representative Gibbs, for
giving me the opportunity to give a little history. And I am
fortunate to have with me Senator Chris Widener, who was one of
the Senators who carried that legislation in the Ohio
Legislature. Is he here? Senator Widener in the back.
Mr. Gibbs. And a former colleague of mine too.
Dr. Jackson-Hammond. Yes, yes. And, of course, we were
designated in the House for centuries, a century ago, but it
did not carry through. And one of the groups that did not
support Central State as a land-grant was the Ohio State
University contingency. However, as years and decades passed,
Gordon Gee and others began to see that we were an untapped
resource in the State of Ohio and that they needed us as a
partner to reach the various communities, the urban
communities, some of the rural communities; that they could not
make the necessary inroads just as a singular institution.
So along with Senator Widener and many of the legislators
during that time, along with Gordon Gee, said, ``You know what,
we are wasting a resource.'' And Central State University as a
land-grant can certainly supplement, support, and have a wider
opportunity to make a difference in the State of Ohio. With
that, we went on in 2012 to receive the State Legislature
designation and in 2014, we received the Federal designation
through the farm bill.
Mr. Gibbs. But, Ohio State was involved in this somewhat.
They saw a real benefit, not just for the students, but it was
a cost-benefit. And I believe that your tuition is low.
Dr. Jackson-Hammond. Yes, extremely. Nowhere compared to
the Ohio State, but at the same time, we have the same level of
academic performance. We have the same expectations. And so as
a small institution, we are able to reach that population of
students who cannot afford the Big Ten schools or go to some of
the larger institutions. We are very cost affordable.
I was sharing with the Congressman earlier that we have a
large population of students from out of state. Forty-three
percent of our students come from urban communities. And these
are the students who want to remain in the State of Ohio and to
be associated with the land-grant mission and the academic
programs associated with that.
So we have certainly reduced our surcharge. We are the most
affordable institution in the State of Ohio. We are addressing
college affordability, academic performance, and economic
growth.
Mr. Gibbs. Thank you. And thank you for being here and
sharing all of the great things you are doing there. And,
hopefully, this legislation will get passed the next Congress
and give more opportunities for a lot more people.
Thank you, and I yield back.
The Chairman. The gentleman yields back.
Stacey, 5 minutes.
Ms. Plaskett. Thank you, sir, and thank you so much for the
dedication and all of the work that you give young people all
over this country. I have a son who is presently at the
University of Arkansas in Pine Bluff where he is doing a
fantastic job and really loves his experience there. He is the
third generation to go to that institution, and the students
are stellar from that institution and from so many of your own.
One of the things that I was interested in finding out was,
Dr. Jones, in your testimony, your written testimony, you
discuss that there is a 28 percent increase in agricultural
degree program enrollment at Fort Valley State between 2014 and
2015. Can you explain what is the cause of that increase? And
do you sense that there are more young people being drawn to
the agricultural careers or is there another reason why this
may be happening?
Dr. Jones. And my dean is here who could probably
elaborate, but what I will say is that we have had a much more
focused effort in this regard over the last couple of years. We
are doing a great job. We created an outreach coordinator to
begin to work with young people and creating more exposure to
the field, but also to the institution as well.
There is far more visibility from our College of
Agriculture these days, the way in which they are branding the
programs and the institution and their marketing efforts. We
can learn a lot from what they are doing with the rest of the
campus. It is a combination of things that are happening. I do
think there is more capacity.
Ms. Plaskett. Right.
Dr. Jones. I think the challenge we have today is the
limited scholarship support for those students who wish----
Ms. Plaskett. Who are interested in this.
Dr. Jones. Right. Right.
Ms. Plaskett. Because I can imagine that if there was the
scholarship and the support, you could probably find even more
students who would be making the application to try and come to
these institutions. There are students who just won't even
apply because they look at the amount and they realize that
there is no way that they or their families can be able to make
this happen. And so they are just falling off of the grid
completely in terms of even making the initial effort to come
after an education that can change not only their lives, but
the lives of their family as well.
Dr. Jackson-Hammond, have you conducted any, I think that
this is more a financial term, but an ROI, a return on
investment estimate to determine what kind of economic loss
Central State suffers when students have to stop their
education or stop out, when they take some time off because of
the financial aspects of going to school?
Dr. Jackson-Hammond. Absolutely. Thank you so very much for
raising that question. We look at our financial performance
annually, monthly, to see the impact of stop outs on the
university. Ohio is one of those states where the allocations,
financial allocations are based on performance, college
completion, graduation rates, course completion, and retention.
All of those factors impact the amount of allocations that we
receive from the state.
When you have 73 to 78 percent of your students who are on
Pell grants and still have to have loans to supplement that,
those are the kinds of dialogues that we are having every day
about how do we keep students in school. When students drop
out, then that impacts our performance with the state and,
certainly, our graduation completion rate. We are limited in
the funding that we receive from that.
It also impacts default rates when students take out loans
and they cannot pay those loans back because there is just not
enough revenue coming in from the family to support them. That
default rate, in turn, comes back as a cost factor to the
university. And so that is a serious implication not only for
Central State, but for most 1890 universities where these are
first-generation students without any financial support.
So it is great, and we do a great deal of financial
literacy courses, programs, to apprise students and their
families about the responsibility, but that level of education
only is supported by students who have the wherewithal to pay.
Ms. Plaskett. Thank you. Thank you for that information
related to the cost to the university for students who do not
have the financial support necessary to complete the degrees on
time.
And just in closing, I would always invite you all to work
with the University of the Virgin Islands, which has
agricultural programs. We would love to be supportive of you as
well. Thank you.
The Chairman. The gentlelady's time has expired.
Austin Scott.
Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Dr. Jones, welcome to Washington. It is good to see you.
And one of the things that I don't think we talk about enough,
or give these institutions credit for enough, is the research
that occurs there. And Fort Valley State, the small ruminant
program there is among the best in the country. And certainly,
any scholarships that we are able to give to people to go to
that university, help the university as a whole. And so I look
forward to supporting this and look forward to helping you do
more to promote your institution and the valuable research and
all that is done there.
And I will tell you, while sheep are not a large part of
the U.S. agricultural economy, they are a tremendous part of
the world agricultural economy. And when we get into many of
these other countries, the ability to help a farmer with his
sheep herd goes a long way towards instilling goodwill in
areas. I want to thank you for that program that you have there
and the research and the extension that goes on there. And I
recommend the cheese over the ice cream.
But I want to ask you a couple of quick questions. And I
know in your testimony, you have talked about the FFA,
obviously 4-H, and other extremely important organizations in
our area and throughout the United States and the chapters that
surround the university. Can you talk a little bit about the
partnership with high schools and community organizations that
help students become aware of the opportunities at Fort Valley
State and the agricultural sector?
Dr. Jones. Yes. Thank you, Congressman Scott. And I
appreciate your continued support.
That is another area that I believe is very strong for us
in terms of the work that we do through our College of
Agriculture with high schools and even prior to that, the
outreach that is conducted by our, whether it is through our
extension or through other programs. Those are areas that I
think is the reason why we are seeing the growth also in our
programs. That work is very important, getting them exposed.
FFA, for example, we will see nearly 500 students that will
come to the campus at any given time, and getting them exposed
to the work that we do is important. And that is what is also
enhancing the diversity within our base. Our College of
Agriculture, by far, is the most diverse of our other programs,
but it is through this outreach effort and through the work
that they are doing in the high schools and middle schools, is
aiding us tremendously.
Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia. As you know, we have nine
military installations in the State of Georgia, a tremendous
number of veterans in the area. Could you speak to some of the
things that Fort Valley is doing to help recruit veterans who
have served our country into your university and to the
agricultural fields?
Dr. Jones. Right. Well, we are proud of the Robins Air
Force Base that we work with. We are designated as a military-
friendly institution. We do a great deal of work with the base
and are looking at ways to expand our work. We are very proud
of a new program that we were just authorized in, our Supply
Chain Logistics Program that is really designed to work with
the base and returning military men who are looking for
careers, a change in some of their careers.
But we have a very strong relationship with them, and we
could do more. We want to see how we can expand those programs.
We have a center in Warner Robins now that we are trying to
expand the work so that we can create more educational
opportunities for our servicemen.
Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia. Well, I thank you for being
here, and I hope when you see my friend Lynmore James there you
will tell him I said hello.
With that, I yield the remainder of my time.
The Chairman. The gentleman yields back.
Gwen Graham, 5 minutes.
Ms. Graham. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And, again, I want to
recognize Dr. Robinson from FAMU University. I am so proud to
represent FAMU. Every time I come on the campus the students
are so kind to me. They even dance with me. And I love to dance
and they just put up with me. They show me some new moves.
My family would not be in Florida but for agriculture. My
grandfather moved to south Florida and started one of the first
dairy farms. This is something near and dear to my heart. And I
really know that we need to encourage, as I mentioned in my
opening remarks, we need to encourage young people to get into
the field of agriculture.
Mr. Scott took my question, but I forgive you, Austin. I
was going to ask about veterans because it is so important. And
I appreciate, Dr. Jones, your comments on that.
Last summer, I had the first ever annual north Florida farm
tour. We went to 14 counties, and I was honored to be able to
have a panel discussion at FAMU. And we brought together just a
wide variety of people, young people, veterans, people
interested in agriculture. And it was such a great experience
to get out all the wonderful things that were going on at FAMU.
And I am curious if the other universities represented here
have taken the opportunity to brag about what is possible and,
also, hopefully this legislation that I am so proud to be an
original cosponsor of, will allow many others to have an
opportunity to take advantage of all the great things that are
going on at your universities. This is your chance to just brag
a little bit. Thank you.
I yield back. I yield to the panel.
Dr. Jackson-Hammond. Thank you so very much. That is what
we do best, we brag about our institutions.
It is very difficult to tell you a lot about Central State
because you have to envision this beautiful place and this very
agrarian community. You could drive for about 20 miles and you
see nothing, and then out of the beautiful landscape is Central
State University. And it has become a hub for so many people,
especially students from urban communities who have never had
an opportunity to really touch grass and see beautiful trees
and enjoy the flora and fauna.
And when they get there, they see the community of
scholars, strong academicians, supportive staff, who really
want to take a personal interest and do take a personal
interest, because we realize that every student that comes to
Central State University must leave as an emerging leader for
themselves and for their communities. That is our charge. We
can give them every opportunity and every academic program, but
until they really internalize that, and they do internalize,
they have a greater responsibility to a greater community.
At Central State, we have three tenets that we follow. It
is embedded in everything that we do. The curriculum, the
social activities, the student groups. And those three tenets
are service, protocol and civility. And those are not
meaningless words for our students. They understand that the
education that they get is because they must give back in
service. They understand rules, regulations, or protocol that
that is how the world works. And they understand the importance
of civility. How do we get along with each other, how do we
respect the views of each other. And amid all of that character
and intrinsic attributes that we provide, they also get a
strong, solid academic experience.
I am proud to say that last year, we had 18 athletes who
graduated, and 82 percent of them were in STEM-Ag majors. This
year we have 18 football players who are graduating and 72
percent of them are STEM-Ag majors. And that is phenomenal,
because we have this traditional thought about what athletes
do. Our students are students who happen to be athletes. And so
we have a very wide range of high-performing students across in
the College of Business, Education, Engineering, and Social
Sciences.
Ms. Graham. Thank you, Doctor.
Mr. Chairman, I think Dr. Robinson would like to say a
couple of words from FAMU, I would appreciate that opportunity.
Thank you.
The Chairman. Be brief. We are trying to get everybody in,
so be brief.
RESPONSE OF LARRY ROBINSON, Ph.D., INTERIM PRESIDENT, FLORIDA
AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL UNIVERSITY, TALLAHASSEE, FL
Dr. Robinson. Thank you, Representative Graham, for what
you have done on behalf of north Florida, and in particular
Florida A&M University. And thank you very, very much for the
novel concept of the road tour so we can tell more people in
north Florida about what we do at Florida A&M University for
small, large, medium farmers around the state. We are a land-
grant institution and we have a statewide impact.
I guess one key point I want to make, and that is the
economic impact that we have in the State of Florida. Just as
an example, Florida A&M University has a Center for
Viticulture. That center has led to the development of nearly
20 viticulture operations around the State of Florida. Of
course, we specialize in the type of wine that doesn't grow
everywhere else because of the climate in Florida. But the
economic impact of the research done by Florida A&M University
doesn't directly benefit us because we are prohibited from
benefiting from it financially. But we have developed at least
20 wineries around the State of Florida that are making jobs
available for citizens, not only up in the Panhandle, but
throughout the state. And in fact, it expanded throughout the
South in general.
There are vineyards and wineries in South Carolina, and our
neighbors, Representative Scott up in Georgia, who are
benefiting from the research done at Florida A&M University. I
just want to emphasize the economic impact of these
institutions in the 1890 community on the cities and towns in
which we reside. Thank you.
Ms. Graham. Thank you, Dr. Robinson. You are also producing
great hand cream as well.
Okay. I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
The Chairman. Mr. Benishek, 5 minutes.
Mr. Benishek. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank you all for
being here this morning.
I just want to make it clear about this bill, is there a
preference in the legislation for students from a certain area
or background or is every student on a level playing field in
regard to these scholarships? Anyone?
Dr. Bell. As you have stated it, we are interested in
creating opportunities for students who are particularly
interested in the agricultural professions, so careers in
agriculture, to be able to qualify for the scholarships so that
they can complete their education. We are looking at these
scholarships as an opportunity to augment what we currently do
in terms of supporting students who have need. I think that
having financial need is one of the factors that we would look
to as well.
One of the issues that we are looking to deal with and as
HBCUs and 1890 universities, one of our goals is to provide a
diverse workforce for the agricultural community. There is a
strong need for that among agribusinesses, and I serve on a
roundtable ag diversity and inclusion roundtable made up of
businesspeople in some of the major industry areas who are
interested in trying to find a diverse workforce for their
industry.
And we are one of the top producers or the top sector in
producing students of color for this industry. We see it as an
opportunity to----
Mr. Benishek. Does that mean that a person of color is more
likely to get a scholarship than a person who is not of color?
Dr. Bell. I am sorry?
Mr. Benishek. Does that mean that the scholarship, the
question is, is there preferences based other than, to me, a
need is a strong reason for a scholarship and as would be the
desire to be in agriculture. But it seems like you are telling
me that diversity, or there are some race-based rules for those
scholarships. That is what I am trying to ferret out to you
with these lines of questions, like Mr. King was talking about.
Dr. Bell. I am not equipped to clarify that further than
what I have already stated, but we certainly can----
Mr. Benishek. Does anyone else have an opinion?
Dr. Bell. Anybody else have a comment?
Dr. Jackson-Hammond. Because the larger population of our
students at our institutions are African Americans, certainly,
some of the scholarships are applicable. But we don't see
anything related to a race-based scholarship. When we bring
students into our institutions, race is not a consideration.
Any time a student says, ``I want to be a STEM-Ag,'' that is
our charge, is to educate and provide as much support. And all
of our students have financial need.
Mr. Benishek. Yes, I know.
Dr. Jackson-Hammond. All of them, so we are not making any
delineation.
Mr. Benishek. Let me go on to another question then,
because several people mentioned this, and that was people that
start at the university and yet drop out after a while because
of financial issues, how often does that occur? What is the
dropout rate after the freshman year, for example? Anybody have
an answer to that?
Dr. Jackson-Hammond. We look at the attrition rate from
freshman to sophomore year, and usually that can range anywhere
from 32 percent to maybe 40 percent. However, in the last
couple of years, we have done a great deal of providing
financial literacy to our students. And as we prepare for next
semester and for the next year, we are finding more and more
students being able to be retained because of their
understanding of financial literacy concerns.
Mr. Benishek. Is that a similar number to you, Dr. Jones
and Dr. Bell? That seemed like a pretty high number to me, 35
percent of people are dropping out after the first year.
Dr. Jones. That is correct. The number, it has gotten
better over the last couple of years through a number of
initiatives.
Mr. Benishek. In your opinion, is that more of a financial
issue than an educational issue?
Dr. Jones. Oh, absolutely.
Mr. Benishek. It is not like they can't grasp the material.
Dr. Jones. It is primarily.
Dr. Jackson-Hammond. Primarily.
Dr. Jones. It is primarily.
Dr. Bell. Primarily it is financial. And our numbers are
about the same, about 30 percent. Some of the students do stop
out versus drop out, but a large percentage of them, once they
leave, they don't make it back.
Mr. Benishek. Right. I know it is very difficult to go
back.
Dr. Bell. We try to keep them from stopping out.
Mr. Benishek. I am out of time, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
The Chairman. The gentleman yields back.
Mr. Davis, 5 minutes.
Mr. Davis. Thank you to the panel and thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
I too, Dr. Jones, had questions about veterans. And if you
have anything to add in regards to how your programs or how
H.R. 6020 would help recruit veterans, I mean, you are more
than welcome to expand on your first answer, if you would.
Dr. Jones. Thank you, Congressman Davis. Absolutely, the
funds are needed. Many of our veterans that come to us, even
though they often have support, they have other daunting tasks,
other family concerns.
Mr. Davis. Are these veterans usually using the GI Bill?
Dr. Jones. Some of them, yes.
Mr. Davis. Besides the funds, what is your institution
doing to help recruit veterans?
Dr. Jones. Well, one of the things that we did that has
been very helpful, the University System of Georgia, has led an
extraordinary charge within our system to recruit and support
our veterans. In fact, so much so, we have now a Vice
Chancellor for Military Affairs. And so we created centers,
support centers on our campuses that are supporting these
students.
Many of them come with a great deal of challenges coming
back, depending if they are coming back from war. And so the
kind of support that we provide to them has been very helpful
in helping them navigate our environment.
Mr. Davis. Okay. Well, thank you. It seems like your
success is showing. We appreciate what you are doing there.
I guess I will ask the rest of the panel questions on what
are your thoughts, Dr. Bell, on the state of our competitive
award programs, from AFRI to the other small competitive
programs?
Dr. Bell. Well, I think that there is continuing need to
enhance the competitiveness of our institutions. A number of us
have very strong research programs, but we have a deteriorating
infrastructure. And so in order to be very competitive for
those research funds, we have to have the facilities and the
infrastructure to support them.
Mr. Davis. You would be in favor of them investing more in
capital?
Dr. Bell. Investing more in infrastructure, equipment,
those kinds of things that support the research enterprise. At
the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, we were just this
past year, as a result of primarily USDA research support
funding, able to be advanced in our Carnegie classification
from a comprehensive to a doctoral research university. And so
we are looking to build on that by being more competitive for
Federal funds, especially those that come through the USDA.
Mr. Davis. I guess I have a question for myself while we
are on this. In the competition for USDA grants, is it any
different relative to the competition for other agencies
funding, like NIH or NSF?
Dr. Bell. Maybe one of our research directors can answer
that question.
Mr. Davis. Somebody is raising their hand back there. I
missed the first panel, sir, so I didn't get your name.
Dr. Robinson. Mr. Chairman and Representative Davis, well,
this is probably unfair, because I served as the last civilian
science advisor at USDA CSREES before it transitioned into what
is now NIFA. And when I came into that role, my job was to
advise them on science, more broadly. But I had a particular
concern about research opportunities for an 1890 community.
And one of the things that I had to do was the annual
report for the National Research Initiative, as you recall. And
in that report, it was fascinating to discover that the success
rate of 1890 land-grant institutions in the big pool, in the
AFRI, and NRI, the success rate was just as comparable as it
was for an 1862.
The difference was that we were only about one percent of
the applicants. And so what I did then is how do I encourage
the community to submit more competitive grants over here,
because some of the limitations really go to the issues around
additional resources, infrastructure, and so forth, but for
those of us who competed, we were just as successful. And that
pretty much pans out throughout the Federal sector, with some
exceptions.
However, what we have been able to do with USDA is to use
the capacity-building funds that they have to enhance our
competitiveness over here in the larger pools of money. And
Florida A&M University too itself was just reclassified as a
research 2 institution in the Carnegie Classification because
of the success that we have had. And for a university of our
size, that is pretty phenomenal with the resources that we
have.
And that is the type of unlocked, untapped talent that is
resident within all of these schools, because what really makes
you great in research is having great faculty, but also having
great students, right, to carry out those research agendas. And
this type of program that you have would allow us to make a lot
of progress on attracting the kinds of students who can engage
in the world-class research that our faculty already do.
Mr. Davis. Thank you very much. Thank you to the panel.
The Chairman. The gentleman's time has expired.
Mr. Allen, 5 minutes.
Mr. Allen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And of course, what an honor it is to be here today and
talk about our own Paine College there in my district, which
was founded by the United Methodist Church, which I am a proud
member of, and a proud supporter of Paine College, and of
course, Fort Valley in our state as well.
And real quickly, I really don't understand why we are
having problems at all universities recruiting folks in
agriculture. I am a member of the Hephzibah Agriculture Club,
and we had an extension agent that came down from Atlanta and
talked to us. And he told a young lady who didn't know one end
of a chicken from another, who, for whatever reason, decided
maybe that is something she should get involved in, and he got
her involved in 4-H and she started doing demonstrations; ended
up getting a full ride to the University of Georgia on a
poultry science scholarship; graduated top of her class. And
she had like 12 offers in six figures to go to work in the
poultry industry.
So there are lots of opportunities, and somehow we have to
figure that out and get our messaging out and get our young
people more directed into these jobs that we need to fill out
there. Particularly in my district, it is cyber. It is all
about cyber and high tech and that sort of thing. Somebody told
me there are over a million job openings in that industry
across this country right now.
So with that, my first question is, and, Dr. Jones, I will
start with you. These universities were started for a purpose.
And how do we stay the course by giving those who otherwise
wouldn't have this opportunity to get the kind of education
that you are offering? Because, obviously, Paine and Fort
Valley and many others I have heard here today have outstanding
graduates. How do we give those folks who otherwise wouldn't
have that opportunity an opportunity to do this?
Dr. Jones. This is a wonderful opportunity here today as we
look at these scholarships. That is greatly needed. Many of us
can speak to the need. Having served at several colleges,
universities across the country, I have to be honest and say, I
don't know that I quite understood that before joining this
university less than a year ago.
What I see here are students, they may come with meager
beginnings, but they have extraordinary opportunity. But
unfortunately, because of the lack of, or limited, resources,
we struggle oftentimes in helping them get to that mark. And so
to have something like this, as I would say to my colleagues,
is a game changer, is a life-changing opportunity for our
universities to help not only African American students,
because that's where the focus is today, but it is what it is
going to do for our nation.
Mr. Allen. What I am saying, and I also serve on the
Education and the Workforce Committee, somehow we have to get
to these young people earlier. And my kids went to an inner
city high school. We had 500 freshman in the high school and we
graduated 250. What happened to those other 250 kids? It is
tragic. How can we get to them when they are younger, some
teachers tell me you got to get to them before middle school
because that is when it goes off the charts.
But is there any strategy to get into the the 4 to 6 or 4
to 9 formative ages and get these folks on a career path and
say, ``Hey, you have an opportunity here? This is why you need
to get an education.''
Dr. Jackson-Hammond. I thank you so very much for that
question, and I want to share with you the importance of
agricultural education. And we have just started our School of
Ag Ed. And the purpose of the ag ed is to prepare ag education
teachers who are in the P-12 schools working with 4th, 5th, 6th
graders very early on a track. When you talk about the Future
Farmers of America, 4-H Club, Tri-C Club, these are our
opportunities for students and families to know very early
there is a ``projectory'' that leads to a college degree. Our
School of Ag Ed just started, and so we are having an enormous
amount of impact in rural communities where students may not
have even thought about going to school, but they know that
there should be something more and something better out there
if they could just have a ``projectory'' to follow. And that is
what we are doing with our education program.
Mr. Allen. Right. That is great news. Thank you. Yes.
Dr. Bell. May I just add that one of the things that our
agriculture students engage in is a program called MANRRS,
which is Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and
Related Sciences. We have started a junior MANRRS program at
our institution that brought in about 150 middle school
students to participate and to learn more about the
agricultural profession, to work on our farm with our students.
And so that has been very successful in piquing the interest of
students in the agriculture profession. I believe that that is
one way to address building that pipeline that we so
desperately need.
Mr. Allen. You are on it. Great.
Dr. Bell. Yes.
Mr. Allen. I yield back.
The Chairman. The gentleman's time has expired.
Mr. Scott, any closing words?
Mr. David Scott of Georgia. Yes. Thank you very much Mr.
Chairman. Thank you and your staff for pulling this hearing on
the bill together.
But first of all, I would like to give a response to
Congressman King's point because it is very, very important for
everyone to know that this is an equal opportunity bill; no if,
ands, and buts about it. It is very important for everybody to
know that the 1890s were founded on the principle of equal
opportunity, because the 1890s came to fruition because of the
Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court decision which maintained that
we have a doctrine of separate but equal. And the 1890s have
been striving to be equal.
The one thing that has held the 1890s back is that they
were never given the necessary resources to achieve that
equality. We want to make sure to clear the air, and I may
mention in each of the sections where Congressman King
mentioned we mentioned African Americans, if I may state, that
the title of this Act is the following: This Act, and this is
page 2 of the bill, ``This Act may be cited as the `Funding for
Student Scholarships for the 1890s Land-Grant African-American
Colleges and Universities' ''. It does not say funding for
African American student scholarships. We want to make that
clear.
And where we do reference the African Americans, as he
pointed out in three other areas, on page 3, we say: ``There is
a great need to increase the number of young African-Americans
seeking careers in the food and agricultural sciences''. There
is inequality in the job market of careers because we have not
had the resources to prepare the young people for that.
And then on page 5, it says: ``To increase the number of
young African-American individuals seeking a career in the food
and agricultural sciences . . . including agribusiness, food
production, distribution, and retailing, the clothing
industries, energy and renewable fuels, and farming marketing,
finance, and distribution.''
And then finally, on page 5, it says: ``To provide
scholarships to African-American students seeking careers in
the food and agricultural sciences.''
So I wanted to make sure as we go forward, and Mr.
Chairman, as I mentioned, we have two White constituents,
fellow Members of Congress who are graduates of this
institution. It is very important as we go forward that the
record reflects that the 1890s and this bill is about equal
opportunity for all, White, Latino, any and everybody that will
come would have an opportunity.
However, we know of the shortage and the low number of
careers in this burgeoning area of agriculture and
agribusinesses that the African American kids are not allowed
to get into. And that is where we referenced that, so that we
continue to strive for equality. Thank you.
The Chairman. Well, I thank the gentleman. I thank the
three witnesses for being with us today. I appreciate your
patience with me trying to maintain the clock, but everybody
has a lot to say on these important issues. And those who
didn't get to testify, thank you for making the trip to
Washington to be in support of this legislation.
As Mr. Peterson mentioned, this is our last hearing. This
session of Congress will adjourn sine die shortly. And so we
will need to start all of this exercise over again, as is the
requirement of the House Rules that we form a new Congress
altogether in the 115th Congress.
But I want to thank my fellow Members for the good work we
have had. Hopefully, we haven't worn you out with too many
hearings.
We anticipate in the 115th Congress we will have to take up
the CFTC reauthorization. We will have to take up, of course,
the reauthorization of the farm bill, and we need also at the
front, harvest all of that great work that Jackie Walorski and
James P. McGovern did on the SNAP 2 year review. That report is
being released this morning. And so we have a lot of work to do
in the next Congress. David, I look forward to working with you
on that.
Under the Rules of the Committee, the record of today's
hearing will remain open for 10 calendar days to receive
additional materials and supplemental written responses to any
questions posed by a Member. If there are things that you
prefer to have placed in the record that you didn't get to talk
about because we ran out of time with the clock, please submit
those to us. We will put those in the official record of this
hearing and then it will be a part of the work that goes
forward when this bill is, I suspect, reintroduced in the 115th
Congress.
With that, the Committee on Agriculture hearing is
adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 12:04 p.m., the Committee was adjourned.]
[all]