[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 41 (Friday, March 3, 2017)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 12499-12502]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-04357]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 82 , No. 41 / Friday, March 3, 2017 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 12499]]


                Executive Order 13779 of February 28, 2017

                
White House Initiative To Promote Excellence and 
                Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and 
                Universities

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, and in order to advance opportunities in 
                higher education, it is hereby ordered as follows:

                Section 1. Policy. Historically black colleges and 
                universities (HBCUs) have made, and continue to make, 
                extraordinary contributions to the general welfare and 
                prosperity of our country. Established by visionary 
                leaders, America's HBCUs have, for more than 150 years, 
                produced many of our Nation's leaders in business, 
                government, academia, and the military, and have helped 
                create a black middle class. The Nation's more than 100 
                HBCUs are located in 20 States, the District of 
                Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and serve more 
                than 300,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional 
                students. These institutions are important engines of 
                economic growth and public service, and they are proven 
                ladders of intergenerational advancement.

                A White House Initiative on HBCUs would: advance 
                America's full human potential; foster more and better 
                opportunities in higher education; strengthen the 
                capacity of HBCUs to provide the highest-quality 
                education; provide equitable opportunities for HBCUs to 
                participate in Federal programs; and increase the 
                number of college-educated Americans who feel empowered 
                and able to advance the common good at home and abroad.

                Sec. 2. White House Initiative on HBCUs.

                    (a) Establishment. There is established the White 
                House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and 
                Universities (Initiative), housed in the Executive 
                Office of the President and led by an Executive 
                Director designated by the President.
                    (b) Mission and Functions. The Initiative shall 
                work with agencies, private-sector employers, 
                educational associations, philanthropic organizations, 
                and other partners to increase the capacity of HBCUs to 
                provide the highest-quality education to an increasing 
                number of students. The Initiative shall have two 
                primary missions:

(i) increasing the private-sector role, including the role of private 
foundations, in:

  (A) strengthening HBCUs through enhanced institutional planning and 
development, fiscal stability, and financial management; and

  (B) upgrading institutional infrastructure, including the use of 
technology, to ensure the long-term viability of these institutions; and

(ii) enhancing HBCUs' capabilities to serve our Nation's young adults by:

  (A) strengthening HBCUs' ability to equitably participate in Federal 
programs and exploring new ways of improving the relationship between the 
Federal Government and HBCUs;

  (B) fostering private-sector initiatives and public-private partnerships 
while promoting specific areas and centers of academic research and 
program-based excellence throughout HBCUs;

[[Page 12500]]

  (C) improving the availability, dissemination, and quality of information 
concerning HBCUs in the public policy sphere;

  (D) sharing administrative and programmatic best practices within the 
HBCU community;

  (E) partnering with elementary and secondary education stakeholders to 
build a ``cradle-to-college'' pipeline; and

  (F) convening an annual White House Summit on HBCUs to address, among 
other topics, matters related to the Initiative's missions and functions.

                    (c) Federal Agency Plans.

(i) The Secretary of Education (Secretary), in consultation with the 
Executive Director, shall identify those agencies that regularly interact 
with HBCUs.

(ii) Each agency identified by the Secretary under subsection (c)(i) of 
this section shall prepare an annual plan (Agency Plan) describing its 
efforts to strengthen the capacity of HBCUs to participate in applicable 
Federal programs and initiatives. Where appropriate, each Agency Plan shall 
address, among other things, the agency's proposed efforts to:

  (A) establish how the agency intends to increase the capacity of HBCUs to 
compete effectively for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements;

  (B) identify Federal programs and initiatives where HBCUs are not well 
represented, and improve HBCUs' participation in those programs and 
initiatives; and

  (C) encourage public-sector, private-sector, and community involvement in 
improving the overall capacity of HBCUs.

(iii) The head of each agency identified in subsection (c)(i) of this 
section shall submit its Agency Plan to the Secretary and the Executive 
Director no later than 90 days after being so identified, and submit an 
updated Agency Plan annually thereafter.

(iv) To help fulfill the objectives of the Agency Plans, the head of each 
agency identified by the Secretary may provide, as appropriate, technical 
assistance and information to the Executive Director to enhance 
communication with HBCUs concerning the agency's program activities and the 
preparation of applications or proposals for grants, contracts, or 
cooperative agreements.

(v) Each agency identified by the Secretary shall appoint a senior official 
to report directly to the agency head on that agency's progress under this 
order, and to serve as liaison to the Initiative.

                    (d) Interagency Working Group. There is established 
                an Interagency Working Group, which shall be chaired by 
                the Executive Director and shall consist of one 
                representative from each agency identified by the 
                Secretary pursuant to subsection (c)(i) of this 
                section, to help advance and coordinate the work 
                required by this order.

                Sec. 3. President's Board of Advisors on HBCUs.

                    (a) Establishment. There is established in the 
                Department of Education the President's Board of 
                Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and 
                Universities (Board). The Board shall consist of not 
                more than 25 members appointed by the President. The 
                Board shall include the Secretary, the Executive 
                Director, representatives of a variety of sectors--such 
                as philanthropy, education, business, finance, 
                entrepreneurship, innovation, and private foundations--
                and sitting HBCU presidents. The President shall 
                designate one member of the Board to serve as its 
                Chair, who shall help direct the Board's work in 
                coordination with the Secretary and in consultation 
                with the Executive Director. The Chair shall also 
                consult with the Executive Director regarding the time 
                and location of the Board's meetings, which shall take 
                place at least once every 6 months.

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                    (b) Mission and Functions. The Board shall advise 
                the President, through the Initiative, on all matters 
                pertaining to strengthening the educational capacity of 
                HBCUs. In particular, the Board shall advise the 
                President in the following areas:

(i) improving the identity, visibility, distinctive capabilities, and 
overall competitiveness of HBCUs;

(ii) engaging the philanthropic, business, government, military, homeland-
security, and education communities in a national dialogue regarding new 
HBCU programs and initiatives;

(iii) improving the ability of HBCUs to remain fiscally secure institutions 
that can assist the Nation in achieving its educational goals and in 
advancing the interests of all Americans;

(iv) elevating the public awareness of, and fostering appreciation of, 
HBCUs; and

(v) encouraging public-private investments in HBCUs.

                    (c) Administration. The Department of Education 
                shall provide funding and administrative support for 
                the Board, consistent with applicable law and subject 
                to the availability of appropriations. Members of the 
                Board shall serve without compensation, but shall be 
                reimbursed for travel expenses, including per diem in 
                lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law. Insofar as 
                the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 
                U.S.C. App.), may apply to the Board, any functions of 
                the President under that Act, except for those of 
                reporting to the Congress, shall be performed by the 
                Chair, in accordance with guidelines issued by the 
                Administrator of General Services.
                    (d) Report. The Board shall report annually to the 
                President on the Board's progress in carrying out its 
                duties under this section.

                Sec. 4. Revocation of Executive Order. Executive Order 
                13532 of February 26, 2010 (Promoting Excellence, 
                Innovation, and Sustainability at Historically Black 
                Colleges and Universities), as amended, is revoked.

                Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) For the purposes of 
                this order, ``historically black colleges and 
                universities'' shall mean those institutions listed in 
                34 CFR 608.2.

                    (b) This order shall apply to executive departments 
                and agencies designated by the Secretary. Those 
                departments and agencies shall provide timely reports 
                and such information as is required to effectively 
                carry out the objectives of this order.
                    (c) The heads of executive departments and agencies 
                shall assist and provide information to the Board, 
                consistent with applicable law, as may be necessary to 
                carry out the functions of the Board. Each executive 
                department and agency shall bear its own expenses of 
                participating in the Initiative.
                    (d) Nothing in this order shall be construed to 
                impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or 
the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

                    (e) This order shall be implemented consistent with 
                applicable law and subject to the availability of 
                appropriations.

[[Page 12502]]

                    (f) This order is not intended to, and does not, 
                create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, 
                enforceable at law or in equity by any party against 
                the United States, its departments, agencies, or 
                entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any 
                other person.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    February 28, 2017.

[FR Doc. 2017-04357
Filed 3-2-17; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F7-P