[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 7 (Monday, February 18, 2002)]
[Pages 223-225]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Executive Order 13256--President's Board of Advisors on Historically 
Black Colleges and Universities

February 12, 2002

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and 
the laws of the United States of America, in order to advance the 
development of the Nation's full human potential and to advance equal 
opportunity in higher education, to strengthen the capacity of 
historically black colleges and universities to provide the highest 
quality education, and to increase opportunities for these institutions 
to participate in and benefit from Federal programs, as do other 
colleges

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and universities, it is hereby ordered as follows:
    Section 1. There is established, in the Office of the Secretary of 
Education, a Presidential advisory committee entitled the ``President's 
Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities'' 
(Board). The Board shall prepare and issue an annual report to the 
President on the results of the participation of historically black 
colleges and universities in Federal programs. The Board also shall 
provide advice to the President and to the Secretary of Education 
(Secretary) regarding the needs of historically black colleges and 
universities in the areas of infrastructure, academic programs, and 
faculty and institutional development. In the annual report to the 
President, the Board shall make recommendations on how to increase the 
private sector role, including the role of private foundations, in 
strengthening historically black colleges and universities. Particular 
emphasis should also be given in the report to enhancing institutional 
planning and development, strengthening fiscal stability and financial 
management, and improving institutional infrastructure, including the 
use of technology, to ensure the long-term viability and enhancement of 
these institutions.
    Sec. 2. The Board shall be appointed by the President. The Board 
membership shall include sitting presidents of historically black 
colleges and universities, representatives of other higher education 
institutions, business and financial leaders, representatives of private 
foundations, and secondary school administrators. The President shall 
designate a Chair or Co-Chairs from among the members.
    Sec. 3. The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges 
and Universities (Initiative), located in the Office of the Secretary of 
Education, shall: (1) provide staff, resources, and assistance to the 
Board; (2) assist the Secretary in performing the liaison function 
between the executive branch and historically black colleges and 
universities; and (3) serve the Secretary in carrying out the 
responsibilities described in section 6 of this order.
    Sec. 4. To carry out this order, each executive department and 
agency identified by the Secretary may, consistent with applicable law 
and regulations, enter into appropriate grants, contracts, or 
cooperative agreements with historically black colleges and 
universities. The head of each department or agency so identified shall 
establish an annual plan that will establish clear goals for how the 
department or agency intends to increase the capacity of historically 
black colleges and universities to compete effectively for grants, 
contracts, or cooperative agreements and to encourage historically black 
colleges and universities to participate in Federal programs. The 
department's or agency's annual goal should be clearly reflected in the 
department's or agency's annual budget submission to the Office of 
Management and Budget. To facilitate the attainment of these goals, the 
head of each department or agency identified by the Secretary shall 
provide, as appropriate, technical assistance and information to 
historically black colleges and universities regarding the program 
activities of the department or agency and the preparation of 
applications or proposals for grants, contracts, or cooperative 
agreements.
    Sec. 5. Each executive department and agency identified by the 
Secretary shall appoint a senior official, who is a full-time officer of 
the Federal Government, to report directly to the department or agency 
head with respect to department or agency activity under this order, and 
to serve as liaison to the Board and to the Initiative. To the extent 
permitted by law and regulations, each executive department and agency 
identified by the Secretary shall provide appropriate information 
requested by the Board and staff pursuant to the order.
    Sec. 6. Each executive department and agency identified by the 
Secretary shall develop an annual plan for, and shall document the 
agency's effort in, increasing the capacity of historically black 
colleges and universities to participate in Federal programs. Each 
department's and agency's plan shall describe new or existing department 
and agency programs and measurable objectives for proposed department 
and agency actions, in connection with those programs, to achieve the 
purposes of this order. These plans shall be submitted at such time and 
in such form as the Secretary shall require. In consultation

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with the participating departments and agencies, the Secretary shall 
review the plans and develop, with the advice of the Board, an 
integrated Annual Federal Plan for Assistance to Historically Black 
Colleges and Universities for submission to the President. The Secretary 
shall provide the president of each historically black college and 
university with a copy of, and an opportunity to comment on, the 
proposed Annual Federal Plan prior to its submission to the President. 
Each participating department and agency shall submit to the Secretary 
an Annual Performance Report that shall measure each department's and 
agency's performance against the objectives set forth in the 
department's or agency's annual plan. The Secretary shall be responsible 
for monitoring compliance with the Annual Federal Plan after it is 
approved by the President.
    Sec. 7. In developing its annual plan, each executive department and 
agency identified by the Secretary shall emphasize programs and 
activities that develop the capacity of historically black colleges and 
universities to contribute to the development of human capital and to 
strengthen America's economic and technological base through: (1) 
infrastructure development and acquisitions for instruction and 
research; (2) student and faculty doctoral fellowships and faculty 
development; (3) domestic and international faculty and student 
exchanges and study-abroad opportunities; (4) undergraduate and graduate 
student internships; and (5) summer, part-time, and permanent employment 
opportunities.
    Sec. 8. Each year, the Board shall report to the President on the 
progress achieved in enhancing the capacity of historically black 
colleges and universities to serve their students, including findings 
and recommendations for individual departments and agencies in 
connection with their Annual Performance Reports, as described in 
section 6 of this order.
    Sec. 9. The Board, in consultation with the Department of Education 
and other executive departments and agencies, shall develop a Private 
Sector Strategy to assist historically black colleges and universities 
in: (1) increasing voluntary private-sector contributions to support the 
enhancement of endowments and the overall financial stability of such 
institutions; (2) improving and enhancing the quality and number of 
private-sector partnerships focused on academic program development, 
student achievement and faculty development, cooperative research and 
development projects, and faculty exchanges; and (3) improving 
information management, and facilities, and strengthening academic 
course offerings.
    Sec. 10. (a) The provisions in this Executive Order shall be 
implemented to the fullest extent permitted by law.
    (b) The Department of Education shall provide funding and 
administrative support for the Board and the Initiative.
    (c) Members of the Board shall serve without compensation, but shall 
be reimbursed for all travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
subsistence, as authorized by law;
    (d) Insofar as the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, may 
apply to the Board, any functions of the President under that Act, 
except for those in section 6 of that Act, shall be performed by the 
Department of Education, in accordance with the guidelines that have 
been issued by the Administrator of General Services.
    Sec. 11. Executive Order 12876 of November 1, 1993, as amended, is 
hereby revoked.
                                                George W. Bush
 The White House,
 February 12, 2002.

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., February 13, 
2002]

Note: This Executive order was published in the Federal Register on 
February 14.