FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 14, 2006
Contact: John Reid
Director of Communications
(202) 224-4746
“Major Victory for Historically Black Colleges and Universities” Proclaims Senator George Allen after Senate Adopts HBCU Amendment
First Introduced by Allen in 2003, Bill Aiding Minority Serving Institutions Added to Military Appropriations Measure
WASHINGTON, DC – In a major victory for historically black colleges and universities and the nation’s competitiveness, the U.S. Senate tonight adopted Senator George Allen’s (R-VA) historic and ground breaking legislation that will enhance the technology infrastructure at minority serving institutions. The measure was included as an amendment to the military construction appropriations bill. The legislation—first introduced by Senator Allen in 2003—will provide much needed funding in the form of grants to help historically black colleges and universities upgrade their technical capabilities and hire much needed faculty to impart the knowledge that Senator Allen says is “so vital to the future competitiveness of America.”
Senator Allen’s Minority Serving Institution Digital and Wireless Technology Opportunity Act of 2005 has passed the Senate twice, but failed in the U.S. House. Since he first introduced the bill in 2003, Senator Allen has worked tirelessly with educators and leaders of minority serving institutions to push the legislation through Congress. In fact, in a visit to historic Hampton University in August and in a major address to 400 educators and leaders of the National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Conference in September, Senator Allen urged that action be taken on the legislation by both chambers of Congress before the end of the year because “many of our historically black colleges and universities are a legacy of “separate and unequal” policies, and many do not have the financial foundations or endowments that help fund technological infrastructure. As a result, students have less opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills that lead to IT jobs.”
Senator Allen’s long advocacy of supporting minority serving institutions extends to his days as Governor. In recent years, Senator Allen has argued that in order for America to be the “world capital of innovation,” it must do a better job matriculating students in engineering, science and technology including those studying such fields at historically black colleges and universities.
“If you look at the Americans who are graduating from engineering schools in this country, only 15 percent of them are women, only about 6 percent are African Americans, and about 6 percent are Latinos. That is simply not enough,” says Senator Allen. “It means women and minorities in this country are not participating fully in the enormous opportunities of this Information Age and that America is not benefiting from its greatest competitive resource – the talent and ingenuity of our people.
“Since my days as Governor, I’ve been privileged to visit the fine minority serving institutions and colleges throughout Virginia. I have met with so many motivated and talented students and their outstanding faculty and administrators. These are the best of America and we must do everything possible to support the technological capabilities of these schools so that their students will be able to graduate into the high paying jobs that are so important to the future of Virginia and indeed, America,” said Senator Allen tonight.
Posted By: Jehan Bunch
Monday, November 27th 2006 at 12:07PM
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