Nashville – January 1: January 1, 2016 at . . . [+ ] Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
In the 1940s and 1950s, Fisker University was vibrant with one of the most impressive faculties in the nation , including writer and poet Langston Hughes, writer and composer James Weldon Johnson, sociologist Charles Spurgeon Johnson, poets Arna Bontemps and Countee Cullin, and painter Aaron Douglas. The Nashville-based university is the first historically black college and university (HBCU) to have a chapter of the prestigious academic honor society Phi Beta Kappa. Plus, the agency is a philanthropist in the minds of influential philanthropists who consistently make huge donations. However, starting in the mid-1960s, the institution has had a tough time while navigating the social unrest of that era.
Portrait of African American Painter Aaron Douglas (1899 – 1979) , longtime professor Fisk… [+] University, leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance, Painting on his easel, Tennessee, circa 1970s. (Photo by Robert Abbott Senstark/Getty Images)
In the decades that followed, Fisk experienced erratic admissions, frequent leadership changes, and intermittent financial instability. Despite these challenges, the institution has been academically strong and has never lost its footing in producing students who go on to graduate degrees, including doctoral and medical degrees. Fisk is consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report Ten HBCUs, currently ranked 13th in the news media’s ranking of top performers on social mobility.
Amid the nation’s financial struggles, recent racial unrest, and the Covid-19 pandemic, Fisker University has been quietly turning things around. Over the past few years, the institution’s enrollment has grown from 630 to 1,041, making the institution the largest student population since 1979. Also, with the test scores from 54th to 71 st Percentile of the national average. Fisk has also benefited from a top-notch fundraising campaign, doubling its total giving over the past few years.
Jens Frederiksen, Executive Vice-Chancellor, Fisk University, said: “Fisk is delivering and communicating amazing student outcomes, resulting in an extraordinary return on investment. Many of these unprecedented outcomes is the result of a concerted effort to invest in leadership and professional development programs.”
Fisk has just added the new Roland Parrish Career Center, its 35th year in The first new building. The institution has also secured financing in the past week to construct two new buildings: a living and learning facility that will accommodate the huge growth in the student body and provide an updated living/learning environment; and a 21st century arts and science building. In the words of Frederiksen, “Competition is fierce for these elite students, and accommodation remains a key factor in student choice. Fisk is their home away from home and we are committed to providing the best possible living/learning environment.”
Photograph of Fisk University Jubilee Singers, Nashville, Tennessee, 1871. (Photo by Afro-American…[+] Newspaper/Gado/Getty Images)
Fisk has Many comparative advantages – from its extraordinary art galleries (most of which were donated by artist Georgia O’Keeffe) to the internationally acclaimed Fisk Jubilee Singers, from its emphasis on social justice to its and mathematics) strengths. As Frederiksen explains, “The life sciences have been a big part of Fisk’s experience with the Meharry School of Medicine across the street and the Vanderbilt Bridge program, a science-focused master’s degree program. Fisk has been a leader in research spending. Ranked among the top 10 small liberal arts institutions, most of which are from STEM fields.”
The goal of the new Arts and Sciences Building is to create an experimental An academic building with rooms and resources that rivals the institutions Fisk students compete against every day. Frederiksen shared: “Fisk helps its students become the next generation of leaders and executives in a variety of industries. Research and innovation are essential to this mission, The University is strategically pushing to build an infrastructure commensurate with this vision.”
NASHVILLE – JANUARY 1: Jubilee Hall at Fisk University on January 1, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. … [+] (Photo by Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
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As mentioned earlier, Fisk has always Ranked among the best academically. The institution was recently ranked #1 in Academic Management by AcademicInfluence.com. According to Forbes Contributor Michael T According to Nietzel, academic stewardship is “a ratio calculated using a formula that quantifies the academic impact a university has achieved taking into account its overall resources. Think of it as comparing a school’s academic output to its Institutional revenue.” Frederiksen is excited about the ranking, which, from his perspective, “really demonstrates what Fisk has done over the past 5-6 years, and its unwavering commitment to providing a consistent Student outcomes comparable to top universities. Academic management rankings illustrate this excellent return on investment model and the thoughtful operation of the university as a sustainable small business, maximizing its resources for maximum impact.”
Fisk has had some bumpy decades, but according to Frederiksen, “it’s reprising its role as ‘the most powerful HBCU in the country’. It’s truly a unique institutions that have contributed enormously to the fabric of American life, and we believe that over the next decade, Fisker will once again be a dominant force in American education,” he added, emphasizing the importance of small, historically black institutions Sex, “So many bright minds rely on Fisk to help them realize their dreams and open new horizons of opportunity. The President, and the entire leadership structure, remains focused on realizing this vision for Fisk’s future.”
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