@Claflin: Claflin Ranked a "Top 10 HBCU" and "Top 10 Best Regional College in the South" and more

The World Needs Visionaries

Claflin Ranked a "Top 10 HBCU" and "Top 10 Best Regional College in the South" by U.S. News and World Report

Claflin University's rigorous, student-focused academic programs and a faculty comprised of world-class scholars contributed to U.S. News and World Report ranking Claflin ninth in its 2021 list of the nation's top historically black colleges/universities (HBCUs). Claflin has earned a place among the Top 10 HBCUs in the publication's prestigious ranking for 10 consecutive years.

U.S. News and World Report also ranked Claflin University ninth overall among the schools in the Best Regional Colleges in the South rankings. These are institutions that focus on undergraduate education but grant fewer than half their degrees in liberal arts disciplines. Regional Colleges rankings are split into four regions: North, South, Midwest and West.

"Claflin's rankings by U.S. News and World Report affirms the University's emergence as one of the nation's premier institutions of higher education," said Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack, president of Claflin University. "We are gratified by the national attention the University receives from this coveted ranking. However, our goal is to be consistently recognized as one of the nation's best institutions among all colleges and universities."

HBCUs listed in U.S. News and World Report are compared only with each other for these rankings. In order to be on the list, a school must be currently designated by the U.S. Department of Education as an HBCU. To qualify for U.S. News rankings, an HBCU also must be an undergraduate baccalaureate-granting institution that enrolls primarily first-year, first-time students and must be a school that is part of the 2021 Best Colleges rankings.

In total, 79 HBCUs were eligible to be included on the list; 77 of those were ranked and two were unranked. Among the 77 ranked HBCUs, schools that place in the top three-fourths display their individual ranks. The remaining ranked schools display the bottom quartile numerical ranking range and are listed alphabetically.

As a part of the Best Regional Colleges in the South ranking, Claflin University is also listed as number 14 in the category of Top Performers on Social Mobility. Claflin was ranked due to its success in advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants. Most of these federal grants are awarded to students whose adjusted gross family incomes are under $50,000.

Founded in 1869, Claflin's proud legacy of academic excellence and for producing globally-engaged visionary leaders spans more than 150 years. Claflin is South Carolina's oldest HBCU and the state's first institution of higher education to provide educational opportunities to all students regardless of gender, race, religion, or ethnic origin.

Claflin University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate and master's degrees. The University is also listed by the University Senate General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church.

Specific programs at the University are also accredited or approved by the following bodies:

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
South Carolina State Board of Education
Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)

To view Claflin University's rankings with U.S. News and World Report, visit https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/claflin-university-3424.

UNCF to Host National Virtual Walk for Education

How do you stay safe during a pandemic, raise money for a great cause and get some exercise in on the side? Through the UNCF National Virtual Walk for Education®, of course! The new digital fundraiser replaces the annual in-person walk events that many of the UNCF local offices conduct each spring, summer and fall, taking what's typically been a market-by-market approach on to a fully nationwide event.

The revamped, highly anticipated UNCF National Virtual Walk for Education® aims to raise funds to support historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and the students they serve through the help of individuals, corporations and other group donors. While the country is practicing social distancing, the event will engage participants in activities to walk, run, cycle and dance safely-all while having fun and still raising money for UNCF. The Walk is set for 2 p.m. EDT/1 p.m. CDT/11 a.m. PDT on Saturday, September 19. Click here to view the event.

The event will feature performances by Anthony Hamilton and Questlove with appearances by Shaquille O'Neal, Lynn Whitfield, Jonathan Slocumb, Wendell Pierce and others. A longtime UNCF supporter, Grammy® Award-winning R&B singer Anthony Hamilton has previously supported UNCF events such as the 2019 UNCF Mayor's Masked Balls in Charlotte and Birmingham. Legendary NBA Star and sports analyst Shaquille O'Neal supported UNCF at the 2018 Atlanta Mayor's Masked Ball. Actress and producer Lynn Whitfield recently graced the stage as host for the 2020 "A Mind Is..." National Gala in March and made an appearance at Atlanta's UNCF Mayor's Masked Ball in 2018. And, comedian and actor Jonathan Slocumb served as emcee at the New Orleans UNCF Mayor's Masked Ball in 2019.

"For more than 76 years, UNCF has fueled HBCUs with vital resources to educate generations of African American and other minority students," said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO, UNCF. "During an unprecedented time in our history compounded by COVID-19 and racial disparities, our students and institutions are faced with enormous challenges now more than ever. We are at risk of washing away a generation of talented and deserving African American and minority students. We need as many donations as possible right now because the students we help now will be our next generation of doctors, nurses, biologists, virologists, epidemiologists, teachers-the pandemic frontliners of the future. We invite everyone to join our new National Virtual Walk for Education to help ensure better futures for us all."

A UNCF survey of more than 5,000 students across 17 HBCUs found that many are dealing with difficulties such as sick family members, trouble paying bills and general stress from the ongoing pandemic and recent protests against police brutality. Support is needed now more than ever as students and institutions are faced with challenges including COVID-19 and racial disparities.

Current national sponsors of the UNCF National Virtual Walk for Education® are at the National Doctorate Level, Colgate-Palmolive and Global Payment, Inc.; National Master's Level, Arch Capital Group, LTD., Bayer, Essentia Water and Goldman Sachs.

Claflin University to Host 2020 UNCF Ecumenical Day of Prayer

Claflin University will host the 2020 UNCF Ecumenical Day of Prayer on Saturday, October 3, at 9 a.m. This virtual event (to be aired on Claflin's YouTube page) is a fundraiser to support scholarships for Claflin University students. The program will include musical performances by the Claflin University Concert Choir, D.R.E.A.M. Gospel Choir and Minister Rosemary Griffin and Friends.

During the program, various ministers will also offer prayers for various aspects of our lives. Featured ministers include Pastor Eddie Williams, Trinity United Methodist Church (Orangeburg, SC); Rev. Carol Rexroad Cannon, St. Andrew's United Methodist Church (Orangeburg, S.C.); Rev. Melissa Green, Greater St. John AME Church (Rowesville, S.C.); Pastor JP Sibley, New City Fellowship Church (Orangeburg, S.C.); Rev. Larry McCutcheon, Claflin University; and Bishop Donald Oliver, Edisto Drive Church of God (Orangeburg, S.C.).

To sponsor, please visit https://alumni.claflin.edu/UNCFPrayer.

For more information, please call (803) 535-5375 or email vlingard@claflin.edu.

Faculty News

Dr. Nan Li, professor in the School of Education, has edited a new resource for educators who specialize in teacher education. Titled A Research Perspective: Preparing Pre-Service Teachers for Academic Success Across South Carolina, the publication addresses the factors that contribute to the academic success of undergraduate education majors or pre-service teachers. Other faculty and administration who contributed to the manuscript and served as co-authors include Dr. Zia Hasan, vice president for planning assessment and information services; Dr. Verlie Tisdale, interim vice provost for academic programs and professor of biology; Dr. Anthony Broughton, assistant professor of education; and Dr. Dywanna Smith, assistant professor of education. President Dwaun J. Warmack wrote the foreward of the book. Click here to purchase the publication.

Alumni News

Congratulations to Dr. Travis Griffin, '13, who earned his doctorate in educational leadership at Northcentral University in San Diego, Calif. Dr. Griffin currently is the assistant principal at Ridgeland Elementary School in Ridgeland, S.C., where he has served for the past four years. While at Claflin, he was a member of the Call Me MISTER program, the baseball team and president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Marcus Hamilton, '19, has been named Collegiate Journalist of the Year for 2019 by the South Carolina Press Association. The award annually goes to an outstanding student journalist as nominated by colleges and universities with under 5,000 enrollment. It is customarily presented in March at the SCPA annual meeting but the announcement was delayed in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Hamilton is the fifth Claflin mass communications student to win the award in six years.

Former Claflin University track athlete Faith McKie, 20, has been named a Top 30 honoree for the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year Award. Selected from a record 605 school nominees - a group that was then narrowed to 161 nominees by conference offices - the Top 30 honorees include 10 from each of the three NCAA divisions. All have demonstrated excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership. The honorees competed in 14 sports and studied a broad range of academic majors, including nursing, mechanical engineering, biochemistry, criminal justice, kinesiology, accounting and advertising. The selection committee will announce the nine finalists, including three women from each NCAA division, in mid-October. From those finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will select the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year. The Top 30 will be celebrated, and the Woman of the Year will be named this fall.

Brigadier General Twanda E. Young, '89, will celebrate her retirement from the United States Army on October 2, 2020, at 3 p.m., after more than 30 years of service. Young, who also served as deputy commanding general for the U.S. Army Human Resources Command, was the first female commissioned from the Bulldog Battalion ROTC program to earn the rank of Brigadier General. Click here to view the virtual ceremony on Facebook.