In time of 'mishaps,' a plan to save Cheyney

WHEN CHEYNEY University President Michelle Howard-Vital attended homecoming last year, in her second year as head of the nation's oldest historically black institution of higher education, what moved her were the stories of how the school had turned around the lives of alumni, faculty and staff.

Howard-Vital soon hopes to be able to tell a similar story about turning around the school itself.

"We certainly have had our share of mishaps," she said. "What usually gets out is only our mishaps. But what really sold me on Cheyney . . . is it started from such a quality place. I wanted to bring it back to that quality because it has a legacy, not only in the commonwealth but also in America.

"You don't want to see an institution like that slip away."

Howard-Vital has her work cut out for her. News broke last week that the 173-year-old university received a warning letter from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education for failing to meet three of 14 standards, including allocation of resources.

The commission grants accreditation for colleges and universities, and loss of that accreditation would mean students no longer could qualify for federal financial aid.

"Be assured, we are addressing the issues raised in the letter and will rectify any problems that might exist," Howard-Vital said. "The university remains fully accredited, and I am confident that we will become an even stronger university as a result of many ongoing efforts."

Among those efforts is a $9 million fundraising campaign over the next four years.

"Cheyney has a history of always living on a shoestring budget," she said. "We know that's not going to change if we only depend on money from the state."

Howard-Vital said that the school is reaching out to seek funding from foundations, private donors, corporations and businesses.

"Cheyney didn't embrace the more-professional notion of fundraising until the recent past," she said. "The notion of building an endowment is still very new to us."

Along with raising money, Howard-Vital hopes to increase the student population. Her goal is to double the university's current enrollment of 1,500 in the next several years.

Capital improvements include building the school's first new residence hall in more than 30 years this spring; renovation of the Marian Anderson Music Center; and construction of a new science-and-technology center, scheduled to begin in 2011.

But beyond bricks and mortar, Howard-Vital hopes that several new programs will reinvigorate the school as well.

The Call Me MISTER (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) program encourages black men to pursue education degrees and to then work in area schools, where they serve not just as teachers, but as role models. Bill Cosby serves as honorary chairman of the program at Cheyney.

"Twenty years ago we had a good reputation for preparing the best teachers in the Philadelphia region, and we realize it's time to rekindle that," Howard-Vital said. "Teachers are the role models kids need to see to get them to go on to college."

Cheyney is also developing three "centers for excellence," where academics and funding will be expanded in signature programs like teaching and learning; natural and applied sciences; and communications media and entertainment arts.

"The centers are really a way of helping the university focus its resources to respond to the region and produce a quality product," Howard-Vital said.

For guidance as Cheyney officials navigate a changing financial, physical and academic landscape, a Cheyney University Advisory Team has been established. Many of the advisers, including former Howard University president H. Patrick Swygert, have expertise working with historically black colleges and universities.

"This is a group of people who'll take an objective look and provide useful advice on how to elevate the university in terms of the brand and quality," Howard-Vital said.

Despite the challenges, Howard-Vital knows she's in the right place because it's clear to her how Cheyney has influenced so many lives, including her own.

"No matter how hard the struggle has been," she said, "I know it's worthwhile."