Dec 7: Spelman’s President Shares Strategies to Reduce Student Debt

Spelman’s President Shares Strategies to Reduce Student Debt

In a written response to the Wall Street Journal article, "Which Schools Leave Parents With the Most College Loan Debt?," Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., president of Spelman, outlined the College’s comprehensive plan to reduce the debt burden for current and future students.

In "Spelman’s President Shares Strategies to Reduce Student Debt," on Spelman.edu, Dr. Campbell points out that the U.S. Department of Education data on parent plus loans was no surprise to Spelman administrators.

"Spelman’s in-depth study into the financial aid needs of our students several years ago reinforced our understanding of one of this country’s fundamental inequities: high performing, high need students are drastically underfunded," Dr. Campbell wrote. "If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that racial fault lines continue to make the lives of African Americans quantitatively harder than those of non-Black Americans. This is a disquieting realization."

Faced with that data, the College began an aggressive campaign to reduce the need for loans, by raising new financial aid funds, finding ways internally to lower the cost of attendance for students, and identifying new revenue sources for the College.

"We are changing our financial architecture and we are inviting those who believe in educational excellence for Black women to join us in building the same type of financial aid support that our academic peers enjoy," Dr. Campbell wrote.

Spelman and Morehouse Colleges to Hold Annual Christmas Carol Concert Virtually

The 94th Annual Spelman-Morehouse Christmas Carol Concert will, for the first time ever, be held as a virtual event.

The one-hour concert, which will take place at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020, will be streamed via Spelman.edu and the Spelman College Facebook page, as well as the Morehouse College YouTube page.

This year’s celebration will combine virtual choir performances with past recordings of concert favorites like Morehouse’s popular rendition of "Betelehemu" and Spelman’s "We Are Christmas" and "Children Go Where I Send Thee," arranged by Kevin Johnson, DMD, associate professor and Spelman Glee Club director.

The performance will also include interviews with Dr. Johnson; Joyce Johnson, D.Mus., Spelman organist and professor emerita of music; and David Morrow, D.M.A., director of the Morehouse College Glee Club.

The concert, which began in December 1927, was established by Florence Matilda Read, former Spelman president, and John Hope, then president of Morehouse, to usher in the holiday season in the city of Atlanta.

Spelman Among the Top Institutions Leading in Study Abroad

For the fifth consecutive year, Spelman ranked among the top baccalaureate institutions for producing the highest number of students who studied abroad in 2018-2019.

Spelman is ranked No. 15 in the nation according to the Institute for International Education’s Open Door report.

Spelman ranked No. 17 in 2017-2018. In 2016-2017, Spelman earned the No. 18 spot on the annual list, and in 2015-2016, the College ranked No. 25.

The Open Doors report focuses on students who study abroad for credit only. During the 2018-2019 academic year Spelman sent 474 students abroad, 400 of those students participated in credit-bearing programs.

"While the pandemic has temporarily halted our momentum in climbing to the top 10, we are still heartened by this news," said 'Dimeji Togunde, Ph.D., professor of international studies and the vice provost for global education in the Gordon-Zeto Center for Global Education. "We look forward to the opportunity to resume study abroad engagement with our students and faculty as soon as their safety and wellbeing can be more assured."

Spelman Junior Asja Woodard Shares Her Commitment to Heart Justice During Virtual Roundtable

Asja Woodard, C’2022, joined several aspiring health care professionals to discuss health justice as part of an event sponsored by the American Heart Association.

The Youth Led Health Justice Roundtable, was the first of two events led by AHA to highlight racial disparities in health care access and outcomes. The panel consisted of AHA’s EmPOWERED to Serve and HBCU Scholars.

Woodard, a health sciences major, was a 2019-2020 American Heart Association HBCU Scholar. She chose health justice, she said, because it is personal for her.

"For me, working toward health justice is for my family, my community, and the people I interact with every day," she said. "People should know that health justice is essential to providing equal access to health resources. My goal is to become a cardiologist and work in underserved communities to reduce the drastic differences in life expectancy and quality of life for Black people and other people of color."

Alumna Named Assistant General Manager of America’s Busiest Airport

Jai Ferrell, C’2005, who has been serving as the interim assistant general manager at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport will now have the role permanently.

The announcement was made Nov. 18, 2020.

As assistant general manager, Ferrell’s responsibilities include oversight of the Airport’s commercial development division, which is responsible for properties and airline affairs, concessions, parking, advertising, external real estate development, air service development and marketing and brand strategy.

Ferrell, who most recently served as the airport’s director of marketing, recently launched the airport’s ATL Experience ambassador program, which features Hank Aaron, Sara Blakely, Dikembe Mutombo, Killer Mike, Ludacris and a host of Atlanta-based influencers.

A member of the 2019 Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 40 Under 40 class, Ferrell earned a degree in theater studies from Spelman.