Washtenaw Community College, Central State University sign HBCU transfer partnership; HBCU Day hosts 400+ high school students

Above (from left): Dr. Eric Reed, Washtenaw Community College, Dean of Student Access, Success, Equity and Inclusion; Dr. Tammi Love, Central State University, Director of Admissions and Recruitment; Dr. Arletha McSwain, Central State University, Vice Provost of Access & Enrollment Management; Dr. Rose B. Bellanca, Washtenaw Community College, President; William G. Milliken Jr., Washtenaw Community College, Board of Trustees Vice Chair.

Representatives from Central State University signed a partnership on May 3 to join the HBCU Pathway program offered to Washtenaw Community College (WCC) transfer students.

The partnership was made official during the backdrop of WCC’s second annual HBCU Day, in which more than 400 high schools students visited the campus to learn about the pathway that helps students easily transfer to one of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

With the CSU signing, WCC is now partnered with seven HBCUs throughout the country, with most offering guaranteed admission, in-state tuition, priority housing consideration, ease of credit transfers, scholarship access, advising, and many other support services.

WCC’s HBCU Pathway partners are:

• Alabama A&M
• Alabama State University 
• Central State University (Ohio)
• Tuskegee University (Alabama)
• Jackson State University (Mississippi)
• Mississippi Valley State University
• Southern University - New Orleans (Louisiana)

Committed to student success

WCC President Dr. Rose B. Bellanca welcomed Central State University guests and community leaders at the signing ceremony.

“Washtenaw Community College is committed to student success. This partnership with Central State paves the way for students to achieve their dreams of attending one of our country’s premier HBCUs and to make their mark in the world,” Bellanca said. 

Dr. Arletha McSwain, vice provost of Access and Enrollment Management representing Central State University’s Interim President, Dr. Alex Johnson, signed the partnership agreement. 

“We are thrilled to solidify this HBCU Pathway partnership. Our collaboration with Washtenaw’s students has been ongoing, and we eagerly anticipate this agreement streamlining the transfer process, facilitating more students in achieving their educational aspirations at Central State,” McSwain said.

Located in Wilberforce, Ohio, Central State boasts a storied heritage with its roots beginning at Wilberforce University, the oldest private HBCU in the nation. Since its inception in 1887, Central State has been dedicated to teacher training and vocational education, marking the genesis of a legacy honored today. Evolving over the years, Central State achieved independence and stands as Ohio’s sole public HBCU and 1890 Land-Grant Institution. It molds leaders in humanities, arts, social sciences, and education while fostering diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Representatives from all of WCC’s HBCU partner institutions were on hand throughout the day to share information from their schools with more than 400 visiting sophomores, juniors, and seniors from Ypsilanti Community Schools, Ann Arbor Community Schools, Lincoln Consolidated Schools, and others throughout the county.

HBCU Day culminated in a Central State University Invincible Marching Marauders band performance and a Divine Nine Fraternity and Sorority Stroll Off in the Community Park on WCC’s campus. 

Events of the day are sponsored by a grant from Washtenaw County.