Huston-Tillotson University

 www.htu.edu

Dr. Larry L. Earvin

Greetings,

In a few years, Huston-Tillotson will celebrate 135 years of providing educational opportunities to young men and women seeking college degrees. The efforts of the institution have produced some of the nation’s finest ministers, educators, business executives, and community and national leaders. Huston-Tillotson has a legacy of providing solutions to challenges in higher education. During its founding, those challenges were rooted in lack of access because of the color of one’s skin. Despite recent claims of a post-racial era, access continues to be a challenge with the lingering effects of prior social status and economic means as major obstacles.

The Old Administration Building is now the Anthony and Louise Viaer - Alumni Hall. Alumnus Anthony E. Viaer, class of 1958, presented the University with a $1 million gift for scholarships.

Many of our students are first generation students who are often unprepared for the rigor of advanced academic study; this was the impetus for Huston-Tillotson implementing the Pathways to Academic Success and Socialization (PASS) in August 2004. PASS is an intervention system that helps students assimilate into the academic and social life of the University. A cohort of 50 first generation students was included in the initial program and given the skills and focused attention to enable their success.

On the other end of the spectrum is the University’s honors program. The William Edward Burghardt DuBois Honors Program was established in spring 2003 in order to provide new opportunities for academically talented students by fostering an environment for the pursuit of academic excellence. The first nine students in the program graduated in 2007. By maintaining at least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average throughout their matriculation, these students receive renewable scholarships, participate in community service projects, earn academic honors, and study abroad.

A new complex is on the drawing boards for the University that will enable these and other programs. Despite the recent multimillion dollar restoration of the University’s Old Administration Building, more than thirty years have passed since a new building was constructed. The campus expansion reflects the central role the University will play in meeting the educational challenges of today.

We are proud of our accomplishments to date: the move to University status, our Carnegie Classification, Fulbright scholars, and an enrollment at a 25-year high. The support of our partners like The United Methodist Church, Board of Trustees, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends, bode well for Huston-Tillotson’s future.

-- President Dr. Larry L. Earvin

Huston-Tillotson Concert Choir under the direction of Dr. Gloria Quinlan.	King-Seabrook Chapel is the home of many official HT programs such as Charter Day, Honors Convocation, and symposia.

Brittany Thomas, a Huston-Tillotson University senior, was crowned Miss HT for the 2007-2008 academic year. She is an honors student, majoring in Business Administration. Thomas, age 21, attended the Booker T. Washington High School of Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, Texas.