News

Johnson C. Smith University students, like students around the country, benefit from the federal TRiO Student Support Services Program. The program provides various services for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including low-income students and students with disabilities, as well as first-generation college students.

Celebrate National TRiO Day by reading about some of our students who benefit from this federally funded service.

The Johnson C. Smith University Debate Team recently participated in the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) annual debate tournament at the North Carolina Legislative Complex in Raleigh.

The team was presented with 10 unprecedented cases based on legal issues currently in litigation over the ethical issues of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity liabilities and responsibilities. Some of these issues included AI in art and entertainment, digital deep fakes and avatars, security liabilities in Big Tech and more. 

The first football meeting of two Historically Black Colleges (HBCUs) was held on December 27, 1892, between Livingstone College (LC) and Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU), which was known then as Biddle College. Almost 132 years later, the rivalry between these two institutions remains formidable to this day. JCSU won the first HBCU football game in 1892.

To continue this rival legacy, the Esports Clubs at both JCSU and LC, will converge on the electronic gridiron in the inaugural JCSU Esports Commemorative Classic on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024.

Edgar Ruth, founder and president of Environmental Service Systems, LLC, said that donating $15,000 to the Johnson C. Smith University College of Business and Professional Studies was a “no brainer.”

“The photographer must be sympathetic to the object of the lens,” legendary New York Times photojournalist Chester Higgins Jr. says he strives to re-educate the world about the cultural contributions of Black people, from the Americas to Africa. 

Johnson C. Smith University’s College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) took strides in early February to educate students about STEM education during its first STEM Awareness Workshop. The workshop gathered speakers from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Stanley Community College, North Carolina State University and JCSU, who discussed the importance of building a diverse future for the field of STEM.

Many Golden Bulls started their Thursday morning with soulful songs, a warm plate of food and wise words from Civil Rights icon, Harvey Gantt, during the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast.

The event was moderated by Dr. Jordan Brooks, associate vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management and Title IX Coordinator. The event kicked off with greetings from Dr. Valerie Kinloch ’96, president of JCSU.

As a New Year begins, many make resolutions to improve themselves both professionally and personally. With spring graduation and summer break right around the corner, Christian Varnado, assistant director for the Smith Institute for Research, Career Development and Post-Graduate Readiness, says there’s no better time to begin preparing for a successful career.

Kenyatta Reed, program and tutorial coordinator in Student Support Services at Johnson C. Smith University, knows first-hand the challenges and opportunities first-generation college students face.

Today, Reed and her colleagues in TRiO Student Support Services work to assist and celebrate other first-generation college students as they embark on their journeys through higher education and work to secure profitable careers doing what they love.

Eryn Glover ’25, Jayden Petrus ’25 and Jerome Adonis ’24 were recently named Stanford d.school University Innovation Fellows. 

The University Innovation Fellows program empowers students to become agents of change at their schools. Fellows work alongside a faculty or staff representative to ensure all students gain the attitudes, skills and knowledge required to navigate a complex world and build the future.