by Olivia Goodheart
UNCF announced that Jackson State University is among 30 colleges selected as planning grant awardees for the new Career Pathways Initiative (CPI), a highly competitive grant process open to four-year historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and predominantly black institutions (PBIs), to help students gain the knowledge, preparation, insight and skills needed for meaningful employment upon graduation.
JSU’s grant development team included Dr. Priscilla Slade, Dr. Michael Gates, Angela Getter, Dr. Lurlene Irvin, Lashonda Jordan and Dr. Kenneth Russ.
Slade, special assistant to the provost for International Studies and Community Colleges, said, “This is a tremendous opportunity to utilize the collective knowledge of university constituent groups (faculty, staff, students and alumni) to assimilate ideas, cull the best practices and create new and innovative approaches to increasing career placement outcomes.”
Lilly Endowment Inc. committed $50 million in October 2015 to launch the UNCF® Career Pathways Initiative.