Philander Smith becomes a university

The Arkansas HBCU now offers an MBA with more graduate classes to come.

One of the oldest HBCUs in Arkansas has transitioned from a college to a university as the first step to broadening its academic and research offerings.

Philander Smith College in Little Rock has become Philander Smith University. Colleges offer a smaller menu of courses and focus on undergraduate degrees, while universities provide undergraduate and graduate studies.

“It makes us more competitive,” Cynthia Bond Hopson, the interim university president, told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “It puts us in line to attract students who are looking for master’s degrees.”

Philander, with 1,000 students, offers 21 undergrad programs and one graduate program, a master’s in business administration. The university received approval in January to start the MBA program.

“When our 10-Year-Long-Range Strategic Plan was implemented six years ago, one of our key goals was to establish an MBA program,” Roderick L. Smothers, who was president at the time,  said in a news release. “Thus, I am tremendously proud that our team … helped make possible the historic pivot in our status from college to university.”

Founded in 1877, the university, affiliated with the United Methodist Church, was the first institution west of the Mississippi to offer education to formerly enslaved people, its website says.

In 2016, Philander Smith rolled out a 10-year strategic plan to create the master’s degree program and transition to a university. Hopson told the Democrat-Gazette, “It will take us about two years to get everything, like the signage and academic offerings, in order.”  

In addition to the increased academic offerings, becoming a university helps burnish the school’s reputation.

“The shift to university status enhances the institution’s prestige and recognition. The title of ‘university’ carries weight and is widely recognized, both nationally and internationally,” the university says on its website. 

“This increased prestige helps Philander Smith University attract top-tier faculty, researchers, and students. It opens doors for collaborations, partnerships, and grants, as it signifies a higher level of academic rigor, research focus, and intellectual contributions. The elevated reputation strengthens the institution’s standing within academia and the broader community,” the website says.

Trustee emeritus Charles Donaldson spoke at a gathering celebrating the transition. “Philander has always stood for excellence in the higher education space, especially in educating students of color,” he said, the Democrat-Gazette reported.

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