At a signing ceremony today at the White House, President Bush signed a new executive order that aims to strengthen our nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and increase their opportunities to participate and benefit from federal programs.

The executive order establishes the presidentially appointed Board of Advisors, as well as the White House Initiative on HBCUs, located in the Office of the Secretary. It calls on executive departments and federal agencies to identify and carry out programs and activities to enhance the HBCUs and asks each agency to develop an annual plan to accomplish their goals.

The 21 new members of the President??s Board of Advisors on HBCUs were sworn in today at the White House following this mornings signing ceremony. (A list of board members can be found in the Feb. 5 press release.) Today??s ceremony was part of a two-day conference hosted by the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and attended by more than 50 HBCU presidents and chancellors. Conference speakers included Education Secretary Rod Paige, Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge, and William Gray, president and chief executive officer of the United Negro College Fund.

In his radio address last Saturday, President Bush discussed Black History Month and reiterated his support for the work and mission of our historically black colleges and universities. He said they have "opened the door to knowledge, when other doors were barred. And today they offer exciting opportunities to young people to contribute to their country."

During his comments to the assembled advisory board members and college and university presidents, Paige said, "As an HBCU graduate, I know the importance of your schools and the programs you offer to our community. This administration's commitment to your schools in serious and genuine."

President Bush has pledged to increase funding for HBCUs and Historically Black Graduate Institutions (HBGIs) by 30 percent between 2001 and 2005. The administration's proposed budget for fiscal year 2003 keeps the funding increases on track, calling for increases of 3.6 percent for both HBCUs and HBGIs, to $213.4 million and $50.8 million, respectively.

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