WASHINGTON – The National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have inaugurated a formal partnership to provide more job opportunities and educational programs for students and teachers of historically black colleges and universities.
VA will increase career, educational and research opportunities in its workforce for students and faculty of the 134 colleges and universities who are represented by NAFEO. The memorandum of understanding will assist NAFEO with its goal of increasing enrollment in its member schools.
"This joint initiative will help develop human potential and increase opportunities for African Americans to benefit from federal employment and education programs," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi.
Principi signed the agreement Feb. 21 at VA's central office here with NAFEO President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Frederick S. Humphries.
Principi said the partnership is a means of attracting more minorities to its workforce, especially minority veterans, in support of President Bush's recent executive order that affirmed support for historically black colleges and universities. The agreement is patterned on one that VA has with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.
VA will increase the number of NAFEO students in its career experience and summer internship programs in health care and technical fields; identify temporary jobs that NAFEO faculty members can fill under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act; identify the department's own job needs to help NAFEO schools plan curricula; recruit students and offer information about available scholarships and grants; and reach out to black high school students to encourage them to pursue medical and technical careers.
NAFEO will help VA meet its personnel needs by providing recruitment and job application assistance. VA and NAFEO will establish a steering committee to direct implementation of the partnership.
