AAC&U Announces 19 Institutions to Host New Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers

Washington, DC—The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) announced today the selection of 19 institutions to host new Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers, bringing the total number of centers across the United States to 48.

“We look forward to partnering with these pathbreaking institutions in their efforts to promote racial equity and healing on their campuses and in their communities,” said AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella. “We’re grateful to our funders for their commitment to ensuring that higher education plays a leadership role in advancing racial and social justice in our society.”

Established in partnership with AAC&U and hosted by colleges and universities across the country, TRHT Campus Centers pursue the shared goal of preparing the next generation of leaders and thinkers to break down racialized practices and to dismantle the belief in a hierarchy of human value. These self-sustaining, community-integrated campus centers play a vital role in the national TRHT effort to address historical and contemporary effects of racism and to promote transformational and sustainable change.

“For the past four years, we have worked with a dedicated group of change leaders who are striving to make our institutions and communities more just and equitable,” said Tia McNair, AAC&U’s Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Student Success and Executive Director for the TRHT Campus Centers. “We are inspired to expand our network with the addition of these host institutions.”

The launch of new TRHT Campus Centers at the institutions listed below is supported by funding from Lumina Foundation, the Meyer Foundation, Trellis Foundation, and Wiley Education Services, a division of Wiley:

• Alamo Colleges District (TX)
• California State University, Long Beach (CA)
• Holy Names University (CA)
• Hope College (MI)
• Loyola Marymount University (CA)
• Marymount University (VA)
• Middlesex Community College (MA)
• Montgomery College (MD)
• Northern Virginia Community College (VA)
• Northern Illinois University (IL)
• Prince George’s Community College (MD)
• Queensborough Community College (NY)
• University of Hawai’i at Hilo (HI)

Supported by funding from ETS, two institutions in New Jersey will launch new TRHT Campus Centers:

• Mercer County Community College (NJ)
• Rutgers University–Camden (NJ)

Three additional institutions have recently launched self-funded TRHT Campus Centers:

• Bethel College (KS)
• Suffolk University (MA)
• SUNY Plattsburgh (NY)

Additionally, Pepperdine University (CA) received honorable mention during one of the grant selection processes and will host a self-funded TRHT Campus Center.

About AAC&U

AAC&U is the leading national association dedicated to advancing the vitality and public standing of liberal education by making quality and equity the foundations for excellence in undergraduate education in service to democracy. Its members are committed to extending the advantages of a liberal education to all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career. Founded in 1915, AAC&U now comprises more than 1,000 member institutions—including accredited public and private colleges, community colleges, research universities, and comprehensive universities of every type and size.

AAC&U functions as a catalyst and facilitator, forging links among presidents, administrators, faculty, and staff engaged in institutional and curricular planning. Through a broad range of activities, AAC&U reinforces the collective commitment to liberal education at the national, local, and global levels. Its high-quality programs, publications, research, meetings, institutes, public outreach efforts, and campus-based projects help individual institutions ensure that the quality of student learning is central to their work as they evolve to meet new economic and social challenges. For more information, visit www.aacu.org.