Senate committee approves plan to upgrade technology at minority-serving institutions

Black Issues in Higher Education, May 19, 2005 by Charles Dervarics

In a move that may bode well for future enactment of the bill, a key Senate panel has approved a plan to upgrade the technology infrastructure at minority-serving colleges and universities.

The action by the Senate Commerce Committee early in the 109th Congress is good news for historically Black colleges, Hispanic-serving institutions and tribal colleges, says Leslie Atkinson, government affairs director for the United Negro College Fund. "We're glad they did this early in the Congress," she says. "I think it's a strong signal" of support for the plan.

The Minority-Serving Institutions Digital and Wireless Technology Opportunity Act would create a $250 million-per-year program to support HBCUs, HSIs and tribal colleges that have lagged in technology infrastructure (See Black Issues, March 10). Colleges could receive grants for several purposes, including activities to:

* Purchase digital and wireless technology, hardware and software;

* Promote educational services in science, math, engineering or technology; and

* Provide professional development to faculty and administrators.

Under the Senate bill, the National Science Foundation would administer the program through a new office at the agency dedicated to minority-serving institutions. NSF also would create an advisory council on ways to involve eligible colleges and universities in reviewing and evaluating proposals.

Colleges and universities could receive grants of up to $2.5 million a year, although an institution could not receive a second grant until all other eligible applicants obtain funding. Native Alaskan and Hawaiian-serving colleges also would be eligible for the program.

A similar bill passed the Senate unanimously in 2003, but the effort got bogged down in the House during the last Congress.

"The reality is that minority-serving institutions do not have the capability and the technology that others do," said Sen. George Allen, R-Va., sponsor of the bill, S. 432, at the markup before the Commerce committee.

Allen said HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions lack the endowments that enable them to fund technology infrastructure. He added that two HBCUs with endowments above $50 million Howard and Hampton universities--would have to provide matching funds of 25 percent in order to receive grants through the new program.

The measure now goes to the full Senate, where action is possible soon, Atkinson says.

Despite the committee's support, concerns remain about whether Congress can create a $250-million-a-year program at a time when many lawmakers want to clamp down on spending, especially for domestic programs. The budget issue came up at the Commerce Committee session when Sen. John Sununu, R-N.H., questioned Congress' ability to fund such a program.

"I do support the underlying goals of the legislation, but I do have concerns," Sununu said, adding he was particularly concerned that Congress would set "unreasonable" expectations during a time of fiscal restraint. "There are other (federal) programs that support this type of technology."

But Allen says the needs of HBCUs and other institutions largely are not being met by current programs. "Whatever is being done is insufficient," he says.

Despite Sununu's concerns, the committee passed the bill with no opposition, sending it to the floor for further action.

Also to be resolved is the federal home for such a new program. While the Senate bill would house the program at NSF, a similar bill in the House of Representatives would base the program at the U.S. Commerce Department.

Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va., is the chief sponsor of the House bill, and co-sponsors include many Congressional Black Caucus members, including Rep. Ed Towns, DN.Y., and Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas. Towns had sponsored legislation for a MSI technology program since 2001.

Some analysts say NSF has the most expertise to administer such a program, while others view Commerce as a logical place because of its work in fostering innovative technology. One wild card is NSF's degree of enthusiasm for the project. The last NSF director said such a program would be hard to administer and may take time and resources away from other science programs.

Before the Senate committee vote, Sununu cited NSF's past reluctance in raising questions about the bill. "We are asking them to do things that take away from their mission," he said.

But there is new leadership at NSF, and Allen says the new grant program would not take funding away from other foundation activities. "This money would not come out of other (science) programs."

A House/Senate conference committee likely would have to resolve the issue of whether to house the program at NSF or Commerce. Atkinson says it is unlikely that this issue would be taken up until each chamber approved its separate bill. "That's what conferences are for," she says.

The issue can be resolved once the House and Senate complete their work, says Dr. Norman Francis, president of Xavier University of Louisiana and chairman of UNCF government affairs.