By Marshall A. Latimore / The Atlanta Voice
The National Black Information Technology Leadership Organization (NBITLO) is calling together higher education administrators, HBCU students, faculty, alumni, technology leaders, institutional advancement practitioners and enrollment management professionals for its first annual HBCU Technology Summit.
The event will be hosted Oct. 27–28 on the campus of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia’s Atlanta University Center. The event theme is “Inspiring Innovation, Encouraging Collaboration, and Igniting Entrepreneurship…” Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University are also hosts of this inaugural Tech-Focused sustainability summit.
Focused on the intersection of HBCU Excellence through Technology Systems and Higher Education Best Practices, the two-day summit seeks to create an environment and network to create a new model for our Nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as well as to send a loud and clear message to HBCU leaders that Technology Systems, Automation and Enrollment Management can improve viability..
“The HBCU Technology Summit is a relevant platform that provides HBCU presidents, higher education veterans, along with technology professionals, entrepreneurs, HBCU alumni and students an avenue to begin action-driven discussions involving mapping out the next hundred years of HBCUs,” explained NBITLO Founder Andrew West. “We must actively lead the conversation and ignite action tied to the continuity and sustainability of HBCUs. We will begin with an emphasis on aligning technology systems to improve operational efficiencies to optimize the student experience, rethink enrollment management, and also better align programs with industry demand, particularly in the STEM and high-tech spaces,”
The organizers of the HBCU Technology Summit, in conjunction with NBITLO, have issued a “Call for Speakers” to those who work and have worked in the HBCU space in Administration, Enrollment Management, Institutional Advancement, Academic Computing, Technology Systems and those extolling proven practices that will push the leading edge in defining what the new HBCU model for sustainability will look like.
They are looking for contributors to the conversation who have respect for the foundations and traditions of HBCUs while also recognizing the amazing potential that can be achieved as we work to reposition our cherished schools for the future while motivating the pursuit of excellence.
Presentation proposals may be submitted under one of the ten thematic tracks that characterize this year’s summit, including “Innovation and Entrepreneurship-Focused Campus,” “E-Learning and Innovative Recruitment Methods,” “Saving the Nation’s HBCUs,” among other areas.
Founded in 2009, NBITLO is a non-profit organization created to support the goals of black technology leaders by equipping them with resources and professional development opportunities that strengthen and refine their skills in support of the larger vision.
Its leadership is dedicated to bridging the digital divide, creating equity in the information technology workforce, diversifying the STEM pipeline, and incubating and equipping innovators with world class inventions and global business ideas.
Corporations interested in exhibiting, are invited to share information related to entrepreneurship, careers, innovations or products and services at the Tech Expo and Innovation Showcase.
To submit a presentation proposal or to suggest a speaker, please review the requirements on www.nbitlo.org/atlanta.
Submissions will be accepted online through Sunday, Oct. 15.
