Reviving A Neglected National Treasure: When Dr. Michelle R. Howard-Vital became president of one of the nation's oldest historically Black universities (HBCU) in 2007, she knew she 'inherited a national treasure that has produced some extraordinary leaders.'
Howard-Vital also knew Cheyney University was riddled with debt, ending the fiscal year with a $2.16 million deficit in a $27 million budget. Cheyney, she says, was also grossly 'misunderstood,' when it came to the caliber of its students and teaching. Furthermore, it was in a state of disrepair and lacking infrastructure. But this past June, Cheyney's board of trustees announced the appointment of a five-member advisory panel chaired by H. Patrick Swygert, former president of Howard University.
