Transformation Partner Philander Smith University

Photo Credit: Philander Smith University

Philander Smith University

Est. 1877
Little Rock, AR

UNCF Member Institution
Transformation Partner since 2022

Motto: “To change the world for the better”
Website: philander.edu

Our job is to provide forward-thinking leadership that will equip students with the skills to make valuable contributions to Arkansas, the United States and the world.

Dr. Maurice Gipson Interim President and CEO, Philander Smith University

Founded in 1877, Philander Smith University is a small, privately supported, historically Black, four-year liberal arts institution related to the Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church. The forerunner of the college was Walden Seminary, named in honor of Dr. J.M. Walden, one of the originators and the first corresponding secretary of the Freedmen’s Aid Society.

The institution offers four degrees: the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Science, the Bachelor of Business Administration, and the Bachelor of Social Work. Philander Smith University, the only United Negro College Fund member institution in Arkansas, strives to provide a quality education for all regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin, or ethnic background.

Facilitated through the Institute for Capacity Building, Philander Smith University is now a UNCF cohort member in the HBCU Transformation Project, a first-of-its-kind effort to improve student enrollment, graduate success, and institutional effectiveness rates at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

With increased knowledge of HBCUs' impact in U.S. higher education, an enhanced learning experience for our students will emerge.

Dr. Kenyatta Shamburger
Chief of Staff, Philander Smith College
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