President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Executive Order 13256 of February 12, 2002

President's Board of Advisors on Historically
Black Colleges and Universities

By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, in order to advance the development of the
Nation's full human potential and to advance equal
opportunity in higher education, to strengthen the
capacity of historically black colleges and
universities to provide the highest quality education,
and to increase opportunities for these institutions to
participate in and benefit from Federal programs, as do
other colleges and universities, it is hereby ordered
as follows:

Section 1. There is established, in the Office of the
Secretary of Education, a Presidential advisory
committee entitled the “President's Board of Advisors
on Historically Black Colleges and Universities”
(Board). The Board shall prepare and issue an annual
report to the President on the results of the
participation of historically black colleges and
universities in Federal programs. The Board also shall
provide advice to the President and to the Secretary of
Education (Secretary) regarding the needs of
historically black colleges and universities in the
areas of infrastructure, academic programs, and faculty
and institutional development. In the annual report to
the President, the Board shall make recommendations on
how to increase the private sector role, including the
role of private foundations, in strengthening
historically black colleges and universities.
Particular emphasis should also be given in the report
to enhancing institutional planning and development,
strengthening fiscal stability and financial
management, and improving institutional infrastructure,
including the use of technology, to ensure the long-
term viability and enhancement of these institutions.

Sec. 2. The Board shall be appointed by the President.
The Board membership shall include sitting presidents
of historically black colleges and universities,
representatives of other higher education institutions,
business and financial leaders, representatives of
private foundations, and secondary school
administrators. The President shall designate a Chair
or Co-Chairs from among the members.

Sec. 3. The White House Initiative on Historically
Black Colleges and Universities (Initiative), located
in the Office of the Secretary of Education, shall: (1)
provide staff, resources, and assistance to the Board;
(2) assist the Secretary in performing the liaison
function between the executive branch and historically
black colleges and universities; and (3) serve the
Secretary in carrying out the responsibilities
described in section 6 of this order.

Sec. 4. To carry out this order, each executive
department and agency identified by the Secretary may,
consistent with applicable law and regulations, enter
into appropriate grants, contracts, or cooperative
agreements with historically black colleges and
universities. The head of each department or agency so
identified shall establish an annual plan that will
establish clear goals for how the department or agency
intends to increase the capacity of historically black
colleges and universities to compete effectively for
grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements and to
encourage historically black colleges and universities
to participate in Federal programs. The department's or
agency's annual goal should be clearly reflected in the
department's or agency's annual budget submission to
the Office of Management and

Budget. To facilitate the attainment of these goals,
the head of each department or agency identified by the
Secretary shall provide, as appropriate, technical
assistance and information to historically black
colleges and universities regarding the program
activities of the department or agency and the
preparation of applications or proposals for grants,
contracts, or cooperative agreements.

Sec. 5. Each executive department and agency identified
by the Secretary shall appoint a senior official, who
is a full-time officer of the Federal Government, to
report directly to the department or agency head with
respect to department or agency activity under this
order, and to serve as liaison to the Board and to the
Initiative. To the extent permitted by law and
regulations, each executive department and agency
identified by the Secretary shall provide appropriate
information requested by the Board and staff pursuant
to the order.

Sec. 6. Each executive department and agency identified
by the Secretary shall develop an annual plan for, and
shall document the agency's effort in, increasing the
capacity of historically black colleges and
universities to participate in Federal programs. Each
department's and agency's plan shall describe new or
existing department and agency programs and measurable
objectives for proposed department and agency actions,
in connection with those programs, to achieve the
purposes of this order. These plans shall be submitted
at such time and in such form as the Secretary shall
require. In consultation with the participating
departments and agencies, the Secretary shall review
the plans and develop, with the advice of the Board, an
integrated Annual Federal Plan for Assistance to
Historically Black Colleges and Universities for
submission to the President. The Secretary shall
provide the president of each historically black
college and university with a copy of, and an
opportunity to comment on, the proposed Annual Federal
Plan prior to its submission to the President. Each
participating department and agency shall submit to the
Secretary an Annual Performance Report that shall
measure each department's and agency's performance
against the objectives set forth in the department's or
agency's annual plan. The Secretary shall be
responsible for monitoring compliance with the Annual
Federal Plan after it is approved by the President.

Sec. 7. In developing its annual plan, each executive
department and agency identified by the Secretary shall
emphasize programs and activities that develop the
capacity of historically black colleges and
universities to contribute to the development of human
capital and to strengthen America's economic and
technological base through: (1) infrastructure
development and acquisitions for instruction and
research; (2) student and faculty doctoral fellowships
and faculty development; (3) domestic and international
faculty and student exchanges and study-abroad
opportunities; (4) undergraduate and graduate student
internships; and (5) summer, part-time, and permanent
employment opportunities.

Sec. 8. Each year, the Board shall report to the
President on the progress achieved in enhancing the
capacity of historically black colleges and
universities to serve their students, including
findings and recommendations for individual departments
and agencies in connection with their Annual
Performance Reports, as described in section 6 of this
order.

Sec. 9. The Board, in consultation with the Department
of Education and other executive departments and
agencies, shall develop a Private Sector Strategy to
assist historically black colleges and universities in:
(1) increasing voluntary private-sector contributions
to support the enhancement of endowments and the
overall financial stability of such institutions; (2)
improving and enhancing the quality and number of
private-sector partnerships focused on academic program
development, student achievement and faculty
development, cooperative research and development
projects, and faculty exchanges; and (3) improving
information management, and facilities, and
strengthening academic course offerings.

Sec. 10. (a) The provisions in this Executive Order
shall be implemented to the fullest extent permitted by
law.

    (b) The Department of Education shall provide
funding and administrative support for the Board and
the Initiative.
    (c) Members of the Board shall serve without
compensation, but shall be reimbursed for all travel
expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as
authorized by law;
    (d) Insofar as the Federal Advisory Committee Act,
as amended, may apply to the Board, any functions of
the President under that Act, except for those in
section 6 of that Act, shall be performed by the
Department of Education, in accordance with the
guidelines that have been issued by the Administrator
of General Services.

Sec. 11. Executive Order 12876 of November 1, 1993, as
amended, is hereby revoked.

    (Presidential Sig.)B

THE WHITE HOUSE,

     February 12, 2002.