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This time around, Virginia State University is creating history in the classroom. Being the only university in the nation to provide an HBCU Studies course insider it’s Family & Consumer Sciences department, the university has formally launched a brand-new course called “The HBCU Family.”
The course, which is offered under the course code FACS 425, examines the special ways that HBCUs operate as extended families. The course dives further into how HBCUs influence Black students' and families' cultural and emotional lives, covering topics from peer support systems and generational impact to legacy enrollment and campus traditions.
“This new academic offering reflects our commitment to being a preeminent HBCU,” said Dr. Jada Brooks, the interim chair of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, who will also lead the course.
This is not Virginia State’s first time making strides in this area. The country's first official multidisciplinary HBCU Studies course, HIST 349: HBCU History, was first offered by Dr. Cheryl Mango in 2020. With the inclusion of The HBCU Family, VSU is now broadening its focus, this time from a cultural and family systems perspective.
HBCUs are more than simply institutions; they are family away from your family. Students enter a generational legacy as soon as they set foot on campus. Beyond facts and history, this course explores the lived experience of HBCU life—how these institutions support, care for, and encourage their students in the same way that a family would.
The following subjects will be covered by the course:
- Multigenerational HBCU attendance
- Campus rituals and traditions
- Support systems within HBCU communities
- How HBCUs impact Black family structure and values
The National HBCU Studies Data Collection and Research Center at Virginia State, which works to preserve and advance scholarship about Black universities, will also benefit from the course. Virginia State, which bridges fields like history, sociology, and now family sciences, is establishing itself as a national leader in formal HBCU Studies with both HIST 349 and FACS 425 in its catalog.
Students interested in diving further into the essence of HBCU culture and community are now able to enroll in the course, which will start in the fall of 2025.
