NC Governor Praises State’s SAGE Consortium with its Mission to Boost HBCU Degree Attainment

July 13, 2010 - PRLog -- Raleigh, North Carolina - Governor Beverly E. Perdue (D-NC) praises the formation of her state’s Study Abroad/Global Engagement Consortium of 11 HBCUs representing nearly 42,000 students and 7,000 graduates annually. “President Obama’s degree attainment goal for the nation is vital for our country to maintain its leadership position and thus our standard of living in the future. IERCEF has always supported this because we have been about improving employability via new global academic and internship experiences for our nation’s underserved students,” says Steven W. Jones President and CEO of IERCEF. “The governor’s supportive words are an honor, which we take very seriously; we want and will do great things for her state’s 11 HBCU community ... in keeping with our mission and the New HBCU Narrative” he said.

As North Carolina’s SAGE Consortium begins discussion on an inaugural and highly innovative international internship program next month, IERCEF has its sights on another state: Maryland, home to four HBCUs: Bowie State University; Coppin State University; Morgan State University; and University of Maryland Eastern Shore including Sojourner-Douglass College, a predominantly black institution in Baltimore.

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About IERC Education Foundation: promotes study abroad through advocacy for the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act. IERCEF also develops study abroad programs via direct design or strategic partnerships with a specific focus on students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Community Colleges and Public High Schools for the purposes of increasing: the proportion and demographic mix of U.S. students who study abroad; increasing the talent pool of students with international competencies and knowledge of global issues and enhancing the degree attainment, employability and global competitiveness of America’s underserved graduates.