Nine colleges and universities have announced a new educational partnership — The Interlink Alliance.

Members of the alliance have pledged to work cooperatively in three key areas: faculty development, student leadership and an African-American male initiative that motivates students as early as middle school.

Dr. George E. Cooper, president of S.C. State University, said “S.C. State University is very pleased to be a part of the Interlink Alliance. This alliance provides an opportunity to engage with HBCUs and other universities to positively impact faculty and student development.”

The alliance includes small, medium and large institutions, all with different characters. It includes Ohio University, Spelman College, Hampton University, Wilberforce University, Central State University, Johnson C. Smith University, North Carolina Central University, South Carolina State University and Virginia State University.

The real beneficiaries of the alliance, which Wilberforce University President Patricia Hardaway calls “a pivotal opportunity,” will be students and faculty.

“The distinctive element of this commitment is that it will be ingrained in all levels of the university. It will give opportunities to faculty to learn and grow and also give them the opportunity to help others. It will bring synergy around research,” Hardaway said.

Consortium initiatives include, but are not limited to:

* Initiative for African-American males — Establishes partnerships with K-12 schools, focusing on projects to support access and opportunity for African-American males to pursue a college education.

* Faculty development — Integral to the consortium is the opportunity for faculty training, advancement and the pursuit of doctoral degrees.

* Student leadership development — This initiative will pursue a multipronged approach to prepare students for high-level careers in educational institutions, corporations and governments in the global economy.

* Research collaboration — This alliance will bring researchers together from multiple fields, with special emphasis on cancer and biomedical research.

* Infrastructure — Member institutions will collaborate on infrastructure improvement through sharing best practices of successful programs, services and partnerships.

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