Recent reports regarding the cancellation of a virtual conference focused on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Regist...
Recent reports regarding the cancellation of a virtual conference focused on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Registered Apprenticeships have 
Dr. Marybeth Gasman
The conference, originally scheduled for January 30, was part of a larger $13 million Department of Labor (DOL) grant administered by Jobs for the Future (JFF), with the Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) at Rutgers University, serving as a sub-grantee through a $575,000 four-year agreement. The event's cancellation came following a federal "stop work" order issued on January 23, which was triggered by recent Executive Orders affecting DEI initiatives.
"There have been some misunderstandings about the nature of this cancellation," said Dr. Marybeth Gasman, director of CMSI and the Samuel DeWitt Endowed Chair in Education at Rutgers. “The conference wasn't targeted because it was an HBCU event - it was affected because it was part of a federally funded DEI Hub at JFF."
The center was unable to independently host the conference due to the majority of panelists being federal employees, JFF staff, or partners in the larger grant. Additionally, CMSI's expertise lies primarily in MSI/HBCU operations rather than registered apprenticeships, making JFF's partnership crucial for the event's execution.
Despite this setback, CMSI emphasizes that their other HBCU and MSI initiatives remain unaffected, as they are primarily supported by private funders and donors.
"Rutgers has been incredibly supportive of our Center, my work as a professor, and throughout this situation," Gasman noted. "We are excited about all our work moving forward, including those related to HBCUs. I have been doing this work for 25 years now, and I'm committed to it, as are our staff, funders, and partners."
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