CAU Preps for Win in the Classroom and on the Field

Dr. Ronald A. Johnson, President of Clark Atlanta University
Dr. Ronald A. Johnson, President of Clark Atlanta University

CAU Preps for Win in the Classroom and on the Field

Dr. Ronald A. Johnson, President of Clark Atlanta University has issued a ‘call to higher education’. He has also beefed up CAU’s athletics programs with former pro athletes coming aboard as coaches. Johnson and his staff have predicted a win at the upcoming Chicago Football Classic, September 10th at Soldier’s Field against Central State University. “We made a friendly wager, a bushel of (Georgia) peaches if we lose, but they (Central) haven’t responded,” said Johnson.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the heads of these institutions are often faced with unsurmountable odds like socioeconomic issues and more when it comes to educating African American students.

Dr. Johnson became the university’s fourth president back in July of 2015 and has since been busy preparing the school to educate and turnout some of the world’s brightest young minds preparing them to be competitive in a highly technical global economy.

President Johnson is pushing students to stay on a curriculum track that leads to entrepreneurship. Under Johnson’s leadership, one of the ways the university is doing that is by offering 51 new degree enhancement programs, certifications and licenses.

The current degrees that CAU offers are coupled with “stackable credentials” which are additional courses that complement the degree.

For example, If you are a business major, not only do you graduate with a business degree, but you also get a CPA License.

The additional set of courses will help bolster student resumes and make them more competitive in the marketplace.

Dr. Johnson understands that before you send a student off on their academic journey, you first have to assess where they are.

The university is now conducting freshman assessment tests. For the first time, this fall, CAU will administer “assessment tests” to get a snapshot of a students’ learning styles, different cultures, how they study, how they think,etc.

The data will reveal life skills, social skills, study habits and much more. These four tests will be administered the first week of school.

The school will use the data to retrain the faculty on how to ‘teach’ in a manner that is effective for the 21st Century student. No other school in the Atlanta University Center (AUC) offers the assessment tests. The AUC includes Morehouse College, Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse School of Medicine, Morehouse School of Theology, and Morris Brown College.

Johnson visons and mission for CAU are one where, “we are placed in a position that in 150 years from now, African Americans are still benefitting from what CAU has to offer, this is a relay race and we need to pass the baton to the future,” he said.

Johnson has a Chicago connection. He is close to former CAU alum and Chicago State University President, Thomas Calhoun.

Johnson commented on Calhoun’s budget tribulations saying, “It is an extreme case of neglect on the part of the state legislature. It’s outrageous, the lack of understanding of the impact on the failure to fund, is unbelievable.”

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