Thank you all for coming. It's good to see so much representation from so many departments and agencies.

This is a meeting of the minds, a gathering of forces. We each represent part of a broad, vast commitment to enlist more support for our nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The president has provided profound leadership and his own commitment. And I'm sure we all share the president's concern that HBCUs be given all possible assistance from our agencies and departments.

I want to put an emphasis on this commitment. The president wants us to do everything in our power to provide the maximum amount of assistance. He does not expect an empty gesture. He wants us to make an extraordinary, comprehensive, and historic effort. This is a high priority for the administration. The president has made it clear, again and again, that he wants our finest efforts on behalf of HBCUs. We can settle for nothing less.

One measure of the president's personal commitment was the executive order to establish an advisory committee to report on the participation of all federal agencies. He wanted each federal agency to participate.

He also wanted the chairman of the advisory board to have a close working relationship with each agency. So the president wisely named Dr. Louis W. Sullivan. I can think of no educator or scholar better suited for this task than Lou. He has a lifelong dedication to HBCUs. He understands the ways of Washington. And he knows how to make Washington work on behalf of HBCUs. I am very pleased he accepted this challenge. As each of you knows, his work has been thorough, tireless, and inspirational.

Dr. Sullivan has asked you to provide resources to enable HBCUs to:

• Strengthen institutional planning and development;
• Improve fiscal stability and financial management; and
• Enhance institutional infrastructure.

If we can do this, then HBCUs will have more solid long-term viability. These institutions will continue their historical work.

But they need our best efforts. We need to remember the vision of Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays, the late president of Morehouse College. Lou, I know he was your mentor, teacher, and friend. It is appropriate to mention him in this setting, because he was no stranger to the White House or to the corridors of power.

Dr. Mays' vision was that HBCUs become and remain great universities, period, and not simply be known as black universities. He wanted excellence to drive any discussion about HBCUs. I know that Dr. Mays devoted his life to help HBCUs realize greatness and become world leaders in education and scholarship.

And Dr. Sullivan will remember that President Mays was a no-nonsense leader. He identified problems and immediately solved them. Many students spoke of his purposeful stride across the Morehouse campus.

We are mindful of his vision and his example today. We too must stride with confident purpose.

We must also address problems as they arise. The members of the advisory board have already identified a serious problem: the lack of a clear understanding of what is needed to comply with the president's executive order.

So, I am here to speak about monitoring compliance. Let me see if I can eliminate some of the fog or misunderstanding.

Thanks to Lou and the advisory board, several federal departments or agencies have been identified for inclusion in this effort. Each must

• Present an annual plan that establishes clear goals and describes how the department or agency intends to increase the capacity of HBCUs to compete for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements; and
• Prepare an annual report to explain how the goals have been achieved.

Each agency must understand how to fulfill its commitment. We need precise and unambiguous direction about what each agency will do and how commitments will be accomplished, and a firm date for compliance. We need clarity, transparency, and understanding.

In my role as secretary, I must monitor compliance. The president' executive order (Section 6) requires that each department or agency submit an annual performance assessment to me. You will be asked to measure progress against the objectives found in the annual report.

Believe me, I will be looking at these assessments closely.

I am certain that all committed departments and agencies will be in compliance. But if compliance is found wanting, then I will contact the departmental or agency authorities to discuss how to resolve the problem.

Our goal must be nothing less than total compliance by every department or agency.

Again, thank you all for coming. Together, we are creating a powerful partnership that will benefit our HBCUs, their students, and our nation.

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