The Dissertation That Became an HBCU Partnership
When people think about the impact of academic research, they usually picture journal articles, conference presentations, or books sitting on library shelves. Every so often, however, a dissertation does something much bigger. It sparks new ideas, influences institutional decisions, and creates opportunities that extend well beyond the university where it was written.
That is exactly what happened with Dr. Joycelyn Hill's doctoral research at Alabama State University.
Earlier this year, the Alabama State University graduate received the university's 2026 Dissertation of the Year award in the qualitative-based method track for her research on Black women working in institutional research, assessment, and accreditation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Within weeks, that work helped inspire a formal partnership between two HBCUs—Alabama State and Morris Brown College—creating a new graduate school pathway for Morris Brown students.
That is an unusual outcome for a dissertation, but it reflects something HBCUs have always understood. Research is at its best when it serves people.
Dr. Joycelyn Hill via HBCU Buzz
The People Behind the Progress
Hill's dissertation explored the experiences of Black women working in institutional research, assessment, and accreditation at HBCUs. It is a corner of higher education that rarely receives public attention, even though it helps determine whether institutions remain accredited, meet academic standards, and continue providing students with access to federal financial aid.
The topic was more than an academic interest. It had personal significance for Hill, as it was the work she was already doing.
As Director of Institutional Effectiveness at Morris Brown College, she helps oversee the systems that keep the institution moving forward. Her responsibilities include accreditation, assessment, and institutional research, work that became especially significant as Morris Brown continued its rebuilding efforts after regaining accreditation following a twenty-year absence.
Rather than writing about a community from the outside, Hill documented the experiences of professionals whose work often goes unnoticed, despite its importance to the future of HBCUs.
"I was really just doing something that spoke to my lived experience," Hill said after receiving the award. "I was looking for community."
In the process, she created just that.
Building a Bridge
Hill's connection to Alabama State made the next chapter possible.
She earned her bachelor's degree from the university in 2013, following in the footsteps of her mother, who graduated from Alabama State in 1986. Nearly a decade later, after earning a master's degree and working at the Alabama State Bar, she returned to ASU to pursue a doctorate in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Law while continuing to work full time in Atlanta.
During her doctoral studies, Hill's academic work and professional responsibilities began to overlap in meaningful ways. As her research focused on strengthening HBCUs from within, leaders at Alabama State and Morris Brown were exploring ways to strengthen connections between the two institutions.
The result was a formal memorandum of understanding that creates a direct graduate school pathway for Morris Brown students. Through the agreement, students can pursue graduate degrees at Alabama State, many of them online, while remaining in Atlanta.
"Bridging the gap is why this partnership is so important. It eliminates barriers. It demonstrates the impact of creating clear pathways for Morris Brown students to continue their educational journeys." (ASU)
The partnership reflects Hill's own journey. Alabama State prepared her for leadership at Morris Brown. Now she is helping create that same opportunity for future students.
Alabama State University Students via alasu.edu
Why Alabama State and Morris Brown?
The partnership carries added significance because of the institutions involved.
Founded in 1867, Alabama State University has spent more than 150 years preparing educators, scientists, artists, business leaders, and public servants who have gone on to shape communities across the country. Today, it is one of the nation's leading public HBCUs, offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs while continuing its long-standing mission of providing educational access and advancing Black excellence.
Morris Brown College's story reflects a different, but equally important, chapter in HBCU history. Founded in 1881 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Morris Brown was the first HBCU established and owned entirely by Black people. The college has endured extraordinary challenges throughout its history, including the loss of accreditation in 2002. After years of determined rebuilding, Morris Brown regained accreditation in 2022, marking one of the most inspiring comeback stories in higher education.
Together, the two institutions represent both legacy and resilience. One brings more than a century and a half of academic leadership, while the other continues to write a remarkable story of renewal. The partnership between them is not simply an agreement between neighboring HBCUs. It is a shared investment in expanding opportunities for students and strengthening the network of institutions that has long served as a gateway to higher education for generations of Black Americans.
What This Means for HBCUs
For decades, HBCUs have strengthened one another through collaboration. They have shared faculty, welcomed transfer students, partnered on research, and expanded opportunities by recognizing that the success of one institution benefits the entire HBCU community.
The partnership between Alabama State and Morris Brown continues that tradition.
It also demonstrates that some of the most important work happening at HBCUs is taking place far from the spotlight. While students fill classrooms and alumni return for Homecoming, professionals in institutional research, assessment, and accreditation are building the foundation that allows those traditions to continue for generations to come.
Morris Brown College Reaccredited through 2031 via The Atlanta Inquirer
More Than a Dissertation
Dr. Joycelyn Hill's research brought long-overdue attention to the Black women whose leadership helps sustain HBCUs. Just as importantly, it helped create a new educational pathway between two historic institutions committed to expanding opportunity for their students.
In the end, the dissertation became something much larger than itself. It became an HBCU partnership.
That may be the most fitting outcome of all. HBCUs have always measured success by more than individual achievement. Their legacy is found in the communities they strengthen, the doors they open, and the opportunities they create for the next generation.
Dr. Joycelyn Hill's story is a reminder that HBCUs are built by people who open doors for others. Every student, alum, educator, and administrator becomes part of that legacy.
At HBCU Leggings, we're honored to celebrate the schools and the people who make these stories possible. Shop our collection of officially licensed HBCU apparel and represent your HBCU with pride.
Love and Leggings,
Bibi