3 Marybeth Gasman & Michael E. Jennings Educational Foundations, Winter-Spring 2006 New Research, New Questions: Social Foundations Scholarship on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) By Marybeth Gasman & Michael E. Jennings Currently 300,000 students attend the nationís 105 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). These institutions award 28 percent of bachelorís degrees to African-American students and prepare students for graduate and professional programs throughout the country (National Center for Educa- tional Statistics, 2004). While their effect on higher education is well known, there is much to be learned about exactly how they achieve it. Over the past 35 years, many researchers have shown an interest in Black colleges. However, much of the research now available is dated and doesnít speak directly to current national and global trends. For example, a good deal of the historical research stops in the 1930s, missing the impact of the post-war period, the Cold War, and much of the Civil Rights Movement on Black colleges Marybeth Gasman isan assistant professor of higher education with the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Michael E. Jenningsisa professor with the College of Education at the University of Texasat San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas. They served as co-guest-editors for this issueof Educational Foundations .