An examination of the state of information technology readiness at the five four-year historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Commonwealth of Virginia

Closing the digital divide is a national challenge among historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). These inequalities could have an impact upon these institutions' ability to educate an African American workforce capable of fully participating in a global information economy. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to examine the state of information technology readiness at the five four-year HBCUs in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Johnson and Sinnott's (1996) Ten Principals of Organizational Change served as the theoretical framework for the study. The Executive Leadership Foundation's Technology Transfer Project developed and validated the research design used to support the qualitative methodological approach for data collection and analysis.; This study's findings indicated the following: All institutions provided "appropriate" Internet access to their community of scholars, had a strategic plan that addressed the information technology requirements, and cited limited funding as a barrier to facilitate continual technology advancements. These institutions varied in their use of technology in the classroom, dormitories and the admissions process. The findings revealed that while the digital divide is closing, technology infrastructure disparities remain at the five four-year HBCUs in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The implications for further research are discussed.