- Posted in All University
- Category: Campus News
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, PA – The Lincoln University, the nation’s first degree-granting Historically Black College and University, has had a portion of the University’s property designated as a Keystone Opportunity Expansion Zone by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Keystone Opportunity Expansion Zones (KOEZ), which are geographic areas that can provide specific state and local tax benefits, aim to revive economically distressed urban and rural communities with one of the most powerful market-based incentives – eliminating taxes. Under KOEZ programs, tax benefits may be available through Dec. 31, 2020 and priority is given for various state and local community-building assistance programs.
“This is by far one of the more important happenings that have occurred this calendar year and we are so delighted and grateful with the Legislature’s decision,” said Dr. Robert R. Jennings, university president. “The Lincoln University’s KOEZ will be used to create a Research Development Park that will attract businesses, especially those of a scientific and technical nature.”
Currently, more than 200 acres of unoccupied land is available for industry to provide services and jobs to the area, certainly the kind that compliment many of the degree programs and research efforts that happen on the campus, he explained.
“This is a win-win for both the community and the University,” said Dr. Jennings. “One of our strategic goals is to operate as the public square of Southern Chester County and the Delaware Valley and this is right in line with that goal.” “We want to thank the Chester County Economic Development Council for all their work in preparing the application and guiding it through the process to approval. We also thank Lower Oxford Township, the Oxford Area School District and Chester County for their support for this new economic incentive for The Lincoln University and Southern Chester County.”
Kimberly Lloyd, Chair of The Lincoln University Board of Trustees said that she was “personally pleased about this historic designation and the numerous opportunities it will present for students, faculty, administration and staff.”
“The Board of Trustees supports the President as we continue our quest of making The Lincoln University sustainable,” she added. “We will do all we can to support the development of programs and services that enhance The Lincoln community and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: ‘THE LINCOLN UNIVERSITY’ IS NOW THE OFFICIAL NAME FOR THE INSTITUTION FORMERLY REFERRED TO AS ‘LINCOLN UNIVERSITY’ OR ‘LINCOLN UNIVERSITY OF PA’ AND SHOULD BE ADHERED TO IN ALL REFERENCES.
Founded in 1854, The Lincoln University (PA) is the FIRST of four Lincoln Universities in the world and is the nation’s FIRST degree-granting Historically Black College and University (HBCU). The University combines the elements of a liberal arts and science-based undergraduate curriculum along with select graduate programs to meet the needs of those living in a highly-technological and global society. Today, Lincoln, which enrolls a diverse student body of approximately 2,000 men and women, possesses an international reputation for preparing and producing world class leaders such as Thurgood Marshall, the FIRST African American U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Lillian Fishburne, the FIRST African American woman promoted to Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy, Langston Hughes, the noted poet, Kwame Nkrumah, the FIRST President of Ghana, Nnamdi Azikiwe, the FIRST President of Nigeria and a myriad of others.