University of Wisconsin Colleges and Extensions Chancellor David Wilson has been appointed to a board that will advise President Barack Obama on ways to enhance postsecondary education in black colleges and universities.

As part of an executive order issued by Obama Feb. 26, Wilson will be part of an 11-member board that will report to the president on the progress of making historically black colleges and universities more competitive.

“We need to make sure everyone is competitive in the world we live in,” he said.

The advisory board is not new, UW Extensions spokesperson Howard Cosgrove said. Although it was created in 1981, it remained dormant, and the appointment of the 11 members is not only part of the executive order, but is revitalizing the board.

The President’s Board of Advisors on HBCU is part of a larger initiative to strengthen black colleges and universities, a statement from the White House said.

There are 105 colleges and universities that qualify as historically black in the United States, serving approximately 300,000 undergraduate students. The board consists of representatives who bring in their expertise from education, business and private foundations.

The advisory board’s goals mirror that of the overall initiative, which include but are not limited to looking for new ways to collaborate between the U.S. Federal Government and the HBCU and promoting research centers in HBCU.

The Obama Administration has been active in promoting and strengthening HBCU. According to a Feb. 26 press release from the White House, the Initiative on HBCU will be housed in the Department of Education.

The initiative is key to meet the president’s goal to have 50 percent of the nation with college degrees by 2020, Wilson said. Black institutions are key to making this happen.

Wilson will be representing Morgan State University on the committee, not UW Colleges and Extensions.

He will be leaving his position as chancellor in the UW Colleges and Extensions to be the president at Morgan State University after this academic year. The university falls under the genre of HBCU and has evolved into a research institution with a focus on urban issues in America. He is to be followed by Marv Van Kekerix, current provost and vice-chancellor of UW Extensions.

“I’m honored the president of the United States looked in my direction,” Wilson said. “I look forward to serving in this role and providing him and the secretary of education with my perspective on what needs to be done to make sure these institutions are strong and viable.”

Wilson said the dates for the board’s first meetings have not been solidified.

–Stephanie Albrecht contributed to this report.