Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is the nation鈥檚 first HBCU, and it upholds a strong legacy of educating students through exposure to premier academics, pioneering research, and civic engagement. The school strives to keep a fresh perspective in all aspects of its operation under the 鈥淣ew Cheyney鈥 initiative, and continues to stress social responsibility even as it constantly innovates. The school鈥檚 current strategic plan aims to identify its strongest core offerings and assure appropriate resources, while also expanding to additional areas such as health sciences, ecology, and African American studies. Degree programs are spread across two schools (the School of Arts and the School of Education and Professional Studies), and there are several special programs available, including Hotel, Restaurant, & Tourism Management, pre-law, and pre-med. All students must complete a General Education curriculum, which comprises core, distribution, and intensive requirements; core requirements include several credits of essential skills such as speech and critical analysis, as well as the course African-American Experience in Global Context. Intensive requirements provide more in-depth instruction in topics such as information literacy and African-American Heritage.