THE HECHINGER REPORT –Nearly 150 years after its founding, the end was near for Wesley College. A fixture of Delaware’s state capital, the private liberal arts institution had a reputation for offering a close-knit and supportive atmosphere for its students. Even so, its enrollment had dwindled from a high of 2,250 students in 2003 to about 1,000 by 2020. But a rescue, of sorts, was just a mile and a half away. Delaware State University, the state’s only historically Black college or university, saw in Wesley College an opportunity to meet its own ambitious expansion goals. Delaware State officially acquired the 50 acres of land and 21 buildings of Wesley College last July in what was a notable muscle flex in the HBCU sector, which supporters say has been underfunded and underappreciated. “Our culture has been ‘heads down, do the work, support, educate, graduate kids,’ ” said Tony Allen, the president of Delaware State. The pandemic intensified that mission. “HBCUs in particular have done a yeoman’s job in taking care of their students during this crisis.