▁been ▁recognized ▁and ▁established ▁as ▁a ▁four - year ▁institution . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 9 , ▁a ▁new ▁char tered ▁has ▁been ▁developed ▁changing ▁the ▁name ▁from ▁" Black burn ▁The ological ▁Sem inary " ▁to ▁" Black burn ▁University ". ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 1 , ▁the ▁first ▁draft ▁of ▁the ▁Black burn ▁New sp aper ▁was ▁establish . ▁Today , ▁it ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁' B urn ian ▁and ▁is ▁the ▁oldest ▁college ▁newspaper ▁still ▁published ▁in ▁Illinois . ▁ ▁Dr . ▁William ▁M . ▁Hudson ▁began ▁his ▁ten ure ▁as ▁college ▁president ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 2 . ▁A ▁year ▁later , ▁he ▁initi ated ▁the ▁Student ▁" Self ▁Help ▁Plan " ▁which ▁helped ▁particip ating ▁students ▁pay ▁$ 1 0 0 ▁tu ition ▁in ▁exchange ▁to ▁work ▁ 3 ▁hours ▁a ▁day ▁of ▁manual ▁labor . ▁During ▁Dr . ▁Hudson ' s ▁ten ure , ▁a ▁lot ▁progress ed ▁for ▁Black burn ▁College . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁students ▁could ▁receive ▁a ▁Cert ificate ▁of ▁Associ ates ▁of ▁Arts ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁the ▁last ▁class ▁for ▁Black burn , ▁as ▁a ▁four - year ▁institution ▁had ▁graduated . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁coming ▁years , ▁Black burn ▁would ▁be ▁established ▁as ▁a ▁Junior ▁College ▁( 1 9 1 8 ) ▁rev oking ▁the ▁char ter ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁four - year ▁institution . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 2 2 - 1 9 2 4 , ▁a ▁large ▁project