President Trump is set to sign an executive order aimed at boosting historically black colleges and universities, known as HBCUs, on Tuesday amid a period of increased outreach to the institutions from high-level members of the administration.

The order will allow HBCU officials to serve as advisors to Trump on his urban agenda as well as increase the private sector's role in the colleges and universities, a White House official said.

Trump's executive order comes one day after Vice President Pence and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos hosted representatives from dozens of HBCUs at a "listening session" in the executive office building next door to the White House.

"Our administration, at the president's direction, is working to find new ways to expand your impact so that more students, especially in the underserved communities in this country, have the chance at a quality education," Pence said at the outset of the meeting on Monday.

"We want to partner with you. We want to partner with you to help train the students of today to face the challenges and to lead in America tomorrow."

Trump had personally welcomed some of the HBCU representatives in the Oval Office earlier Monday.

DeVos visited Howard University, a historically black school in Washington, D.C., as one of her first official acts as education secretary.

The president is also expected to sign an executive order on Tuesday related to Obama-era environmental regulations.