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Remarks as prepared for delivery at the 2007 University Conference
B.N. Duke Auditorium
August 17, 2007

Good Morning.

As we commence a new academic year, I am pleased to be among the 2007 cohort of Eagles! Let me begin by thanking the planners of this year’s University Conference. I also want to thank Dr. Beverly Jones for her leadership as Interim Chancellor and all of our colleagues who worked hard to ensure a smooth transition. We owe them a debt of gratitude and I ask that you join me in expressing our appreciation with a hearty round of applause.

Since student success will be the cornerstone of my tenure as the 10th Chancellor of North Carolina Central University, and I will be stressing its importance on a recurring basis, perhaps it is important for me to indicate in our first university-wide gathering what I am - and what I am not talking about.

I am NOT suggesting for a moment that faculty should lower their standards to artificially increase the number of students who are retained or graduated. Quite the contrary, we owe our students an excellent education and we fail them in the worse way possible if we offer them a second tier educational experience. Our historic mission of providing collegiate access does not require us to abandon academic rigor or excellence!

In stressing the importance of student success, I am not advocating that we adopt the mantra that the customer - in this case the student - is always right, even when we know they are wrong. Having stated what I am not talking about, let me share with you what I believe are the prerequisites for assuring student academic success. I believe we must do a more effective job of creating and sustaining a “culture of success” anchored by five bolts;

• High expectations that are clearly articulated and reinforced across academic disciplines and administrative departments;
• High levels of student engagement and personal responsibility;
• High quality, learner – centered instruction;
• High quality student and academic support services delivered by caring employees who are passionate, professional, and proud to be affiliated with NCCU;
• High quality, responsive, timely and consistent administrative support services delivered by employees whose primary role is to support the work of the academy which is teaching, learning, service, research and creative activity.

Just as these five prerequisites for assuring student success speak to our individual and collective roles, this next topic does as well. Without a doubt, the single most prevalent theme I have heard since assuming my duties is the inconsistent quality of NCCU’s customer services.

I realize that many members of the academy do not embrace the term “customer” because of the connotations often associated with the term. In order not to become embroiled in a year-long debate where there are no winners, let me say it this way: the quality of our human interactions with each other; with current students and prospective students; with alumni and others constituents is unacceptable and we must take corrective action! Anything less than serving our constituents in a respectful, caring and timely manner is unacceptable and inconsistent with the core values upon which North Carolina Central University was founded. Treating people respectfully is not about buildings, budgets or bodies – it is about attitudes competencies and behaviors - - all of which can be corrected. “Truth and Service” must be more than a slogan; it must be the foundation of all our interactions.

Shortly, we will be announcing a quality service initiative based on a proposal developed by Mrs. Judith Bell in Human Resources last fall.

As you know, our SACS visit is scheduled for 2009 and a successful conclusion is essential. Having been actively involved in accreditation reform for more than a decade I very much appreciate the shift in focus from input variables to output variables. I cannot think of a more important output than student success.

Finally, I want to give you an update on the recently concluded session of the North Carolina General Assembly:

• Legislative Increases for 2007
• SPA employees received a 4% increase that will be reflected in the August 31, 2007 paychecks.
• EPA non-faculty may receive a 4% increase that will be reflected in the September, 2007 paychecks.
• EPA faculty may receive a 5% increase (4% Merit and 1% Equity to reach the 80 percentile) that will be reflected in the September, 2007 paychecks.

And for those wondering about your budgets, the budget has been loaded in Banner. There were a few problems, but Dr. Sahoo and the Budget Office are working to clear up those problems as quickly as possible.

I look forward to working with each of you to expand access, excellence and responsiveness of North Carolina Central University.