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Do You Believe in You?
NCCU 2008 Fall Convocation
September 26, 2008
Chancellor Charlie Nelms

Good Morning!  Whether you are a new freshman from a city, town or hamlet in North Carolina; a newly minted Ph.D. in your first full-time teaching role; a senior faculty member who has mentored hundreds of NCCU students; a loyal member of the staff who performs a visible or an invisible job, a Trustee who advocates publicly or behind closed doors on behalf of the University; or an administrator upon whom we depend to make sure that the component units of the University work efficiently and effectively, our University is truly blessed to have each of you as a member of its network.  The extent to which we become in full measure the institution envisioned by our founder, Dr. James Edward Shepard, almost 100 years ago, is in direct proportion to our individual and collective efforts.  The question I have for each of you is personal and it’s threefold:  Do you believe in YOU?  Do you believe in US?  Are you unequivocally committed to the North Carolina Central University Mission which is just as relevant and vibrant today as it was in 1910?  Do you believe in YOU?

As I commence the second year of my tenure as Chancellor, I want you to know that it is a privilege and an honor to serve with you and on your behalf.  I believe in YOU – I believe in US!

All Universities, large and small, have rituals which help to define them in significant ways.  Without a doubt, Commencement, Founder’s Day and Homecoming are three of the most celebrated rituals in the academy.  If one is the University’s chief executive officer – whether you are called Chancellor or President – the State of the University address  is not a ritual to be taken lightly, even if such a feeling is only held by you!

The challenge with delivering such an address is manifold.  Some listeners expect you to say something which is both profound and inspirational, while others expect you tell them what YOU are going to do to make the University better.  There those who want you to be as brief as possible so that they can fulfill an attendance requirement and get on with the rest of their day.  To be sure, there is that portion of the listening audience that is convinced that they know much better than you the true state of the University and they are listening carefully to everything you say. The challenges notwithstanding, I take seriously every opportunity I have to address members of the University community. 

When contemplating what to talk about today, I reviewed my remarks from four previous University-wide events where I was the featured speaker. 

◊    The prerequisites for Student Success (2007 Faculty-Staff Institute)
◊    Holding each other accountable:  A Family conversation (2007 Fall Convocation) 
◊    In pursuit of Excellence:  A Return to Basics (Installation Address)
◊    Enhancing the Intellectual Climate at NCCU: A Collective Commitment (2008 Faculty-Staff Institute)

Since I indicated at the beginning of my tenure that Student Success would be the cornerstone of my efforts as Chancellor at NCCU, I must admit that I wasn’t completely surprised that “expectations” was a unifying theme in all of my remarks.  More about that later.

As we gather on this 26th day of September, the world around us is more turbulent than at any time during my four decades in higher education –

• The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
• The devastating effects of Hurricane Ike
• Increasing fuel and food costs
• Global warming
• Growing threats of nuclear proliferation
• The worldwide economic tsumani

all forces that carry with them a growing sense of urgency and uncertainty.

If there ever was a time and a need for the academy to adjust its sails, now is the time.  If there was ever a time for North Carolina Central University to fulfill all aspects of its mission and vision, now is the time.  As we gather on this 26th day of September, it is my contention that NCCU is doing a commendable job of achieving its mission.  Examples of the evidence to support my contention include the following:

The School of Library & Information Sciences

• Received $839,073 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to recruit African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and others interested in diversity.
• Held its first summer study abroad program by taking 6 students to Denmark’s Royal School of Library and Information Sciences.

The School of Education

• Graduated the first class of the Josephine Dobbs Clement Early College High School; two thirds of whom are enrolled at NCCU this fall.
• Received an $800,000 federal grant for the Special Education Department.
• Recruited a record number of Teaching Fellows.

The School of Graduate Studies

• Hosted its 3rd Annual Graduate and Professional School Fair and a Ph.D. Forum with a total of over 60 schools represented.

The College of Science and Technology

• Received a  $5.6 million dollar CREST Grant from the National Science Foundation to support establishment of the computational center for fundamental and applied science and education. 

The National Science Foundation provided funding to support STEM students.

• 14 students were accepted into Medical or Pharmacy school and Ph.D. programs for this fall.
• Junior faculty in the CST received several grants to support their research.

The College of Liberal Arts

• Launched the Master of Music Program in Jazz Studies, which is only the second degree of its kind to be offered in North Carolina.
• The Global Studies Program, created in conjunction with the Office of International Affairs, was developed into nine tracks of globally focused areas of study covering 13 academic departments, 78 faculty members, and offering 135 courses across the disciplines. 

The University College

• The University College was repurposed to strengthen the academic success of first-time freshmen and transfer students. 
• The Lyceum Committee brought nationally renowned persons and groups to campus including long-time educator and children’s rights activist Marian Wright Edelman, the Three Mo’ Tenors and comedian and actor Robert Townsend.

The School of Business

• The Hospitality and Tourism Program was accredited by ACPHA, the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration.  NCCU has the first and only international accredited program in Hospitality Management in the state of North Carolina.
• The School of Business revised its professional development curriculum following a thorough review of courses offered.

The Julius Chambers BBRI

• Established a significant presence at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis.

On the student affairs and administrative side of the University, in 2007-2008:

• Significant improvements occurred in the delivery throughout student affairs, finance and administration;
• Restoration of the verdant greens got underway, campus lighting and aesthetics were improved;
• Private gifts increased by 34% over the prior year;
• Over 200 NCCU employees participated in QSI training;
• Launched BBRI’s Kannapolis research Institute;
• Secured over $20M in research funding university-wide;
• Received 3.5M in supplemental funding for the Law School and BRITE;
• Nearly 6,500 students contributed 173,000 hours of volunteer service through Academic Community Service Learning;
• University Police launched the Eagle Escort Service and expanded its presence on campus via bicycles, segueways, foot patrols and the placement of officers in selected buildings;
• The Staff Senate completed its strategic plan and adopted the Habitat for Humanities House as its major project.

THE FACULTY SENATE:

Beyond this partial list of operational accomplishments, this past year we tackled an array of strategic issues as well, including the:
    ◊    Approval of a New Master Plan
    ◊    Adoption of new admission standards
    ◊    Realignment of the University’s budget
    ◊    Repurposing of University College
    ◊    Allocation of $800,000 for graduate student financial aid, among others.

In the context of both operational and strategic directions, NCCU is well positioned to reach new levels of excellence and responsiveness.  However, no matter how well positioned we are, the University cannot achieve its potential without a transformation of individual and collective beliefs, behaviors and actions.  So, I return to the questions posed at the beginning of these remarks:

DO YOU BELIEVE IN YOU?
DO YOU BELIEVE IN US?
ARE YOU COMMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY’S MISSION AND VISION?

If your answer is yes to any or all of these questions, the concrete manifestations of your beliefs will be reflected in your actions.  If you are a student, you will assume personal responsibility  for your education – graduation will be your destination.  If you are a faculty member, you will assume personal responsibility for student learning.  If you are an administrator or staff member, you will assume greater responsibility for the success of students and faculty rather than view your job as the performance of a discrete set of disjointed activities.

Our highest operational priorities for the 2008-2009 academic year are five fold:

1. To attain reaffirmation of accreditation by the SACS Commission on Colleges
2. To raise the intellectual climate of the University
3. To improve retention and graduation rates
4. To fully implement QSI and to re-engineer an array of basic administrative processes
5. Launch, Invest in the Vision, the University’s Comprehensive Centennial Fund Drive.  Our goal is to raise a total of $50M by 2012 and to raise 50% of that amount by June 30, 2010.