Chancellor Donald J. Reaves
Last year, I spoke often about Winston-Salem State being caught up in the perfect storm, an analogy with the 2000 motion picture, “The Perfect Storm.” That movie told the story of a fishing vessel that was caught up in the convergence of forces of nature that created a storm of monumental proportions that created an unpleasant end for the boat and its crew – it sank.
In the fall of 2008, the University was caught in a convergence of several phenomena that included the largest first-year class in the history of the university, an increased demand for on-campus housing, and practices that created impediments for getting things done quickly. Unlike the real-life story, the University would be presented with a retake opportunity. And while I knew we would survive, I also believed that we could prevent a storm of that magnitude from happening again.
What a difference a year makes! We changed policies and procedures that included eliminating rolling admissions so we had a better feel for how many students we were going to have. We reduced the size of the first year class and improved its quality. In fact, we basically revised the entire enrollment management process. Additionally, we developed new ideas that truly made a difference.
The One-Stop Center for registration, located at the Anderson Center, was a tremendous asset for students and their families. Having all of the needed registration services under one roof meant students did not have to travel from building to building to complete registration, and with the lay-out at the Anderson Center, lines were kept to a minimum. I truly appreciate everyone who was involved in that process. Not only did it work from an administrative standpoint, it worked from a human perspective. There were greeters at the door; helpful people behind that counter that could tell students and their families what process to follow; there was bottled water available along with chairs; and Dillard Auditorium, complete with large-screen movies, created a waiting room environment unlike any we have ever had before.
Of course, there were still issues to be dealt with and concerns raised by parents, but the level of those problems were certainly far below what we dealt with in 2008. Again, for that I am truly grateful to all of those who worked so hard to make a difference.
Another major change we saw this year was an enhanced orientation program for our incoming first-year students and transfer students with less than 30 hours. While we will continue to emphasize the work that needs to be done to help retain these students and to support their ability to be successful, this year’s RAMDITION program certainly laid a solid foundation for our on-going efforts.
The staff at University College and the volunteers they recruited developed and implemented a program that allowed new students to learn about the campus, the university and the resources available to them, as well as time to bond with new friends. The Legacy Leaders, upperclassmen who worked with groups of new students, demonstrated their leadership abilities and their willingness to work.
While the early communications and the RAMDITION programs have to be beneficial for the first-year students, the students also contributed what we hope will become a campus tradition – the Ram Line Walk through the Archway and the Rites of Passage Ceremony. Seeing those students dressed in black and white making their way to the K. R. Williams Auditorium was certainly awe-inspiring. Seeing them stand up and pledge to uphold the image of Winston-Salem State made me very proud.
So, I believe we have an excellent start for the new school year. I know September will be a busy month with classes, sports, our employee service awards program, our Hall of Fame induction ceremony and the many other events and activities that always mark the beginning of the year. I am excited about what 2009-2010 will bring and certainly hope you share my enthusiasm.
