Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) has announced a restructuring that is designed to provide more implementation support for its strategic plan that focuses on improving student retention, graduation rates and post-graduation outcomes. The changes will become effective July 1, 2010.
“Our strategic plan has identified the programs and initiatives that will provide our students with the support that they need to be successful while at Winston-Salem State and after graduation,” said Chancellor Donald J. Reaves. “We define success as graduates who are well-prepared for advanced study or work in their chosen profession and who also are willing and capable of providing leadership and service to the community. There is, however, a set of management challenges that must be addressed if we are to implement successfully the strategies that are contained in the plan.”
To provide the implementation support necessary to monitor and measure the work outlined in the strategic plan, the role of the executive vice chancellor for management and strategic initiatives will be realigned.
Dr. Dorcas Colvin
“We must have someone working continuously on the various aspects of the plan,” Reaves explained. “Dr. Dorcas Colvin will be the day-to-day driver of our implementation efforts. Reporting directly to me, and working collaboratively with the other senior officers who have responsibility for various aspects of the plan, she will lead the on-going implementation effort and will ensure that we are measuring our progress in a meaningful manner.
“We will be reassigning the enrollment service and human resources function to allow the executive vice president to provide leadership for new initiatives such as staff development, service excellence and process improvements,” Reaves added. “Dr. Colvin also has been designated as WSSU’s project manager for the UNC-FIT, or Finance Improvement and Transformation initiative, which is designed to align people, processes and technology throughout the multi-campus University system.”
In August 2008 the responsibility for enrollment management was assigned temporarily to Colvin while the university searched for a new provost. With Provost Brenda Allen in place for a year, enrollment management will be reassigned to academic affairs. Additionally, the office of human resources will be reassigned to the finance and administration area where it is better aligned with other business operations.
As part of its larger restructuring effort, the university will create a Secondary Education Department within the School of Education and Human Performance to better serve students who are preparing to teach high school English, mathematics and science.
“We have been providing a high level of education in these specific subject areas that have been housed in our College of Arts and Sciences,” said Reaves. “By consolidating our secondary education program in the School of Education and Human Performance, we can focus more attention on teacher training. The world of teaching has changed significantly over the years and we need to be sure that the teachers that we produce are equipped to be successful in the classroom.”
Other changes include moving the physical education major from the Department of Human Performance and Sports Sciences to the new Department of Secondary Education and the English as a Second Language program from the College of Arts and Sciences to the new Department of Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Professional Studies. The new departments will become effective July 1.
The university is also reorganizing the administration of its graduate programs by eliminating the School of Graduate Studies and Research and consolidating the responsibilities for graduate school programs administration, institutional research, sponsored projects and special projects under one associate provost. Effective July 1, Dr. Carolynn Berry, currently assistant provost for planning, assessment and research will become an associate provost with responsibility for the activities outlined above. She also will retain responsibility for institutional research.
Dr. Carolynn Berry
WSSU’s strategic plan for 2010-2015 includes five goals that address the curricular, infrastructure and resource factors that have been identified as most relevant to successful academic outcomes. The five goals are centered on academic excellence at the undergraduate and graduate levels; student success; community engagement; efficiency, effectiveness and resources; and university pride and culture.
“These organizational changes will enable the university to manage more effectively its day-to-day responsibilities while focusing on the implementation requirements of the strategic plan,” Reaves said.
