The AT&T Real Yellow Pages is the official directory of Winston-Salem State University.

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.

Dr. Joy Gleason Carew, photo by Akram Burton of RamImages.com

Dr. Joy Gleason Carew — granddaughter of Winston-Salem State University founder, Simon Green Atkins — will speak on “The Audacity to Challenge the Fates: Blacks Who Left the U.S. for the U.S.S.R. in Search of a Better Life,” during a public lecture on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 2 p.m. in K.R. Williams Auditorium.

Prior to her public lecture, Carew will make a presentation to history and social science students on Sept. 10, at 11 a.m. in Room 102 F.L. Atkins Building. Carew will speak on the value of study abroad experiences and foreign language study on Friday, Sept. 11, at 10 a.m. in 228 Hall Patterson Building.  Both are campus-only events.

In her book, Blacks, Reds, and Russians: Sojourners in Search of the Soviet Promise (Rutgers University Press, 2008) Carew tells one of the most compelling, yet little known stories of race relations in the twentieth century —  the account of blacks who chose to leave the United States to be involved in the Soviet Experiment in the 1920s and 1930s. Frustrated by the limitations imposed by racism in their home country, African-Americans were lured by the promise of opportunity abroad.

A number of them settled there, raised families, and became integrated into society. The Soviet economy likewise reaped enormous benefits from the talent and expertise that these individuals brought, and the all around success story became a platform for political leaders to boost their party goals of creating a society where all members were equal.

An extraordinary read

In Blacks, Reds, and Russians, Carew offers insight into the political strategies that often underlie relationships between different peoples and countries. She draws on the autobiographies of key sojourners, including Harry Haywood and Robert Robinson, in addition to the writings of Claude McKay, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Langston Hughes.

Langston Hughes

Interviews with the descendents of figures such as Paul Robeson and Oliver Golden offer rare personal insights into the story of a group of emigrants who, confronted by the daunting challenges of making a life for themselves in a racist United States, found unprecedented opportunities in communist Russia.

Carew teaches Pan-African Studies and directs the study abroad program at the University of Louisville. A longtime proponent of international studies, she has led numerous student and professional groups to the U.S.S.R.

Carew is the daughter of Eliza Atkins Gleason, daughter and only living child of WSSU founder Simon Green Atkins and his wife Oleona Pegram Atkins.  Mrs. Gleason will celebrate her 100th birthday in December.

Sue Henderson

The Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina has elected Sue Henderson to serve on the Board of Trustees of Winston-Salem State University completing a partial four-year term ending on June 30, 2011.  Henderson is a senior vice president and regional manager for Wachovia Wealth Management, a Wells Fargo company.

“We are extremely delighted to have someone of Sue’s background join our Board,” said Chancellor Donald J. Reaves.  “Sue has been involved with the university through our Foundation Board of Directors and brings a wealth of experience in the financial arena and in our community.”

Henderson has more than 25 years experience in the financial sector including assignments in wealth management, as well as private, commercial and retail banking.  She began her banking career in 1983 and joined First Union Bank in 1987.  Henderson has held management positions in High Point and Winston-Salem through the merger with Wachovia and the acquisition by Wells Fargo.

A graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in finance, Henderson is a certified financial planner and holds securities and insurance licenses.  She has served as Chair of the YMCA Metro Board of Directors and on the Boards for Reynolda House Museum of Art, the Winston-Salem Symphony, the Winston-Salem Arts Council and the Carolina Ballet Board.  She has also served on the Advisory Board for Brenner Children’s Hospital and the Board of Visitors for Salem Academy and College.

The sign of excellence

Winston-Salem State University has for the 10th consecutive year been ranked among Top Public Comprehensive Colleges in the South–Bachelor’s category in the 2010 America’s Best Colleges issue of U.S. News & World Report Magazine.

Although ranked third in the 2010 rankings, WSSU has been ranked either number one or number two in this category since 2002. The rankings are part of the magazine’s 2010 annual issue of top universities in the nation.

WSSU was ranked 17th nationwide among top Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the second ranking in that category by U.S. News & World Report.

“Our consistent ranking in this category supports what we believe to be true,” said WSSU Chancellor Donald J. Reaves. “That belief is that we are on the right track in what we are trying to accomplish in producing future leaders and that the quality of our programs is highly valued.”

To compile the rankings, the publication examined several criteria, including an institution’s academic reputation, retention, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, graduate rate performance and alumni giving rate.

The Segways are among WSSU's newest crime fighting tools.

With shrinking budgets, campus and city police departments are working to find cheaper ways to maintain safety and effectiveness.  Following the lead of Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s police department, WSSU recently added two Segway vehicles to the police motor pool. The environmentally friendly Segways will save the school $4,000 in maintenance and gas in their first year of use.

The motorized scooter-like vehicles, which drivers operate while standing up, also help break down communication barriers that police can encounter when patrolling in traditional police cruisers.

Segways can sustain speeds of 12 miles per hour. “Maintaining a constant speed of 12 mph would ensure a quick capture of any would-be criminals,” says WSSU Crime Prevention Officer Lt. Patrick Ansel.

Coveted "Spirit of Giving" Cup

Save the date of September 29 to join the campus community for the Annual Fund’s “Spirit of Giving Cup” Competition Kick-Off.

The celebration will run from noon until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 29, in the Thompson Center Breezeway. Look for prizes, popcorn, hotdogs and a special performance by the Red Sea of Sound marching band. along with a presentation and acknowledgment of the 2008-09 “Spirit of Giving Cup” winner, the WSSU College of Arts and Sciences.

Congratulations…

Gordon Slade

to Gordon Slade ‘93, finance director for the WSSU Foundation, on his recent appointment to the City of Winston-Salem’s Citizens Baseball Stadium Review Committee, which is charged with the responsibility of reviewing the payments made on the project, tracking its progress, monitoring minority contractor/service provider participation in the project, and monitoring stadium operations after its completion. Slade will serve a four-year term.

It was a beautiful day. The crowd was large. The activities and performances were outstanding. The food was great and everybody had good time. Click the links to see more photos from Family Day Cook Out and Meet the Rams.

Red Sea of Sound lifts spirits as they prepare to perform.

Chancellor and Mrs. Reaves (right) give away a $500 voucher to the WSSU bookstore.

The brothers of Omega Psi Phi kick it during stepshow at Family Day Cookout

Freshmen begin walk "Through the Archway"

More than 800 new freshmen at WSSU know what it means to be a Ram, thanks to a new orientation program, RAMDITION.  The class of 2013 was the first to be introduced to the new initiative inspired by University College (UC) Aug. 15-22.

The name of the program is derived from the word tradition. The aim is to instill Ram pride and tradition into the new arrivals. Did it ever.

UC did its homework in coming up with the new concept.  “A review of student surveys from previous years indicated a need for review of the orientation and Prep Week events,” says Michelle Releford, dean of UC.  “In October of 2008, we convened a group of staff from across the University who identified their mission as the creation of a premier first days experience that would empower, inspire, engage, and motivate our new students. Additionally, it was decided that there was a need to cultivate an appreciation for WSSU’s great traditions; thus, the term RAMDITION was coined.”

Under the theme, “RAMDITION: Connecting to Our Legacy, Discovering Your Future,” students began their experience on Sunday, August 16 with the Chancellor’s Opening Assembly. They were introduced to members of his administrative staff and received their charge from Chancellor Reaves.  At the end of the program students exited K.R. Williams Auditorium with their assigned Legacy Leaders-students who were especially trained to serve as their guides over the coming week.

Freshmen take the Ram oath.

During the initial three days of the program, students attended any one of 12 courses and two assessments.  These courses included everything from “How to Make a Dollar Holla” to “Citizenship in the Ram Nation.”  Students also attended evening activities such as tours of the city, visits to the mall, movies, and skating at a local rink.  Campus activities included Zumba, Ramcade, Beach Ball Swim, and a host of other activities.

On Thursday, August 20, students participated in “Through the Archway: A Rite of Passage.”  The morning began with a student processional through stone arches erected on the campus in the 1930s in honor of WSSU’s founder’s wife, Oleona Pegram Atkins.  Ladies received lockets engraved with the university’s initials and men received red ties.  These gifts were made possible through a financial gift from the WSSU Board of Visitors.  The ladies received one long-stem red rose as well.  Members

Dreambuilders, Inc. CEO, Kenston Griffin, makes a point during Ramdition keynote address.

from the local Links, Inc. and the Kappa Alpha Psi, graduate chapter also provided ceremonial assistance to ready students for the processional. The speaker for the day’s ceremony was Kenston Griffin, CEO of Dreambuilders, Inc.

Later that evening, the first Star Time Review, a freshmen talent show, rocked a near capacity crowd in Williams Auditorium.

Friday, students picked up test books, identified where their classes were scheduled, secured their tickets and T-shirts for Saturday’s RamGras, a Mardi Gras-styled festival event, and prepared for the Ram Jam, sponsored by student activities, on Friday night. Saturday morning, the RamGras festivities began as funnel cake, cotton candy, and ice cream trucks pulled onto campus.  Thanks to Aramark Dining Services, the Mardi Gras-styled event was complete with shrimp po-boy and fried chicken wraps.

Freshmen having big fun during RamGras.

Over the course of the week, UC gave away five computers thanks to Donna Oldham of Dell, Inc., who contributed four computers and Damon Scott, director of dining services with Aramark, who also contributed a computer.

“We wanted to create a premier first-days experience,” said Releford. “I think we succeeded.”

See the video for more of the Ramdition experience.

Dr. Releford announces Class of 2013 gift as Chancellor Reaves and Michelle Cook, WSSU Vice Chancellor for University Advancement proudly watch.

One of the messages that WSSU Chancellor Donald Reaves has consistently spoken about has been the notion of developing a “culture of giving” within the WSSU campus community.

The Class of 2013 heard his message via the charge of University College dean Michele Releford who asked the freshmen, “Who wants to bet on their future success at WSSU,” an idea that came to her a few days before the opening of Ramdition. Most did and donated more than $500 as a class toward their success as Rams.

“The idea here was to flip the script a little bit,” she said.  “Instead of leaving a parting gift as a class, they made an investment in themselves and their future success at the beginning of their journey.

“It was really amazing to watch these young people attach dollar bills to a large piece of cardboard until there was no space left,” said Releford. “They just kept coming.”

Dr. Alican Kavas

Winston-Salem State University’s School of Business and Economics (SBE) has recently been awarded a two-year $171,875 U.S. Department of Education grant to enhance international business education programs and expand the capacity of the business community to engage in international economic activities.

Dr. Suresh Gopalan

Dr. Alican Kavas, project director and professor of Marketing and Dr. Suresh Gopalan, project co-director and associate professor of Management in the SBE’s Department of Management and Marketing were the authors of the grant proposal that was funded through the U.S. Department of Education’s Business and International Education (BIE) Program. They were awarded $171,875 over the next two years $86,952 for 2009-2010 and $84,923 for 2010-2011 to implement their proposed ideas for the grant.

Dr. Jessica Bailey

“In the twenty-first century, all business is international business,” said Dr. Jessica Bailey, dean of WSSU’s School Business and Economics.  ”Even if the consumers are local, the manufacturers, competitors, and supply chains are global.  That is why this grant is so beneficial to our students, our faculty, and the local business community.”

The project will focus on three areas:  faculty development, curriculum-student development, and community outreach. In the area of faculty development, the proposal would enhance selected faculty members’ ability to teach international business effectively by providing them with first-hand experiences through participation in short-term study-abroad programs in countries critical to North Carolina’s international trade, like China, India, and Mexico. The program will provide for attending domestically or internationally organized international conferences and seminars; instructional resources that will assist in the development of new electives or the increase of the international content of their courses; and encouragement of faculty-student collaborative research in international business topics.

In the area of curriculum-student development, a two-phased program is proposed to augment the SBE curriculum. Phase one will create an “Introduction to International Business” course in the curriculum. All business majors will be required to enroll in this course. Additionally, an International Business lecture series will be created as a section in all Business Freshman Seminar courses. Phase two of the project involves offering an International Business (IB) track housed in the Management and Marketing Department but offered to students across the business school. This IB track will also be an excellent venue for area community college students who want to continue their education in international business at the university level.  In addition opportunities to study abroad will be enhanced by the provision of scholarships to undergraduate business students.  Both the Office of International Programs at WSSU and the BIE grant will help strengthen students’ skills in international business.

The outreach component of the proposal will establish an International Business Forum that will be hosted twice a year by the SBE, with cooperation from the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce; it will facilitate discussions among emerging and veteran exporters. These forums/seminars in International Trade Issues featuring scholars, experts and executives will be organized based on the needs of the local business community. These activities will be open to faculty, students, and the business community.

“It is strongly believed that the activities and programs planned and implemented under this project will significantly enhance the International Business skills and expertise of the students and faculty as well as the business community in the Winston-Salem area,” said Dr. Kavas.

The WSSU community and the community-at-large will be treated to a number major events this fall, capped off by Homecoming on Oct. 31. Click to see the flyers about what is happening at WSSU. Also check out the University Calendar for new events or changes as well as the WSSU Facebook page.