Chancellor Reaves

This academic year seemed to have been the busiest one I can remember.  We have been involved in a myriad of activities and there have been some major accomplishments.  Of course, we’ve also had our share of challenges to deal with ranging from athletics to the fact we had to cancel the Fall Commencement in December due to inclement weather, perhaps a first in the history of the University.

Yet, as I sat through both our Fall and Spring Commencement ceremonies, I was reminded of the excitement of Homecoming last October, the intriguing conversations we had at the SGA and Honors College dinners, and the pride that we felt at the various events recognizing our outstanding students.

In fact, there have been so many good things happening on campus that I decided to develop a year-end report on the accomplishments and challenges of the 2009-10 academic year.  I plan to report orally at our Board of Trustees meeting in June and then share a written report with all of you.  I believe such an effort will allow us to pause for a minute to celebrate our successes and recognize the challenges that lie ahead before we begin the work of a new academic year that looms just around the corner.

With our new Strategic Plan to guide us, I know there will continue to be a tremendous level of activity in all areas of the campus as we focus our efforts and our resources on achieving goals that are designed to enhance the opportunities for success of our students.  I have been extremely pleased with the work that has begun,   particularly in the area of curriculum reform.  I know, however, that there is still much to do as we work to provide our students with a quality education.  Throughout the summer work we will focus on developing the implementation strategies to achieve the goals that the Plan lays out for the University.

There is, however, one major issue that continues to loom over us and could impact all of the work we are doing.  As the State of North Carolina continues to struggle with its economy, we know that there will be additional budget reductions for the fiscal year that begins July 1.   Our concern at the moment is with the magnitude of those cuts for the UNC system and for our campus.

As you may know we had planned for an additional two percent reduction.  But as the process has unfolded it appears that the cut will be more substantial.  We will not know for sure until the General Assembly completes its budget work what that final number will be.

Given the difficulties encountered in trying to absorb the previous budget reductions, we are concerned that these additional reductions could affect our academic core.  Faculty and staff have put a great deal of time and energy into the efforts to improve student retention and graduation rates.   A significant reduction in our state allocation could affect those efforts by, for example, limiting the number of classes we can offer, increasing the size of our classes, and reducing the availability of much-needed support such as counselors and advisors – all of which could impact negatively the ability of our students to complete their courses of study.

Winston-Salem State University, just like all the other campuses in the UNC system, exists for one purpose – to educate students.  At a time when an educated workforce is so important to the economic development of our community and our state, it seems counter-productive to take any step that puts the quality of that education in jeopardy.

So, the efforts we are making to educate and inform the North Carolina General Assembly are not just about letting them know the impact a severe budget cut would have on the future of our students, but the effect it would have on the future of our community and our state.  Yet, we know the State of North Carolina is facing a revenue shortage.  All logic tells us that there will be a budget reduction because funding just will not be available.

Therefore, we will need to consider carefully how we allocate the resources that are available, and in doing so the activities that support the goals of our Strategic Plan must receive the highest priority status.   We must continue to invest in the university to ensure that our students have access to the classes and the support that they need, that the faculty to teach our students is in place, and that the environment is conducive to learning.

So, regardless of the outcome, our charge is to work together to ensure that we meet this university’s vision of developing graduates of distinction known for leadership and service in their professions and communities.