Post by Aggie One on Sept 22, 2023 14:50:01 GMT -5
I just received this email a few minutes ago.
Alumni Relations <alumni@ncat.edu>
To:
cturner291@aol.com
Fri, Sep 22 at 3:46 PM
Dear Alumnus,
One of the greatest aspirations that any of us might have is to be engaged in work that makes a difference, work that matters and that feeds the soul. I have been extraordinarily blessed to hold a position for the past 14 years that has always exceeded that aspiration. As chancellor of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, I am honored to lead one of our state’s most prominent research universities, as well as one of the nation’s most exceptional historically Black colleges or universities. It is truly edifying and consequential work.
As I enter my 15th year as chancellor, I do so knowing that it will be my last. I have shared with the president of the University of North Carolina System and the chair of the North Carolina A&T Board of Trustees that I plan to retire at the end of this academic year. Before my decision becomes fully public, I wanted to share it first with you, as fellow alumni of the extraordinary university that we call alma mater.
A moment such as this could be bittersweet, but it is not for me. I am tremendously proud of what we have accomplished together since I re-joined the university in 2009, and prouder still that our university’s ascent will continue long after I’ve left campus. The heights we have climbed together over the past 14 years represent A&T’s elevated current state. Each begs an exciting question in a variety of different contexts: Where will A&T go from here?
We turned around an enrollment decline, not only becoming America’s largest HBCU for the past decade, but the largest any HBCU has ever become. More than 40,000 students applied for admission to A&T this school year. A recent report in the Chronicle of Higher Education showed that from 2011 to 2021, applications to our university grew faster than any other traditional university in America.
A&T has emerged as America’s dominant campus of choice for high-performing African American students. We now enroll more Black first-year students than the top 14 national universities ranked in U.S. News & World Report combined, as we continue to build on our 132-year legacy as a proud HBCU.
A&T has become a powerhouse of graduate production, rising from about 1,600 total graduates each year to more than 2,500. In Engineering, Journalism/Communications, Liberal Arts and Agriculture, A&T now produces more African American graduates than any other university in America. Those graduates command outstanding compensation as they begin their careers, with the second-highest average starting salaries of any campus in the UNC System.
We restructured, invigorated and expanded the academic core of our university, with new colleges – including our Honors College – new degree programs and bold new horizons. Numerous additional graduate programs will go to the UNC System Board of Governors for review and approval this year, as we continue to grow the “doctoral research” portion of our multifaceted identity.
We reached important new levels of funding equity with the state of North Carolina. Significant new recurring investments in our doctoral, research university mission and improvements in matching funds for our agricultural mission are enhancing our impact and the number of students and North Carolinians who we can serve.
We built a rapidly developing research enterprise that brought in nearly $150 million in contracts and grants in FY2023. Such funding has climbed by 138% over the past four years, thanks to the committed work of our faculty researchers who are increasingly competitive for federal and private scientific investments. Those faculty have won an overall total of 66 patents for our university, and we work with growing numbers of businesses and organizations interested in licensing those patents.
A&T’s growth and development has dramatically increased our economic impact, from just under $1 billion when it was first measured 10 years ago to $2.4 billion in a study released earlier this year. Our university is now the dominant higher education economic catalyst in the Piedmont Triad region.
We have changed the landscape of our university, with the construction of the 150,000-square-foot Student Center, the heart of A&T; completion of the cutting-edge Martin Engineering Research and Innovation Complex; creation of the Extension and Research Farm Pavilion at our 500-acre University Farm. Work will begin this fall on our latest addition, a 415-bed, five-story residence complex on the historic west side of A&T.
We made positive changes in athletics, winning numerous national and conference championships in football, track and field, bowling and basketball. And we have done that with programs that operate at the highest levels of integrity, with a strong focus on student success in the classroom, as well as on fields of competition.
We have created exceptional new levels of financial support for A&T, most notably through the Campaign for North Carolina A&T, which closed at the end of 2020, having raised a record $181.4 million in private funds for our university. Donors helped grow A&T’s endowment to more than $160 million, giving A&T new funding capacity and financial management flexibility.
I could go on, as what I’ve shared above just scratches the surface of the transformational change that has taken place at our university. Because of those accomplishments, A&T is now in an increasingly viable position to pursue recognition as an R1-Very High Research Activity campus via the Carnegie Classification for Institutions of Higher Education system. It is yet another challenge that A&T has committed to meet, and I have no doubt that we will.
In my first appearance on campus as chancellor in 2009, I spoke to a group of faculty, students and staff and asked them a very direct question about their intentions and our university: “Are you ready to compete?” They enthusiastically replied that they were. And so we set about that competition – for the brightest students, for the most impactful programs, for the success of our students and for the strongest alumni support. For 14 years, we have never backed away from a challenge. I thank you for the role you have played in helping A&T to compete and win at the highest levels.
I will continue my work as chancellor through the end of this academic year. Details will be announced soon on a national search for a new chancellor, and I will do all that I can to ensure an orderly, successful transition. I look forward to a process that will choose an outstanding leader befitting the singular national profile of our accomplished and ambitious university.
Davida and I are very much looking forward to this next phase in our lives, as I join her in retirement – one that is filled with grandchildren and family, travel and adventure and many visits to Aggieland, where we will continue to be enthusiastic members of the Aggie Family. She and I share a deep sense of gratitude for the enormous role that A&T has played in both our lives, a commitment to its strong and accomplished future and a great love for the many wonderful friends who make up our university, you among them.
With Aggie Pride,
Harold L. Martin, Sr.
Chancellor
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Alumni Relations <alumni@ncat.edu>
To:
cturner291@aol.com
Fri, Sep 22 at 3:46 PM
Dear Alumnus,
One of the greatest aspirations that any of us might have is to be engaged in work that makes a difference, work that matters and that feeds the soul. I have been extraordinarily blessed to hold a position for the past 14 years that has always exceeded that aspiration. As chancellor of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, I am honored to lead one of our state’s most prominent research universities, as well as one of the nation’s most exceptional historically Black colleges or universities. It is truly edifying and consequential work.
As I enter my 15th year as chancellor, I do so knowing that it will be my last. I have shared with the president of the University of North Carolina System and the chair of the North Carolina A&T Board of Trustees that I plan to retire at the end of this academic year. Before my decision becomes fully public, I wanted to share it first with you, as fellow alumni of the extraordinary university that we call alma mater.
A moment such as this could be bittersweet, but it is not for me. I am tremendously proud of what we have accomplished together since I re-joined the university in 2009, and prouder still that our university’s ascent will continue long after I’ve left campus. The heights we have climbed together over the past 14 years represent A&T’s elevated current state. Each begs an exciting question in a variety of different contexts: Where will A&T go from here?
We turned around an enrollment decline, not only becoming America’s largest HBCU for the past decade, but the largest any HBCU has ever become. More than 40,000 students applied for admission to A&T this school year. A recent report in the Chronicle of Higher Education showed that from 2011 to 2021, applications to our university grew faster than any other traditional university in America.
A&T has emerged as America’s dominant campus of choice for high-performing African American students. We now enroll more Black first-year students than the top 14 national universities ranked in U.S. News & World Report combined, as we continue to build on our 132-year legacy as a proud HBCU.
A&T has become a powerhouse of graduate production, rising from about 1,600 total graduates each year to more than 2,500. In Engineering, Journalism/Communications, Liberal Arts and Agriculture, A&T now produces more African American graduates than any other university in America. Those graduates command outstanding compensation as they begin their careers, with the second-highest average starting salaries of any campus in the UNC System.
We restructured, invigorated and expanded the academic core of our university, with new colleges – including our Honors College – new degree programs and bold new horizons. Numerous additional graduate programs will go to the UNC System Board of Governors for review and approval this year, as we continue to grow the “doctoral research” portion of our multifaceted identity.
We reached important new levels of funding equity with the state of North Carolina. Significant new recurring investments in our doctoral, research university mission and improvements in matching funds for our agricultural mission are enhancing our impact and the number of students and North Carolinians who we can serve.
We built a rapidly developing research enterprise that brought in nearly $150 million in contracts and grants in FY2023. Such funding has climbed by 138% over the past four years, thanks to the committed work of our faculty researchers who are increasingly competitive for federal and private scientific investments. Those faculty have won an overall total of 66 patents for our university, and we work with growing numbers of businesses and organizations interested in licensing those patents.
A&T’s growth and development has dramatically increased our economic impact, from just under $1 billion when it was first measured 10 years ago to $2.4 billion in a study released earlier this year. Our university is now the dominant higher education economic catalyst in the Piedmont Triad region.
We have changed the landscape of our university, with the construction of the 150,000-square-foot Student Center, the heart of A&T; completion of the cutting-edge Martin Engineering Research and Innovation Complex; creation of the Extension and Research Farm Pavilion at our 500-acre University Farm. Work will begin this fall on our latest addition, a 415-bed, five-story residence complex on the historic west side of A&T.
We made positive changes in athletics, winning numerous national and conference championships in football, track and field, bowling and basketball. And we have done that with programs that operate at the highest levels of integrity, with a strong focus on student success in the classroom, as well as on fields of competition.
We have created exceptional new levels of financial support for A&T, most notably through the Campaign for North Carolina A&T, which closed at the end of 2020, having raised a record $181.4 million in private funds for our university. Donors helped grow A&T’s endowment to more than $160 million, giving A&T new funding capacity and financial management flexibility.
I could go on, as what I’ve shared above just scratches the surface of the transformational change that has taken place at our university. Because of those accomplishments, A&T is now in an increasingly viable position to pursue recognition as an R1-Very High Research Activity campus via the Carnegie Classification for Institutions of Higher Education system. It is yet another challenge that A&T has committed to meet, and I have no doubt that we will.
In my first appearance on campus as chancellor in 2009, I spoke to a group of faculty, students and staff and asked them a very direct question about their intentions and our university: “Are you ready to compete?” They enthusiastically replied that they were. And so we set about that competition – for the brightest students, for the most impactful programs, for the success of our students and for the strongest alumni support. For 14 years, we have never backed away from a challenge. I thank you for the role you have played in helping A&T to compete and win at the highest levels.
I will continue my work as chancellor through the end of this academic year. Details will be announced soon on a national search for a new chancellor, and I will do all that I can to ensure an orderly, successful transition. I look forward to a process that will choose an outstanding leader befitting the singular national profile of our accomplished and ambitious university.
Davida and I are very much looking forward to this next phase in our lives, as I join her in retirement – one that is filled with grandchildren and family, travel and adventure and many visits to Aggieland, where we will continue to be enthusiastic members of the Aggie Family. She and I share a deep sense of gratitude for the enormous role that A&T has played in both our lives, a commitment to its strong and accomplished future and a great love for the many wonderful friends who make up our university, you among them.
With Aggie Pride,
Harold L. Martin, Sr.
Chancellor
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University