Post by Bornthrilla on Feb 10, 2005 13:44:47 GMT -5
N.C. A&T stays true to legacy
www.dailytarheel.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/02/07/42076af6d39cf
BY AMY EAGLEBURGER
STAFF WRITER
February 07, 2005
GREENSBORO — James Renick began his day Dec. 1 at a 6 a.m. swim practice for N.C. Agricultural & Technical State University’s Division I swim team.
But Renick won’t be winning any titles for his backstroke any time soon. Instead, he will be cheering from the sidelines, exuding Aggie pride as the university’s chancellor.
“It’s a family. There are strong relationships. People respect each other,” said Renick of the N.C. A&T community.
That family is a dynamic one, constantly striving to balance its historical ties to the civil rights movement with its future aspirations, including increasing the size of the campus and the student body.
The student population is more than 10,400 strong, and there are more than a few notable names on the family tree.
“(Students) come here not looking for only a quality academic experience but to experience the A&T historical legacy,” said Andrew Perkins Jr., assistant vice chancellor for facilities and engineering.
That legacy is closely tied to the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
Every Feb. 1, the university celebrates its fellow Aggies — Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, David Richmond, and Ezell Blair Jr. (now Jibreel Khazan) — who began the sit-in movement.
In 1960, the four men took a stand against segregation when they were freshmen at N.C. A&T by sitting at a whites-only Woolworth’s lunch counter and refusing to leave until they were served.
The history of the university and of the United States was forever changed.
“February One is an important tradition for us,” Renick said. “I give a medal … a human rights medal … to commemorate the sit-ins.”<br>
A memorial statue, titled “February One,” is a constant reminder of the men’s actions and the kind of excellence in character and citizenship that is at the heart of Aggie pride.
The concept is set forth in the “Aggie Pride Compact,” which each student pledges to uphold during their time at the university. The compact was created by a team of students and faculty members.
According to the compact, it “builds on the past, maintains the present and accepts the challenges of the future.”<br>
“We have student codes of conduct primarily for disciplinary action, but this is the way that we expect students to engage each other and engage in their community,” Renick said.
N.C. A&T’s status as a historically black college also provides it with a unique responsibility to the country as a whole.
“Historically black colleges have had a role to make sure, from one generation to the next, we continue the African-American leadership structure in this country,” Renick said.
The experience of attending an HBCU drew Latanda Mack, a sophomore journalism major from Virginia, to N.C. A&T. “I came from a predominantly white school, so I didn’t get the culturally black experience there,” she said.
Lavon Miller, a junior graphics communication major, also said he was attracted by the school’s culture. “The decision was pretty much because it was an HBCU and the engineering,” he said.
But during the process of staying true to its history, the university is also looking toward continued academic excellence.
Part of that mission includes a major expansion — $250 million in construction, with $161.8 million in bond money.
“The landscape has changed dramatically,” Perkins said. “One hundred percent of our program is under design or under construction. Sixty-three percent of our bond program is under construction right now, and 18 (percent) is in fact complete.”<br>
Along with a new science complex, dormitories and general classrooms, the campus soon will feature a bell tower, much like UNC-Chapel Hill’s.
“We think right now we are about a year ahead of ourselves providing quality spaces,” said Perkins, who said the university farm, a five-minute drive from the center of campus, will become the next construction frontier — the Millennial Campus.
Plans for the Millennial Campus, a joint venture between N.C. A&T and UNC-Greensboro, were first released in 2003. Last summer, the N.C. General Assembly approved $10 million to help pay for development of the campus facility and research park.
Developments in the department of journalism and mass communication also give the university community much to be excited about.
“We have a recommendation for full accreditation,” said Teresa Styles, the department’s chairwoman.
The department received a partial accreditation for the 2003-04 academic year. A vote by an accrediting council in May will decide if it receives full accreditation status.
If the effort is successful, N.C. A&T would join UNC-CH as the only UNC-system schools with fully accredited programs.
“In a nutshell, we are excited and excited for the state,” Styles said.
More students are able to share in that excitement thanks to N.C. A&T’s status as a focused-growth school.
“The basic quality (of focused-growth schools) is that they are being supported and encouraged to grow,” Perkins said.
He added that the school’s ideal student population would be between 13,000 and 14,000 students.
Having more Aggies on campus is a prospect Renick certainly finds appealing. His love for the school and pride in its rich heritage grows more apparent as he surveys the campus.
“This is a really neat place, a lot going on, a lot happening.”<br>
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
www.dailytarheel.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/02/07/42076af6d39cf
BY AMY EAGLEBURGER
STAFF WRITER
February 07, 2005
GREENSBORO — James Renick began his day Dec. 1 at a 6 a.m. swim practice for N.C. Agricultural & Technical State University’s Division I swim team.
But Renick won’t be winning any titles for his backstroke any time soon. Instead, he will be cheering from the sidelines, exuding Aggie pride as the university’s chancellor.
“It’s a family. There are strong relationships. People respect each other,” said Renick of the N.C. A&T community.
That family is a dynamic one, constantly striving to balance its historical ties to the civil rights movement with its future aspirations, including increasing the size of the campus and the student body.
The student population is more than 10,400 strong, and there are more than a few notable names on the family tree.
“(Students) come here not looking for only a quality academic experience but to experience the A&T historical legacy,” said Andrew Perkins Jr., assistant vice chancellor for facilities and engineering.
That legacy is closely tied to the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
Every Feb. 1, the university celebrates its fellow Aggies — Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, David Richmond, and Ezell Blair Jr. (now Jibreel Khazan) — who began the sit-in movement.
In 1960, the four men took a stand against segregation when they were freshmen at N.C. A&T by sitting at a whites-only Woolworth’s lunch counter and refusing to leave until they were served.
The history of the university and of the United States was forever changed.
“February One is an important tradition for us,” Renick said. “I give a medal … a human rights medal … to commemorate the sit-ins.”<br>
A memorial statue, titled “February One,” is a constant reminder of the men’s actions and the kind of excellence in character and citizenship that is at the heart of Aggie pride.
The concept is set forth in the “Aggie Pride Compact,” which each student pledges to uphold during their time at the university. The compact was created by a team of students and faculty members.
According to the compact, it “builds on the past, maintains the present and accepts the challenges of the future.”<br>
“We have student codes of conduct primarily for disciplinary action, but this is the way that we expect students to engage each other and engage in their community,” Renick said.
N.C. A&T’s status as a historically black college also provides it with a unique responsibility to the country as a whole.
“Historically black colleges have had a role to make sure, from one generation to the next, we continue the African-American leadership structure in this country,” Renick said.
The experience of attending an HBCU drew Latanda Mack, a sophomore journalism major from Virginia, to N.C. A&T. “I came from a predominantly white school, so I didn’t get the culturally black experience there,” she said.
Lavon Miller, a junior graphics communication major, also said he was attracted by the school’s culture. “The decision was pretty much because it was an HBCU and the engineering,” he said.
But during the process of staying true to its history, the university is also looking toward continued academic excellence.
Part of that mission includes a major expansion — $250 million in construction, with $161.8 million in bond money.
“The landscape has changed dramatically,” Perkins said. “One hundred percent of our program is under design or under construction. Sixty-three percent of our bond program is under construction right now, and 18 (percent) is in fact complete.”<br>
Along with a new science complex, dormitories and general classrooms, the campus soon will feature a bell tower, much like UNC-Chapel Hill’s.
“We think right now we are about a year ahead of ourselves providing quality spaces,” said Perkins, who said the university farm, a five-minute drive from the center of campus, will become the next construction frontier — the Millennial Campus.
Plans for the Millennial Campus, a joint venture between N.C. A&T and UNC-Greensboro, were first released in 2003. Last summer, the N.C. General Assembly approved $10 million to help pay for development of the campus facility and research park.
Developments in the department of journalism and mass communication also give the university community much to be excited about.
“We have a recommendation for full accreditation,” said Teresa Styles, the department’s chairwoman.
The department received a partial accreditation for the 2003-04 academic year. A vote by an accrediting council in May will decide if it receives full accreditation status.
If the effort is successful, N.C. A&T would join UNC-CH as the only UNC-system schools with fully accredited programs.
“In a nutshell, we are excited and excited for the state,” Styles said.
More students are able to share in that excitement thanks to N.C. A&T’s status as a focused-growth school.
“The basic quality (of focused-growth schools) is that they are being supported and encouraged to grow,” Perkins said.
He added that the school’s ideal student population would be between 13,000 and 14,000 students.
Having more Aggies on campus is a prospect Renick certainly finds appealing. His love for the school and pride in its rich heritage grows more apparent as he surveys the campus.
“This is a really neat place, a lot going on, a lot happening.”<br>
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
