NCCU’s Nelms is in ‘Juggling Act’

By Dan E. Way, The Herald-Sun, Durham, N.C.

May 22–DURHAM — To hear NCCU Chancellor Charlie Nelms tell it, the public persona he presents as a buzz saw of activity is deeply rooted in methodical planning, and each deliberate act is universally tied to goals of campus and student improvement.

“It’s a juggling act” to tackle the many projects he has laid out for himself — they all seem to fit into one of his priority categories — he acknowledged.

Some of those, he told members of The Herald-Sun editorial board on Wednesday, are getting the campus master plan moving forward, ensuring the institution’s financial credibility, expanding master’s and doctoral degree programs, launching more ambitious fundraising initiatives and instilling a vital culture of higher expectations.

“My highest priority is to make sure students graduate, that they are successful,” Nelms said.

To achieve that, the administration and faculty need to “raise the intellectual climate expectations,” he said. “As we talked about changing or raising our admission standards, the students said, ‘That’s the right thing to do.’ “

Nelms said he continues to assemble his inner circle of high-level administrators.

“There’s a search getting under way right now for a provost,” he said without elaboration, in what may be his first public acknowledgement that Beverly Washington Jones is being moved out of the position.

Jones, who enjoys widespread alumni and campus support and was a finalist for the chancellor job eventually won by Nelms 10 months ago, first acknowledged Nelms’ decision in an April 17 internal e-mail to NCCU staff. In it, she stated:

“Upon request of Chancellor Nelms, I will relinquish my duties as Provost and Vice Chancellor for the Division of Academic Affairs. The University provides retreat rights to prepare for return to the classroom; therefore, I will make plans within those guidelines. … As Provost and Vice Chancellor, I’ve been blessed to have worked with outstanding deans, faculty, students, and staff on the campus of NCCU.”

“I think that any leader or any administrator or chancellor or president has the right to choose his leadership team,” Jones said Wednesday.

“Yes, I must say that I was somewhat dismayed” when Nelms told her of his decision to replace her, she said.

“We had a conversation, and in that conversation I was aware of some leadership changes that were taking place thus far,” she said. “Throughout the conversation it became very clear that this was something he felt was very important to shaping his leadership team.”

She said Nelms did not raise performance issues as part of his decision to replace her.

Jones said she will serve in her present capacity until June 30 and will receive retreat rights effective July 1.

“It will be a six-month retreat,” she said. “I will not be on site. I will be out doing research, hopefully doing some publications and hopefully getting up to date on areas of my expertise.”

She will not receive professorship rank until Jan. 1.

“I’m an historian, so I will be going back to history. That is my love,” Jones said.

Nelms said he is “going to hire the best people I can” for top administrative posts. He noted that he recently hired a chief financial officer and a budget director, positions that are crucial to a university’s reputation.

“If you don’t have fiscal credibility, you don’t have credibility,” he said.

In his day-to-day duties, Nelms said, he has been “going to churches, going to schools,” because “knowing the community in which you’re trying to provide leadership” is essential. He has been conducting “relationship building” with the UNC Board of Governors and NCCU alumni because “it’s important for them to know who you are,” and also building relationships with faculty and students because “a good leader ought to be about the business of inspiring people.”

The chancellor said he expects the campus master plan to be “about a 50-year deal, not about Charlie’s tenure. … I won’t even see most of those things in the plan come to fruition.”

The plan has sparked backlash from alumni, homeowners and historic preservationists opposed to razing buildings on campus and in the neighborhood to make room for growth.

Nelms said the plan is “not that unique” in context with what is happening at campuses across the country. Selling it to the community requires a “balance between what is historic and what is less than desirable.”

In other matters, Nelms said curricula he views as growth areas include teaching; biology, chemistry and physics; social work and criminal justice; and nursing.

He would like to see doctoral programs developed for library science, communication disorders, biotechnology and biopharmaceutical sciences, and educational leadership in an aspiring principals program.

Attaining “a more vibrant array” of graduate and doctoral programs “enhances the status of your university,” making it more attractive to the best faculty and brightest students, Nelms said.

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Copyright (c) 2008, The Herald-Sun, Durham, N.C.

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