expect success! - North Carolina A&T State University

A C A D E M I C A F F A I R S
Opportunities for excellence in programs and delivery
were prevalent in the School of Technology. With
the appointment of an individual to assist administrators
and faculty with recruiting and retaining students,
the School saw a 10% increase in enrollment for the
third consecutive year.
Options and offerings in distance learning also
increased. The School of Technology received approval
for the online B.S. degree in Occupational Safety, making
it the first online undergraduate degree in
Occupational Safety in the UNC System and one of
the first online degree programs offered by N.C. A&T.
Distance learning options increased from nine to 25
courses, yielding more students enrolled in programs
from remote locations. Plans were completed for the
first group of students to enroll in an online consortium
Ph.D. program in Technology Management starting
fall 2001.
The School of Graduate Studies identified and
addressed eight multi-faceted priority issues for 2000-
2001: (1) establish a Graduate Operations Council;
(2) clarify membership requirements to the graduate
faculty; (3) develop a Graduate Administration
Handbook; (4) develop better relationships with graduate
alumni; (5) establish a Graduate School Board of
Advisors; (6) develop procedures for graduate program
reviews; (7) develop strategies for securing external
School of Ed Receives $3 Million
to Boost High School
Graduation Rates
A new initiative coordinated by the North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University School of
Education will help nearly 600 High Point and
Thomasville students finish high school and encourage
them to consider college as a post-graduation
option. Over the next four years, the Department of
Human Development and Services will receive over $3
million in funding from the U.S. Department of
Education’s Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness
for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) and matching
funds to implement “Mothers at the Helm/Poppas
at the Helm College Initiative” (MAH/PAH).
Through MAH/PAH, A&T will place student teachers
and graduate counseling students in cooperating
schools to improve the student-teacher ratio, to
provide reading skills tutors and learning opportunities
for teachers and parents and to coordinate
industry visits designed to expose students to professional
careers. In addition, the program includes
scholarships for students at the targeted schools,
100 new computers for these students to use and
take home, preparation for the SAT test, course
registration and summer enrichment. Dr. Miriam
Wagner, associate professor of counseling at
N.C. A&T, coordinates the program.
support for student assistantships and fellowships; and (8) re-establish the Graduate Students Association.
In the fall, The Center for Student Success (TCSS) launched a Retention Alert Program that targets at-risk students with grade
point averages of 1.80 and below. By spring semester, the unit had formed the University Academic Advising and Retention Team to
monitor academic advising and retention practices within each School and College.
F.D. Bluford Library continued its focus on technology to enhance information services, support new instructional methodologies
and improve access to all forms of information. The Library expanded its electronic holdings accessible to patrons to include
over 22,000 online serials and 211 online databases, and databases accessible via the proxy server increased by 45%, providing
users with 24-hour access to resources. In addition, library hours were increased to extend services, and electronic reserves were
instituted to allow patrons to retrieve faculty reserve materials from any remote location as well as have access to over 15,000
Presidential Award
for Mentoring
■ Dr. Vallie W. Guthrie, associate
professor of chemistry and director
of the Greensboro Area
Mathematics and Science
Education Center (GAMSEC) at
N.C. A&T, was one of 10 individuals
and 10 institutions to receive
the 2000 Presidential Award for
Excellence in Science,
Mathematics and Engineering ■ Dr. Vallie W. Guthrie
Mentoring. Administered by the
National Science Foundation, the
award includes a commemorative presidential certificate and a
$10,000 grant to the individuals and institutions to continue
their outstanding mentoring activities. President Bill Clinton
established the awards program in 1996 to recognize the efforts
of individuals and organizations that inspire and mentor young
people to succeed in the fields of science, math and engineering.
Guthrie has directed the GAMSEC program at A&T since 1984.
The program’s pre-college component serves 450 students in
grades 7-12, and it offers workshops and institutes for K-12
math, science and technology teachers to receive renewal credits
toward state certification and update their backgrounds. She also
directs the NASA Summer High School Apprenticeship Research
Program at A&T for rising juniors and seniors interested in exploring
mathematics, science and engineering research while living on
a college campus. Students come from across the U.S. and its territories,
representing a variety of cultures, races and ethnicities. In
addition, Guthrie serves as project director for several other mentoring
programs including the statewide Pre-College Research
Apprenticeship Program and Talent 21: Gateway to Careers in
Science, Mathematics and Engineering.
e-book titles.
Notably, Bluford Library was selected to participate in the
Historically Black Colleges and Universities Archives
Institute sponsored by the National Endowment for the
Humanities.
The Office of Continuing Studies, Distance Learning,
Evening/Weekend Programs and Summer Sessions made
significant progress toward meeting its goals in 2000-2001.
The Center for Distance Learning (CDL) experienced rapid
growth and enhanced student services by establishing clearly
defined policies and procedures for registration, advisement
and other services. CDL cites its partnership with
Solid Computer Decisions, Inc. as its best example of
progress toward increasing revenues to provide certification
programs in computer networking and webmaster.
Evening/Weekend Programs staff provided administrative
services to the adult student population, including prospective
students. Continuing Studies provided program development,
delivery and budget management services to faculty
desiring to teach short courses, seminars and workshops
outside the academic curriculum and to nontraditional students.
Summer Sessions gave 3,000 students the opportunity
for remediation, to make current or to advance their academic
program.
In its second year of operation, the Office of
International Programs (OIP) served over 75 students. Of
these, 17 were placed or have completed overseas study
opportunities. In July 2000, OIP hosted the International
Partnership Activity Proposal Writing Workshop, which
resulted in one team receiving a $200,000 award. OIP also
planned professional appointments for more than 35 international
visiting teams to the University during the year.
The Interdisciplinary Waste Management Institute
(WMI) awarded 106 Waste Management Certificates to
graduates of the program in December 2000 and May
2001. Certificates awarded increased by 23% over last year,
and enrollment in the certificate program grew by 38%.
UNC Award for
Excellence
in Teaching
■ “An effective teacher is not the one
with the world’s best academic qualifications
only, but one who can disseminate
ideas and generate feedback from students
for continuous teaching improvement,”
says Dr. Musibau A. Shofoluwe,
associate professor of construction management
and safety in the School of
Technology. Shofoluwe is a recipient of
the University of North Carolina’s Awards
for Excellence in Teaching for 2001.
Shofoluwe was one of 16 teachers from
across the state honored by the University
of North Carolina Board of Governors. A
faculty member from each UNC campus
received a commemorative bronze medallion
and a $7,500 cash prize.
The recipients, representing an array of
academic disciplines, were nominated by
special committees on their home campuses
and selected by the Board of Governors Committee
on Teaching Awards. The awards were presented by UNC
President Molly Corbett Broad and Board of Governors
Chairman Benjamin S. Ruffin on April 12, 2001.
Shofoluwe has been a member of the N.C. A&T construction
management faculty since 1992. He is admired
for his efforts to help his students find internships while
at A&T and jobs after they graduate, many of them with
Fortune 500 companies. He structures his courses to
encourage collaborative learning and solicits feedback
throughout the semester to monitor students’ learning
■ Musibau A. Shofoluwe, Ph.D. (far right)
and continuously improve his teaching.
Shofoluwe directs an innovative project in southeastern
Greensboro to provide basic education and job training
to low-income citizens, and the City of Winston-
Salem has honored him for his service to the community.
His project not only aids participants, but also provides
opportunities for service and learning for A&T students.
“Education is the centerpiece of our civilization,” he
says. “To this end, the education of young college students
must be well structured to prepare them for their
lifelong professional careers.”
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