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Aggies say Martin is ideal for job as chancellor

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

(Updated 11:34 am)

By Joe Killian
Staff Writer

GREENSBORO — When Harold Martin takes over as N.C. A&T’s new chancellor June 8, he’ll be on familiar ground.

As an alum who’s also been a professor, dean and administrator at the university, there isn’t much he doesn’t know about it. That’s one of the reasons so many Aggies say he’s the best man for the job.

“He knows this school and its programs from agriculture to engineering,” said Velma Speight-Buford, a 1953 alumna and member of the university board of trustees. “He had a real idea of the school’s potential, and so I think he’s going to have a great vision for where we’re going and how we get there.”

Speight-Buford has a long history with Martin beginning in the late ’70s, when he was a rising star in the school’s engineering department.

“Even back then he was thought of as a great leader who had a lot of passion,” she said. “Everyone was impressed by his brightness, his intelligence, and his drive.”

Speight-Buford said that in those days the school had few, if any, black professors in the engineering department.

“There just still weren’t that many minority schools that were training engineers in those days,” she said. “And there were many professors who felt that blacks weren’t as competent, that they shouldn’t be professors.”

When Martin was turned down for an assistant professorship in 1979, Speight-Buford led a group to speak to Chancellor Lewis Dowdy on his behalf. Martin got the job and was chairman of the department of electrical engineering within five years. By 1989, he was the dean of the school’s college of engineering.

“It’s not a secret that I thought Harold should have been chancellor in 1999, when they chose Jim Renick,” said Speight-Buford.
“But even when that happened, it showed Harold’s character. You never heard him say anything negative about the school or the chancellor. He remained a supporter.”

When Martin went on to become chancellor at Winston-Salem State University, many Aggies said he showed what he could have done for their school.

Under his leadership from 2000-2006 the school both doubled its enrollment and raised academic standards, seeing freshman SAT scores go up by almost 70 points.

He also oversaw the creation of successful projects such as the school’s nursing program, which UNC President Erskine Bowles calls the best in the state.

“I can tell you there was a lot of talk that we should have gotten him in ’99,” said Stephen Douglas, a 1981 A&T alum. “A lot of the students, the staff, the alumni, we all felt like Winston had been smart enough to get him and they reaped all the rewards.”

While WSSU began thriving, A&T entered a period of lowered academic standards and performance, overenrollment and financial mismanagement. Renick resigned in 2006.

Several months later, state audits led to a criminal investigation into how he managed money at the university.

No charges were ever brought, but many Aggies felt the school’s reputation suffered.

Speight-Buford said she tried to convince Martin to come back to A&T during the ensuing chancellor search, but Bowles asked him to become the UNC system’s chief academic officer instead.

Stanley Battle became the new chancellor in 2006. But when he abruptly resigned in February, citing personal reasons, many in the A&T community saw Martin as the clear choice to replace him.

A&T student Marcus Bass was student body president during Battle’s tenure and helped select Martin as his replacement.

He said Martin’s relationship with students and the respect he has from faculty and staff will make him a solid leader.

“I think that the work that Chancellor Battle did was good as far as raising our standards again and cleaning some things up,” Bass said. “I really think that Dr. Martin is in a good position to move us forward and he has a plan, a vision, that is going to be the future of A&T.”

Contact Joe Killian at 373-7023 or joe.killian@news-record.com

Accompanying Photos

Jerry Wolford (News & Record)

Photo Caption: Harold Martin and his wife Davida during Friday's announcement.

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YouandITY

May 27, 2009 - 9:29 am EDT

Once again, Jim Renick has been made the scapegoat for all that's wrong with A&T. Both Martin and Renick were great choices for A&T 10 years ago, but only one could be selected. Both men made monumental progressive changes for both A&T and WSSU, for which we all can be proud of. A&T is fortunate to now have Martin. Let's not put down one man in order to lift another one up.

SpeakingHonestly

May 27, 2009 - 3:30 pm EDT

Making any one person a scapegoat is wrong. The audits that were mentioned in the article have yet to be explained. It is my understanding that the University auditor reports to the Chancellor; what should we expect. I guess we are supposed to believe that all of the financial mess and mayhem disappeared.

Somehow Battle managed to suppress the results of last years audit. I mean why not, UNCG dismissed the state auditors findings about their vendor selection. Nope, that is not what happened. Poof, it goes away.

Lets be clear, this is just not an A&T issue, it is a University and state issue. UNCG is running rampant with discrimination and violence, and abuse. This same foolishness and dishonestly happens on the other end of Market....Its the same game. This in no way an indictment of A&T, it is just my opinion because I live in AMerica and I can speaking honestly. Hopefully anyway

jr007

May 27, 2009 - 11:03 am EDT

Dr. Renick did a great job. He is a natural leader. Dr. Martin will also do a great job.

mail_larrym1

May 27, 2009 - 1:13 pm EDT

Under the caption; "Here We Go Again!"; the reason there are so few comments on Dr. Martin assuming the chancellorship at A&T is because for the past 3 decades, we were "supposed" to be getting the "NEW and Improved" answer to the Universities needs. Instead, the truth is it as if we've gotten 3 decades where the University has been on "steroids". Oh sure, the body (new buildings, classrooms, dorms) have built the University into a "mini-city" of a sorts (given the 2.4 BILLION DOLLAR) building tax-payers building fund we sponsored in 2001; what State supported University has NOT flexed its muscles and built new campuses???); yet the minds, mentality and attitudes of our HBCU's have become decisively selfish and "self-serving" for individual Chancellors and their own petty personal interests--leaving the greater communities to fight for themselves. From Ed Fort to Stanley Battle and James Renick in between; they've turned a deaf ear to anyone other than their private little inner circles; much like self anointed pastors at their "own" little (or big) churches. You can throw in Superintendents and local politicians. Unlike President Obama who appears to actively solicits and listens to friend and foe alike--these "we have ALL THE ANSWERS" so-called leaders eventually end up helping pushing the University (and community) further into darkness and despair.
So once again we come to the designated and typical "Aggie Cheerleaders", who mostly declare anyone willing to give them "season tickets" as "great for the University"--only to wander years later, "what happened?"
As President Obama has shown, "Leaders don't come with all the answers"; but rather a "willingness to listen". As such,it will be interesting to see if Dr. Martin comes "fixed" with his own selfish closed minded agenda; or have the intelligence and personal self confidence to seek 'input and ideas" from OTHERS. After alll, Ph.D, does NOT equal GOD !".

SpeakingHonestly

May 27, 2009 - 3:14 pm EDT

Its time to take get the root of the problems. I do not know Mr. Martin and I wish him the best of success. Aggies are not commenting on Mr. Martin because we are sooooooooooooooooo tired of being misled and abused. My parents experienced it as students and now I have seen it first hand as a student and employee. If employee morale is bad; ask them why.
At this point, we feel like the country did when Obama was elected; what we have is not working. It is not working this time because Chancellor Battle did what most Chancellor's do; he relied on his Vice Chancellors to do their jobs ethically as he should. However when you acknowledge problems like retaliation against employees by Human Resources and audit issues; people expect you to make some strides to solve the problem. The Chancellors first mistake was making Linda McAbee A&T's VC of Human Resources. I know she thinks that he working at the Duke makes her an expert. Two things, she is underqualified, does not know state policy, and has no idea about the culture of A&T. A&T like most campuses is a small universe. You cannot come on campus talking down to people telling them that we they read in the State Personel Manual does not matter. You cannot have a VC of Information Technology telling long time employees that they are incompetent and warning them about who they should have as friends on campus. You cannot have an budget manager who picks and chooses what she will fund based on how she feels about people. She has harassed at least 5 African-American women out of their jobs. You cannot pick and choose who you will give state allocated and funds to and expect a whole division to be ok with some people getting raises and others being left out.

The same HR and IT issues were present when Renick was in office; The new VC just picked up where the retired and fired ones left off. You can say what you want about Renick but he was visible. Chancellor Battle was unapproachable and out of touch with the University climate. Before this Chancellor gets started, he needs to bring in an independent team of auditors, not those that report to the state to survey the campus climate.

Let me say this is the only way I know how... The natives are restless. A&T employees are afraid and "massa" is threatening to put and end to us if we speak. The one thing Aggies know is.......they had better wade in the water carefully cause freedom of speech is freedome to be fired at A&T.....

So there, that is why you are not getting any comments about Martin accept from older Alums; WE ARE SCARED. Nobody can afford to get picked off right now.

My honest and sincere advice would be for Dr. Martin to surround himself within ethical people that he can hold accountable. He should have someone in his office that reviews financial and human resources policies and precedents before he signs them. Most of all remember, past behavior predicts future problems. We want to make this institution come alive again with Aggie Pride-but it may require that you Clean House.

nadine

June 4, 2009 - 11:43 pm EDT

Martin, run my alma mater with a tight string until it can hang on its own. Your best advice will come from the students and not the faculty. Students will be honest. Faculty will tell you what you want to hear.

Own your voice and remember how it was when we walked the grounds. We have state of the arts building, Make sure that everyone who graduates can compete with a Harvard Grad, perceptionally, because academically, we are smarter than the Harvard folks. I met many after I left A&T in 75 and they were dumb by A&T's standard. Obama's mother taught him language arts, not Harvard. He is a great communicator, but I know many A&T grads who are much smarter and can communicate just as well.

Pick ten honor and ten non-honor students from each class, 80 students total and let that be your population to lead you in improving the school. Get the name, address, and phone number of everyone who has ever attended A&T and ask them for 5.00. Enage every student on campus and motivate each. Find the time to fertilize your late bloomers. After all you are sending them out into the world to work.

Your goal is to produce the best who will also come back and support you and the school after they make that magic walk.

Treat your predecessor as an asset, an act of humility. Humility and good manners can take you places that money can't. A man who feels that he is being redeemed will live up to that redemption and will work to help you while you are sleeping.

Whatever mistakes were made, We Aggies made them. Whatever goes wrong with one goes wrong with us all. So We must fix those mistakes without pointing fingers. Adam and Eve pointed fingers. The snake didn't blame anyone and the snake has prevailed. Let's be like the snake and chalk it up to the game. Clean it up and keep moving.

Martin, you will put A&T on the map because you do not have any other choices.

AggieCentaur

June 5, 2009 - 4:47 pm EDT

We may get a better response from our new leader if we address him with the proper respect as in Chancellor or Dr. Martin. In addition to listening to students only, I think that Dr. Martin should cast a wider net for advice. And much like our President, stick to the plan inspite of rabid critics. The biggest advice I can give to Dr. Martin, is that unlike Dr. Renick, when a parent of a student calls, (regardless of where that parent falls on the donor list) please return the phone call personally or through a surrogate.