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N.C. A&T Chancellor Harold Martin reminded faculty and staff Friday of their response two years ago as the newly arrived campus leader asked whether they wanted to maintain the status quo in terms of competing with peers at other schools.

“You remember what your response was? 'No. Hell, no,’ if I recall,” Martin said, laughing during his State of the University address Friday, faculty and staff’s first day back on campus.

“You said, 'We should compete.’”

Martin applauded the university’s successes, noted last year’s difficulties and shared an aggressive agenda touted as Embracing Our Past, Creating Our Future. He spoke of “tough discussions” to come and “this being a great time,” despite the need to do more with less.

“We believe there is reason to be enthused about A&T’s future,” Martin said.

The audience sat in rapt attention: Just this year, the university lost 147 positions and millions of dollars in financial aid for students.

Martin spoke of expecting more patents out of research, more services for the community and new online programs.
“The economy is going to get better, and we better be positioned,” he said.

He unveiled a university scorecard and an annual review schedule that set rising goals for student retention, SAT scores and national rankings. He mentioned that the university went wireless this year in student dorms — something happening at other schools that A&T had been slow to pursue.

“We’ve never recommended anyone for Rhodes Scholarships,” Martin said of the most coveted of student fellowships.

And while research dollars have dipped elsewhere, the university has improved upon the $60 million received last year, keeping it third among the state’s public schools.

“If we only do what we’ve been doing, we will lose that position,” he said.

Martin didn’t specifically mention the death of a student who did not have a physical, a sickle cell test or an NCAA waiver of the test on file before an unauthorized track tryout, where the student collapsed and later died. The track coach retired, and four people, including the athletics director, were eventually fired.

But Martin made reference to “a lot of hiring this year” and a “transformation in athletics.”

Staff Senate Chairwoman Sharon Mitchell responded to Martin’s challenges by seconding them.

“I won’t stand here and pretend everything is coming up roses, when in fact we know how much we’ve been pricked,” she said. “Let us go back to our classrooms, cubicles, laboratories ... wherever our offices may be, knowing whatever comes our way, A&T will fulfill its mission.”

Contact Nancy McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com