Student success shows the most important win/loss record

I was extremely pleased that so many alumni, students, faculty and members of the community participated in the discussion of the major issues facing Winston-Salem State University at our recent Alumni/Community Forum. I believe this underscores the important role this institution plays in this city, county and Triad region.

The original intent of the forum was to discuss the status of the athletic program, but given the looming budget crisis and the importance of improving our student-retention and graduation rates, we expanded the agenda. Presenting an overview of our enrollment-growth and retention statistics, the budget situation, and our athletic program status demonstrated the university's priorities and how they are linked by the current financial situation we face and the difficulties that it presents.

During the forum, however, a great deal more time was spent on the university's athletic program. Athletics at Winston-Salem State enjoy a rich history and they are important to our students. Athletics also provide an opportunity for many of our alumni and the broader community to be engaged with the university. So, it was no surprise that the forum included a great deal of discussion centered on whether we could complete the transition to NCAA Division I status, a process begun five years ago. While this is an important issue, the real emphasis should focus on our most important win/loss record, the extent to which we are graduating our students.

There is no doubt that the university's athletic program provides access to a college education for several hundred gifted young people each year. At the same time, we must strike and maintain a balance between athletics and academics, with the latter assuming priority status. For example, we awarded 99 full athletic scholarships at a cost of $1.43 million during the current academic year. The average value of each scholarship was $14,436. At the same time, we spent $930,000 for 83 non-athletic scholarships for the remainder of our student body, at an average of $11,200. That is why raising money for undergraduate scholarships must be the highest advancement priority.

We also must remember that the university has experienced tremendous growth over the last decade, expanding from fewer than 3,000 to almost 6,500 students during the current year. The university has always done an outstanding job of providing access to a college education for a population of students who might not otherwise attend college. Yet, we are losing some of the best students to competing institutions as demonstrated by the current student-body profile, which suggests the need for aggressive intervention to improve the educational outcome for many of the students who are on our campus. With more than 60 percent of the current first-year class enrolled in one or more remedial courses and with almost 60 percent of that same class receiving at least one grade of D or F after the first semester, there is no doubt that we have an obligation to do all we can to provide these students with a viable chance to succeed.

Then, there are the aggressive steps we need to take to improve the university's off-the-field performance record, which currently stands at 13 and 39 -- 13 percent of our students graduate after four years and 39 percent graduate after six years. Those numbers have not changed significantly in the last 10 years. If we are to enjoy the support that this university deserves and our students so desperately need, we must improve our performance record in the classroom.

Our No. 1 priority remains graduating students who can distinguish themselves as leaders in their professions and their communities. We know that we are facing a budget crisis of monumental proportions that will make it even more difficult to take the necessary actions to support that priority. Due to budget constraints, moving forward with an initiative to improve the retention of our students will force reductions or eliminations in other areas. That means we will face some tough decisions just as we have seen on other university campuses, in halls of government and in most corporate boardrooms around the country.

So, we need the support of everyone if we are to be successful. Why should anyone not connected to Winston-Salem State be concerned about what happens on our campus? The answer is simple. Because nearly 90 percent of our students come from North Carolina and the vast majority of them are from the Triad, our success becomes important to the growth and vitality of the entire region. What happens at Winston-Salem State University will always affect this entire community.

■ Donald Julian Reaves is the chancellor of Winston-Salem State University.