Sonia Montalvo
Disclaimer:
The pictures alongside each article do not belong to me. I own no rights to them. No copy right infringement intended. Photo Credit Belongs to: Keshia Williams (Pihoto of Chancellor Stacy Franklin Jones) Daily Advance (Pihoto of Flight Education Protests) Keshia Williams (Photo of Chancellor Becton, Brenda Becton, Sonia Montalvo)
In With the New
By:Sonia Montalvo
The celebrations have ended, but the excitement for the implementation of Chancellor Stacey Franklin Jones has not died. Chancellor Jones has been at Elizabeth City State University for a little over two weeks, but has already hit the ground running in her new position. Chancellor Jones was announced as the University’s tenth permanent CEO on September 4, 2014, and officially started her position on October first . Chancellor Jones said in a recent interview that she was “absolutely elated” when she got the news that she was chosen by the search committee. “In the interview process, the more I learned about ECSU, the more certain I became that it was the right place and the right time,” she said.
Most would already describe Chancellor Jones as “non- average,” never hesitating to give full on embraces during salutations and upon departures, nor is she uncomfortable letting her face be seen during student activities whether they are on or off campus. Chancellor Jones is already imprinting upon the minds of the student body that she is in fact a part of the team.
Chancellor Jones has made history on the campus as the first woman Chancellor. It is also duly noted that she is the second female Chancellor in the UNC system. Asked if she felt any pressure to over perform because of her gender she simply and confidently shut that notion down.“No not because of my gender…I think I just naturally have a pretty high bar, not just for those around me, in fact actually for myself it’s always a lot higher. Many times women, especially professional women, have a number of things to manage, and so we become really really good at multi-tasking…and that certainly leads to being really really good at details."
With an extensive resume under her belt, Chancellor Jones has a number of qualities and strengths that make her suitable for the job. A great deal of experience with technology and of course her accomplishments in higher education, have given her what she feels is a mix that makes her an asset to the university. Jones plans to cooperatively tackle the issues at ECSU, starting with enrollment. “Getting our story out, which is going to require a different approach in terms of marketing and rebranding,… and addressing some of the policy and practice issues that certainly contributed to the current circumstances. When we move forward it is with the ultimate goal of being self-sufficient…”
Elizabeth City State University is among a number of HBCUs including the likes of Saint Augustine University experiencing economic trouble. This ultimately leads to society wondering what importance HBCU’s hold in 2014. Chancellor Jones said “By the time I finished Howard University, Magna Cum Laude, with a degree in math, my three degrees subsequent to that weren’t nearly as challenging. So part of what HBCUs do …we actually have in some respect a higher bar that prepares you to go out in the world and always do more than what is expected. At ECSU the bar will continue to be high and likely raised.” With fresh perspective and new insight, Chancellor Stacey Franklin Jones is fully prepared to take on any obstacles in her way and is fully ready to stand with us in triumph as the school continues to move forward and grow.
According to Chancellor Jones, “We are about to emerge as leaders in a whole different light.”
Straighten Up and Fly Right
By: Sonia Montalvo
Disappointment has soared to new heights for Aviation Science Majors here at Elizabeth City State University. Though Aviation Science has been a degree program on the campus since 2002, in 2008 the major added flight education to their list of minors. The school was then able to boast to be the only school in North Carolina where one can get an aviation degree, and a pilot’s license all in four years; it is also the only school that has Aviation Science as major in the state.
With flight education being added as a minor to the program, the school began to attract students who had high hopes in becoming private and commercial pilots. However, it is now 2014 and the school has graduated no one with flight education as a minor and very few with their pilot’s licenses, as well as other certifications the minor promised them. This is a result of the school being short of resources, one of which is flight instructors. As of now the department only has two.
Students have now spoken out on the matter and are extremely dissatisfied with the outcomes they have been receiving. On April 12th, Keith Marrow and Michael Lindsey, both seniors, called local newspaper the Daily Advance to come take witness of their silent protest; as well as to give the paper their side of the story. Keith and Michael will graduate with a minor in space science; a minor that is not originally what they came for, nor is it one that they are excited to graduate with. Lindsey who has been here for four years said “who comes to school knowing what they want, pays for it, and ends up not getting it?” If both of them wanted to graduate with flight education as a minor, the program told them it would take at least 1 1/2 -2 years, and that was a chance that neither of them are willing to take.
Marrow has been here since the program starte, excluding the year he took off to travel to Germany, however he doesn’t “feel any remorse for going to the daily advance” Marrow stated “I had faith that things would get better like the program said it would” Both Keith Marrow and Michael Lindsey say they have exhausted all the proper channels as a student to be heard, even going as far as taking it to the former and current chancellors and no results have been seen. The changes the program is now undergoing will not affect either of them, which has left both students feeling like “test dummies” and “guinea pigs"
When interviewing Orestes Gooden, a current teacher in the Aviation Science department, he first wanted me to hear another student’s perspective; Justin Wydell felt that Marrow and Lindsey went about protesting the wrong way. “You don’t want to go out and lambaste the whole program just because you feel that you weren’t treated fairly or you didn’t get didn’t get the certification that you needed…I wouldn’t have been standing outside holding signs making a fool of myself” He also felt that neither of the students exhausted the proper channels to the extent that they could have, he stated that neither of them took it to UNC representatives or the provost, to Wydell, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat”
When Gooden spoke, he explained that he respected that Marrow and Lindsey exercised their right to protest but he can’t comment on how they feel because those are their emotions towards the program. When asked how many students have graduated with flight education as a minor since its implementation, Gooden said “I would have to refer you to the registrar’s office…I’m not going to be chided into that response.” He also spoke of the changes that will be seen for future students such as: more flight instructors, more of a concentrated effort into flight education, as well as cutting less significant minors out of the Aviation Science Major. The changes will better the program but will in no way help the dilemma past students, nor the students who are graduating this May have, which is ultimately not getting what the department promised .
Farewell Chancellor Becton
By:Sonia Montalvo
The first day of October marked the end of interim Chancellor Becton's term here at Elizabeth City State Univerity. Becton started his interim term in July of 2013, while the Board of Governors conducted its search for a permanent tenth CEO. Becton, the former Chancellor at North Carolina Central University, was no stranger to the interim position and its complexities. With reporting incidents from the campus police department,enrollment declines, $5 million dollar budget cuts, and a plethora of other issues, the school was in need of extreme improvement.
Questioned ahead what he felt his major triumphs during his chancellorship, Becton said "We did some amzing things in the face of challenges. No one person can take credit for the things we did." Becton also listed problems such as the lack of security cameras, student refund issues, and vandalism incidents as major problems that he and his cabinet had to address.
In 2010 the University had 3,000 students, currently the school has a little more than 1,100 students. Chancellor Becton supposed that there were a few factors that played into the enrollment decline, such as huge graduating classes, and stricter administration requirements.
"It will take 2-3 years before we can level off and start building up again, there are new initiatives in place and they will be unfolding during the school year." Becton said. Chancellor Becton accredited the late Myron Burney, and Interim Vice Chancellor of Enrollment and Retention, Jocelyn Foy, with turning the corner in improving matriculation here at ECSU. "It started with Myron Burney coming in in January and now Jocelyn Foy. She didn't hit the ground running, she hit the tarmac ready to fly."
During Becton's term there were issues that he and his cabinet couldn't quite get a handle on, a major one in his eyes being customer service. "I can say that customer service didn't improve as much as I would've wanted, and that's still a work in progress." The Chancellor said that he recieved a great deal of e-mails from parents and alumni about being in queue for long periods of time on the phone to address the problem Chief of Staff Gwendolyn Sanders has been asked to head customer service unit.
The students were top priority for Chancellor Becton and he indicated the the University's student body and alumni are among some of the most "passioante" students that one will find. "They don't just shout Viking Pride, they mean it." Ending the interview, Becton descirbed his tenure at Elizabeth City State University. "It has been a really great time here with the help of a dedicated and skilled team. I think that the sense of accomplishment and restoration of hope will be the things that are emphasized."
