This
has been a transformative year for Delaware State University.
bottom-up development of the Reach 2026 Strategic Plan and the current bankable
Our students arrive on campus to change the economic trajectory of their lives for
investments being pursued through our Transformation Workstreams are keeping us
themselves, their families, and their communities. Our responsibility is to put them
focused and connected.
on that path and keep them there, no matter what it takes. We haven’t raised tuition
We set out an 18-month plan in July 2021 that focuses on building the whole student,
in more than six years; every incoming student receives an iPad or a MacBook; less
enhancing operational excellence, improving the physical plant, and securing a
expensive digital media is replacing traditional textbooks; our Early College High
healthy financial future. We made strong progress on those specific goals, and the
School saves the average family nearly $50,000 in college expenses; and we finalized
foundation that we’re setting in place will continue to take root and bear fruit in 2022
the historic acquisition of Wesley College and returned to downtown Wilmington with
and beyond.
the Capital One Building at DSU Riverfront.
My greatest source of joy—outside of my family—is always found in my interactions
We entered 2021 looking for the best way to leverage an unprecedented $20 million
with students, seeing the excitement and hope in their eyes as they talk about what
gift in 2020 from MacKenzie Scott in a way that would accelerate achieving our vision
they’re working on and where their futures will lead them. Many are first-generation
to be the nation’s most diverse, contemporary HBCU. We also focused on maintaining
college students and many never imagined being able to go to college; coming to
our national leadership in terms of safeguarding our entire University community
Delaware State University has opened up an entirely new universe for them.
through the ever-changing realities of the COVID-19 while keeping our students on track to graduate.
I thought a lot about those young women and men during the recent holiday season, starting with the Ebony Tie Affair and concluding with holiday feasts and the
As you’ll see in this report, we’ve used that $20 million gift to attract an additional
Scholarship Ball that raised $600,000 for student scholarships. I was in a room for the
$80 million in partnerships and appropriations that are enabling us to grow our
Ebony Tie Affair with 400 Black men from diverse backgrounds and circumstances.
enrollment; expand our physical and virtual footprint; and place an extended
This year, more than 75 were University students, alumni, and staff. The goal of the
emphasis on social justice, equity, and inclusion in the public square. It’s also a
ETA is largely symbolic and best summed up this way, “We are not alone—nor are we
commentary on the changing status and visibility of the University that we received
disappearing islands—in fact, we are prospering in greater numbers.”
an even larger investment in November when the Governor committed nearly $31 million to develop a statewide infrastructure for a unique pathway for Delawareans seeking careers in the childcare industry. This report is structured month by month so that you will be able to see not only how our dedicated faculty and staff are impacting students’ lives, but also illustrate just how many exciting things are happening at our various campuses and throughout the
I am so proud of the path this University is on. I am proud of the trajectory that our students are on, thanks to the efforts of so many people. I hope you feel the same way after reading this report, and I urge you to take the opportunity to meet our students in person and wish them well on their journeys. It all matters.
entire extended Hornet community. A lot has happened in 12 months, and at times the pace of change has been breathtaking. Yet we remain committed to growing responsibly and with clear intention, and execution is always at the forefront of our conversations. Investments like the Inspire Scholarship, the Early College High School, and the acquisition of Wesley College have helped us move that needle. Processes like the
Tony Allen, Ph.D. President
