President’s Message

This has been a transformative year for Delaware State University. Our students arrive on campus to change the economic trajectory of their lives for themselves, their families, and their communities. Our responsibility is to put them on that path and keep them there, no matter what it takes. We haven’t raised tuition in more than six years; every incoming student receives an iPad or a MacBook; less expensive digital media is replacing traditional textbooks; our Early College High School saves the average family nearly $50,000 in college expenses; and we finalized the historic acquisition of Wesley College and returned to downtown Wilmington with the Capital One Building at DSU Riverfront. We entered 2021 looking for the best way to leverage an unprecedented $20 million gift in 2020 from MacKenzie Scott in a way that would accelerate achieving our vision to be the nation’s most diverse, contemporary HBCU. We also focused on maintaining our national leadership in terms of safeguarding our entire University community through the ever-changing realities of the COVID-19 while keeping our students on track to graduate. As you’ll see in this report, we’ve used that $20 million gift to attract an additional $80 million in partnerships and appropriations that are enabling us to grow our enrollment; expand our physical and virtual footprint; and place an extended emphasis on social justice, equity, and inclusion in the public square. It’s also a commentary on the changing status and visibility of the University that we received 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 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 bottom-up development of the Reach 2026 Strategic Plan and the current bankable investments being pursued through our Transformation Workstreams are keeping us focused and connected.

We set out an 18-month plan in July 2021 that focuses on building the whole student, enhancing operational excellence, improving the physical plant, and securing a healthy financial future. We made strong progress on those specific goals, and the foundation that we’re setting in place will continue to take root and bear fruit in 2022 and beyond. My greatest source of joy—outside of my family—is always found in my interactions with students, seeing the excitement and hope in their eyes as they talk about what they’re working on and where their futures will lead them. Many are first-generation college students and many never imagined being able to go to college; coming to Delaware State University has opened up an entirely new universe for them. 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 Scholarship Ball that raised $600,000 for student scholarships. I was in a room for the Ebony Tie Affair with 400 Black men from diverse backgrounds and circumstances. This year, more than 75 were University students, alumni, and staff. The goal of the ETA is largely symbolic and best summed up this way, “We are not alone—nor are we disappearing islands—in fact, we are prospering in greater numbers.” 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.

Tony Allen, Ph.D.

President