WSSU Archway Magazine Fall 2012

For Alumni and friends F A LL 2 0 1 2 volume 14 no. 3

Now Then

The Future Shaping The Future

Excitement filled the sky as the 2012 Homecoming weekend kicked-off with a spectacular fireworks display. See more Homecoming photos on page 21.

Scan this code to view a Homecoming 2012 video.

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In this issue page 6

6 Preparing for the Future

As the conclusion to our special 120th Anniversary series, we focus on the future and the emphasis WSSU is putting on student success, global education and advances being made in technology and campus facilities to guide us into the next 120 years.

14 A Leadership Role in Technology

WSSU has taken great strides in updating its technology infrastructure and providing students and faculty with the tools they need to succeed. Learn more about how WSSU is poised to be a technology leader within the UNC system.

16 Making a Joyful Noise: The WSSU Choir

The University Choir of Winston-Salem State University has a storied history and is one of the oldest student organizations on campus. Since its beginning, the choir has had an outstanding reputation and has performed nationally and internationally.

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27 Special Insert: Pathways

Since the beginning, 120 years ago, financial support has always been a key factor in the success of the university and our students. As we look to the future, our donors play an even more important role in maintaining our legacy and building a culture of giving.

Departments page 16

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Chancellor Reflects Time Out On the Yard Class Notes From the NAA Pathways

ARCHWAY is published by the Office of Marketing and Communications WSSU Alumni House, Winston-Salem, NC 27110 (336)750.2150; fax (336)750.3150 We welcome story ideas and class notes. Send them to archway@wssu.edu Chancellor: Donald J. Reaves, Ph.D. Chief Marketing Officer: Sigrid Hall-Pittsley Editorial Team: Concentrics Communications; Rudy Anderson; Nancy Young; Jackie Foutz History Consultants: Simona Atkins Allen; Dr. Elinor Smith; Thomas Flynn, WSSU Archives Photographer: Garrett Garms ’07, Office of Marketing and Communications Archway Design: Sarah Hinshaw, Office of Marketing and Communications 21,000 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $0.91 per copy.

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chancellor reflects Board of Trustees 2011-2012 Mrs. Debra B. Miller ’78, Chair Mr. Victor Johnson, Jr. ’61, Vice Chair Dr. Vivian H. Burke, Secretary Mr. F. Scott Bauer Mr. Martin B. Davis ’85 Dr. James C. Hash, Sr. Mrs. Sue Henderson Mr. Jeffrey T. Lindsay Dr. Steve Martin Dr. Karen McNeil-Miller Mr. James R. Nanton Mr. Keith W. Vaughan Mr. Charles F. Wallington Mr. David Butler Winston-Salem State University Foundation, Board of Directors 2011-2012 Ms. Peggy Carter, Chair Ms. Cheryl E. H. Locke, Vice Chair Mr. Ray Owen, Secretary Ms. Cynthia Williams, Treasurer Mr. William G. Benton Mr. David W. Burke Ms. Michelle M. Cook Mr. Tony Ebron Mr. Kelvin Farmer ’86 Mr. Timothy A. Grant ’80 Mr. Fred Harwell Mr. Harold Kennedy III Mr. W. R. “Randy” Loftis, Jr. Ms. Martha Logemann Dr. Charles Love ’66 Mr. J. Walter McDowell Mr. James E. Martin Ms. Patricia D. Norris ’93 Dr. Donald J. Reaves Ms. Shirley Danner Shouse Mr. Clifton H. Sparrow ’80 Ms. Claudette Weston Mr. Errol Wint Ex Officio Directors

Mrs. Debra B. Miller Mr. Gerald Hunter Mr. Gordon Everett ’78 Mr. Gordon Slade ’93 Mr. David Butler Emeritus Directors

Ms. Florence P. Corpening Mr. Victor Johnson, Jr. ’61 Dr. Steve Martin

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s we celebrate the 120th anniversary of Winston-Salem State University, it is interesting to look back on our past. The stories arising from earlier days can certainly serve as an inspiration to us all as we face the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

Since its beginning in 1892 as the vision of Dr. S. G. Atkins, this institution has transformed itself many times. While it has evolved from Slater Industrial Academy to a comprehensive degree granting institution, the university has maintained the commitment to its students and to the community that has been ingrained in the school’s culture for 120 years.

To continue that heritage and to remain relevant we strive to prepare today’s students to be competitive as WSSU graduates. The competition for today’s graduates, for the best jobs and for entry into the best graduate and professional schools, doesn’t come exclusively from other North Carolina universities or even other institutions in the United States. Our graduates must possess the skills that will enable them to remain competitive throughout their careers, careers which will probably change multiple times during their work life.

While we have made tremendous progress with the changes we have implemented over the past several years, we cannot stop looking toward the future. In this issue of Archway, we focus on some of the things that are taking place at the university that advance our efforts to prepare students to be leaders in their professions and in their communities.

In addition to reforming the curriculum so that students are exposed to specific learning outcomes that include critical thinking, and enhanced analytical and communication skills, we are also increasing the focus on community service projects and internships that provide important learning opportunities outside of the classroom. And we are working to expand our evening and online courses since we know we must be more flexible in the manner that these courses are offered.

Faculty and students also are becoming more engaged in research projects that provide a tremendous education for students and often develop life-changing projects for society. Through our Biomedical Research Infrastructure Center (BRIC) we are able to conduct studies related to heart disease, neurological disorders and a myriad of other health-related areas either on our own or in collaboration with other research institutions. Research, however, goes beyond BRIC and even beyond science labs. Currently, for example, we have faculty working on the issues of fitness and health and how these issues affect a stable, sustainable U.S. economy.

We also are taking a more global approach with our students. From establishing a dual degree program in nursing with the Hubei University of Chinese Medicine to integrating studies on India into the general education curriculum, we want our graduates to understand the shrinking borders between countries and the importance of being knowledgeable about other cultures. For graduates will not only be competing with students from outside the U.S. for jobs, they will also work alongside them in this country or overseas.

With all of our efforts to prepare our students for the 21st century, they need your support if they are to have the full opportunity to be truly successful. With the reduction in financial aid at both the national and state level, many of our graduates struggle to remain enrolled. For our students, a gap of as little as $2,000 between the financial aid they can receive and the cost of tuition might as well be $200,000.

I hope you will join us this year as we focus on raising scholarship dollars. Scholarships are truly the lifeblood of WSSU’s efforts to graduate students who are prepared to thrive in the today’s global economy. Working together we can continue the efforts Dr. Atkins began 120 years ago and continue to change the lives of the young women and men who come to the Winston-Salem State campus seeking a better life.

Donald J. Reaves, PhD

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To view the university’s Strategic Plan, visit www.wssu.edu/strategicplan.

SHAPING THE FUTURE We have no way of knowing when the dream began taking shape in Simon Green Atkins’ heart and soul: an educational institution dedicated to preparing African Americans to become teachers.

His generation was the first in the nation to grow up as free men and women, and he recognized that education held the key to their ability to fully participate in the opportunities that lay before them.

The same is true today, as we look to a future that holds fewer barriers and even greater promise for men and women of all races, backgrounds and cultures. In a knowledge-based, technology-driven, global world, education remains the key to fully embracing the opportunities that lie ahead.

As we celebrate the 120th anniversary of this university’s founding, we have many causes for pride and deep respect for the vision, courage and hard work that shape our past and have brought us to the WSSU we know today.

Yet, like Simon Green Atkins and the strong leaders who followed him, our primary focus is on the future. In perhaps less obvious but equally transformative ways, the university is reinventing itself with a goal that – expressed in a variety of ways – has remained consistent through the years:

Transforming education to prepare students for success in a fast-changing world.

s c i m e d a Ac This is not change for the sake of change.

It is change for the sake of our students’ futures.

Changing how and what we teach It is predicted that graduates entering the work force now will change jobs 10 to 12 times in their lifetime. Not because of instability on their part – but because positions, and entire industries, now emerge in the flash of a new technology, while others disappear just as fast.

Being adept at one job, even one skill set, will not ensure long-term value to an employer as it has in the past. What is valued is the ability to continue learning, to communicate ideas clearly and effectively and the ability to inspire others to a similar mindset.

As an institution dedicated to equipping our students for success, we have made major changes over the past two years in our curriculum and in the ways our students learn to learn.

A LOOK AT TODAY’S CURRICULUM Incoming freshmen at WSSU now spend their first two years in the General Education program as a foundation for their major. Required courses provide a mix of the liberal arts, and students are encouraged to sample widely across the curriculum. Within this range of topics, however, there are very specific requirements.

Seven Areas of Knowledge – Before their junior year, students must take courses across seven areas of knowledge: Literature, Historical Studies, Social/Behavioral Science, Natural Science, Mathematics and Quantitative Logic, Fine Arts, and Foreign Language and Culture.

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Seven Learning Outcomes – Courses taken during the freshman and sophomore year must expose students to seven specific learning outcomes: Written Communication, Critical Thinking, Scientific Literacy, Quantitative Literacy, Critical Reading, Oral Communication and Information Literacy.

Curricular Themes – Students are required to take two courses that broaden their perspective on themes and ideas that have long-term implication for individuals and society as a whole: Globalization, Diversity, Civic Engagement, Sustainability, Moral and Ethical Reasoning and Healthy Living.

Liberal Learning Seminar – During the freshman year, all students take a Liberal Learning Seminar.

The choice of topics may vary, but each brings students and faculty together in a shared process of inquiry around a broad topic or question. “These seminars help prepare students for problem-solving on the job,” said Dr. Brenda Allen, Provost.

SURROUNDING STUDENTS WITH SUPPORT AT EVERY STAGE Incoming WSSU freshmen are assigned both a faculty advisor and a professional advisor. Working with no more than 10 freshmen, faculty advisors assist with course selection and registration, and continue to work closely with each student to ensure that General Education requirements are met during their freshman and sophomore years. Students are also supported by professional advisors who help them navigate student support services and processes.

During their sophomore year, as students select their majors, they are assigned a major program academic supervisor, who help them fulfill requirements for graduation in that field of study and also assist in identifying additional opportunities for learning and experience related to the major.

The no. 1 skill employers are looking for is communication and a liberal arts focus in writing and speaking.

Dan Schawbel, founder of Millennial Branding and an expert on Generation Y

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING Community service projects and formal internships are required in a growing number of majors at WSSU, and strongly encouraged for undergraduates as well.

“It’s vital for our students to integrate classroom theory with real-life experiences,” said LaMonica Sloan, director of Career Development Services. “As volunteers and as interns, they can explore a potential career field; develop career-related skills and abilities, including effective job search, résumé writing and interviewing techniques; establish a work history; observe professional people and behavior; build a network of professional contacts, potentially developing mentoring relationships; and gain a competitive edge for employment or graduate school admission.

“We’re fortunate to have strong business partners who support us by providing internships. Looking to the future, we need many more. A company doesn’t have to be large to have an impact. Alumni who are entrepreneurs or hold senior positions in small businesses are encouraged to contact the Office of Career Services to explore even a single internship. Just think what a difference it makes when you are considering applicants for a job opening and you see a candidate come to you with experience as an intern. That’s the kind of experiential learning we want for every WSSU graduate.”

LaMonica Sloan helps students find internships that match their career goals.

WSSU Combines Student Services to Create UCaLL WSSU’s University College and Lifelong Learning and support services have been combined to create UCaLL (University College and Lifelong Learning).

“The university’s strategic plan focuses on student success, and that requires providing the academic support necessary for all of our students,” said Dr. Kathy Stitts, Associate Provost and Dean of University College and Lifelong Learning. “With UCaLL, we have brought together all of our student support resources so that we can provide academic guidance, comprehensive learning support and professional development for all of our students.”

Making It Possible for More People to Learn … in Ways That Work for Them Through evening classes and online courses, WSSU is expanding access to affordable education and flexible learning schedules, attracting a growing number of working professionals as well as young people.

WSSU currently provides more than 500 online courses for personal and professional development, along with continuing education courses for working professionals in accounting, Six Sigma, leadership, personal finance, entrepreneurship, commercial real estate and human resource development.

Visit www.wssu.edu/cess to see all of the online courses available.

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s i s a h p m E Areas of In research initiatives as well as local and global collaborations, the university and its students are expanding their impact.

Building leadership: WSSU’s growing role as a provider of solutions It’s one thing to teach the importance of a solutions mindset in the classroom. It’s quite another to involve students in what that looks and feels like in action. Long known for its efforts to overcome disparities in healthcare for underserved populations, WSSU is now attracting national attention along with grant funding for

The research will be conducted in collaboration with the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine and involve undergraduate students from WSSU in the research.

high-impact research in a number of fields.

Working independently and in collaboration with other universities, WSSU faculty and researchers are expanding opportunities for students to interact, learn and contribute on a national and global scale.

CALIBER OF WSSU RESEARCH REFLECTED IN NATIONAL AND STATE GRANTS Dr. Charles Ebert, assistant professor of chemistry at WSSU, has received a two-year grant for $199,518 from the National Science Foundation for a research project focused on peripheral nerve regeneration and the treatment of peripheral nerve injuries.

The research will explore the use of keratin isolated from human hair to support the repairing of damaged nerves. Human hair keratin is plentiful and inexpensive to refine.

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WSSU has been awarded a $299,939 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop and enhance its physics laboratories, paving the way for addition of a physics major program.

“The project will impact about 300 students studying in fields such as biophysics, optics and renewable energy, but in particular those students enrolled in the physics minor program,” said Dr. Jafar Gharavi-Naeini, associate professor of physics and principal investigator responsible for the grant.

“The improved labs for physics education and research will play a major role in preparing our undergraduate students to move on to graduate studies or join the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) work force,” Gharavi-Naeini added. “This grant is significant because it comes at a time when many HBCUs are losing their physics programs.”

help colleges and universities expand beyond their campuses to a more global environment. WSSU initiatives featured in the book include: • A comprehensive partnership with the University of Cape Coast in Ghana

• Students in health sciences serving on research teams in Europe and Africa in a partnership with Johns Hopkins University

• An international fieldwork practice for occupational therapy students working in partnership with Santa Paula University in Costa Rica

• The development of international courses, including instructors from France teaching business classes to provide cross-cultural interaction among students

• A strategic plan for engagement with India

• WSSU’s growing study abroad program

The State of North Carolina has awarded $750,000 in funding for a forensics laboratory, staffed by WSSU researchers and technicians and located in the Piedmont Triad Research Park. This laboratory will serve as a regional site for the analysis of forensic evidence, including DNA testing, in criminal cases.

WSSU GLOBAL INITIATIVES CITED

BY INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS Examples of WSSU’s expanding international partnerships are included in a recently published book of best practices, the result of a collaboration

by Dr. Peggy Valentine, dean of the School of Health Sciences, Dr. Jessica Bailey, dean of the School of Business and Economics, and Dr. Joti Sekhon, director of International Programs.

Their chapter is included in“Developing Strategic International Partnerships: Models for Initiating and Sustaining Innovative Instructional Linkages,” a book written by experts from institutions around the world to

WSSU recently established a dual degree program in nursing with Hubei University of Chinese Medicine. This program will allow nursing students who complete two years at Hubei University to transfer to WSSU to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing.

The first group of students from China is expected in fall 2014.

The Department of Physical Therapy recently received the Cultural Pluralism Award at the annual conference of the WSSU’s global collaborations inclu de Hubei University in China (abo ve), Association of Schools of Allied and a partnership with St. Louis Health Professionals. The award University to provide clinical servi ces to remote regions in Belize (belo recognizes the department’s work w). among underserved populations in the local community as well as its global learning initiatives. The department is working in Belize in collaboration with St. Louis University to provide clinical services to a remote mountain region of the country. It has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to do work in Egypt.

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WSSU FACULTY RECOGNIZED IN NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS

COLLABORATIONS ENRICH LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Dr. Paul McAuley, assistant professor of health science in the Department of Human Performance and Sport Science, was referred to in an article in the September 18 issue of The New York Times entitled “In ‘Obesity Paradox,’ Thinner May Mean Sicker.”

He has noted that longitudinal studies of heart health often fail to take into account the fiscal activity and fitness of those being studied. McAuley received a grant in 2010 to develop an assessment of cardiovascular disease risk by measuring blood pressure, body fat distribution and fitness level.

Dr. Nikolaos Karagiannis, assistant professor of economics at the School of Business and Economics, edited a book that was published this fall called “The U.S. Economy and Neoliberalism: Alternative Strategies and Policies,” which dealt with neoliberalism and addressed a variety of issues facing the U.S. and also discussed alternatives to creating a stable, sustainable economy.

The director of BRIC, Dr. Azeez Aileru, has been honored by the N.C. Biotechnology Center with an award for excellence in the area of biotechnology research and development. He was recognized for his ongoing commitment to developing scientific excellence among

Students pursuing careers as scientists receive invaluable hands-on training at the WSSU Biomedical Research Infrastructure Center (BRIC). Established in 1996, BRIC shares a laboratory research facility with Wake Forest University School of Medicine and other key collaborators at the Piedmont Triad Research Park in downtown Winston-Salem. Here, students assist researchers with studies related to heart disease, cancer, drug addiction, neurological disorders and pain, providing the foundation for new strategies, vaccines and diagnostics necessary to reduce the mortality rate in the minority community.

WSSU students and faculty gather with peers from N.C. CDI conceptual rendering School of the Arts, Forsyth Technical Community College, other area schools and businesses at the Center for Design Innovation (CDI) in downtown Winston-Salem.

As a research center of the UNC System, the CDI provides the forum for using high-tech digital design tools to advance innovative work in science, business, education, communications and the arts.

Scheduled to move into its state-of-the-art facility just west of the WSSU campus in 2014, the CDI also supports economic development by developing intellectual property with commercial value and spawning new start-up businesses generating new jobs.

minority students and his collaborative efforts among area universities, including Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Scan this code to view a WSSU Biomedical Research Infrastructure (BRIC) video.

The WSSU Center for Community Safety (CCS) has been selected by the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety to conduct a statewide assessment of racial disparities in the juvenile justice system.

The study will examine factors or conditions that contribute to the disproportionate percentage of minorities who come into contact with the juvenile justice system, providing a baseline for corrective efforts. “Being selected for this study is recognition of our work in this area and also a testament to the quality of the WSSU research team that has been assembled for the project,” said Alvin Atkinson, CCS executive director.

WSSU is partnering with Duke University School of Nursing to establish a Bridges to the Doctorate program, only one of two such programs for nurses in the United States.

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y g o l o n h c e T & Facilities

Following a long-range master plan, the campus is undergoing major improvements

Surrounding students with a learning-based environment Drive onto the WSSU campus and you’ll see roads blocked, giant earth-moving equipment at work and steel beams stretching skyward, as new structures take shape and renovations bring aging buildings up to date. Even in an era of reduced state funding, the university has allocated the resources to move forward with these long-planned additions and improvements.

The goal: not just to enhance the look of the campus, but to help students learn more effectively.

It’s an area of emphasis clearly stated in WSSU’s Strategic Plan: “The university’s facilities must be conducive to the level of teaching and learning needed to reach our goals; accordingly, investing in the core of our campus and making sure that the latest technology is available in our classrooms has to be a high priority. To accomplish this goal, we must invest in new and renovated facilities designed to build a greater sense of community among students, faculty and staff.”

Following a comprehensive 20-year master plan, WSSU has taken major steps in recent months to bring more students into the “core campus,” putting them within easy reach of the academic heart of the university and the wide range of student support services available to them.

Short-term goals within the master plan include: “Restore the Core.” Construct more student housing, create usable outdoor space, repurpose existing buildings, and provide a new Student Success Center Improve Campus Life. Add new dining options and provide more recreational amenities Enhance Connectivity. Improve pedestrian connections and safety; provide links to the surrounding context “In addition to the new construction, the master plan provides for changes in energy efficiency requirements as the university embarks on renovations to transition some of our existing facilities into ‘green’ buildings,” said Owen Cooks, Associate Vice Chancellor, Facilities. “Going ‘green’ is designed to improve buildings with a project that will pay for itself as well.

“With the master plan as a guide, the university will be able to better manage future growth in an efficient and effective manner that will benefit students and the overall look of the campus.”

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y g o l o n h c e T & Facilities

SCAN THIS CODE FOR A COMPLETE CAMPUS MAP

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NEARING COMPLETION …

The new Donald J. Reaves Student Activities Center. Scheduled for completion in May 2013, the center will provide a state-of-the-art environment for students. It connects to the Cleon F. Thompson Center through a “monumental staircase” which will also serve as an outdoor social area. The interior has two basketball courts, a 4,000 square-foot fitness center which equates to the size of Whitaker Gym, offices for student government, and four food venues adjacent to a new and expanded dining area. The 96,000 square-foot building will expand student opportunities to present programs, events and forums.

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. DRIVE ING, JR ER K H T LU

Donald J. Reaves Student Activities Center

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PROPOSED PARKING DECK

RENOVATION OF HILL HALL

THE MARTIN-SCHEXNIDER RESIDENCE HALL

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EXPANDED PARKING …

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RENOVATION OF HILL HALL …

A new parking deck at the corner of MLK Drive and Cromartie Street.

IN THE WORKS …

Construction of a dual-tower residence hall flanking the S.G. Atkins House. Scheduled to open in August 2013, the building will help meet the need for more housing to support WSSU’s requirement for first and second year students to live on campus. Students will be located within the core campus with easy access to support services and extracurricular activities. The Martin-Schexnider Residence Hall will bear the name of two former chancellors: Harold L. Martin, Sr. and Alvin J. Schexnider.

The renovation of Hill Hall to create a high-tech yet highly personalized Student Success Center. Located within the core campus, the center will give students one place to come for academic support and expanded learning opportunities.

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WSSU COMMITS TO

A STRONG LEADERSHIP ROLE in Technology

Investing in the campus and ensuring access to the latest technology are areas of emphasis in WSSU’s Strategic Plan because of their direct link to student success.

Winston-Salem State University’s Strategic Plan doesn’t just call for technology enhancements. It commits the university to make sure that “the latest technology is available in our classrooms.”

Last fall, WSSU recruited one of the nation’s top chief information officers in higher education to spearhead this initiative. Today, Justin McKenzie and his team can already check off an impressive list of achievements during the past 12 months in WSSU’s computer environment and wireless infrastructure across the entire academic, administrative and research enterprise, with more to come.

McKenzie’s goal is to have WSSU recognized – in the very near future – as a technology leader within the UNC system.

Among the most visible examples of recent innovations are the financial trading room that opened in October as part of the School Justin McKenzie (left) and Nick Dave s are working together to position of Business and WSSU as a technolo gy leader.

Economics; the “virtual hospital” for the School of Health Sciences, located at The Enterprise Center on South MLK Jr. Drive; and redesign of the campus wireless network to provide virtual desktops to students, faculty and administrators.

The soon-to-be-constructed WSSU Student Success Center, to be housed in former Hill Hall, will serve as a technology showcase, benefiting the entire campus community with state-of-the-art teaching and learning tools and streamlined administrative processes.

“Because of the inherent challenge of rapidly changing technology, laying a solid foundation for the future requires careful planning and flawless, cost-efficient execution,” said McKenzie. “The outstanding progress of the past year is due in large part to the vision and support of the Provost, Dr. Brenda Allen. We also have an exceptional 75-member information technology team that is passionate about the mission we’ve been given.

“We’re challenging ourselves every day to be the best we can be and, together, to establish WSSU as a widely acclaimed model of technology at work on behalf of students, faculty and administration.”

NEW FINANCIAL TRADING ROOM

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Previously, WSSU business graduates learned about financial trading rooms from textbooks, supplemented by online research and perhaps a brief visit to a nearby financial institution.“Think how much better prepared our future graduates will be, because they will have essentially learned on the job, thanks to our new financial trading room,” said Nick Daves, director, Center of Excellence for Financial Services.

features displays of financial market data which includes a real-time New York Stock Exchange ticker of the Dow Jones industrial average stocks in the hallway outside the trading room and a market wall inside the room with current information on stocks, bonds, commodities, foreign exchange rates and trading indices from various world financial markets. Financial and general news channels will be broadcast on large screen monitors in the room.

Located on the first floor of the RJR building, the high-tech trading room

“Student and faculty research on financial topics, at the undergraduate and

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graduate levels, will be facilitated by data from Morningstar Direct on dual screen monitors and 26 workstations in the room,” said Daves. “Various finance and economics classes will be taught in the trading room as well.”

The School of Business and Economics has begun a student-run investment fund that will make and implement investments of some SBE funds in the WSSU Foundation, under faculty and community-based advisor supervision.

The trading room will be the home of the student investment fund.

In academics, areas of emphasis, facilities and technology enhancements, WSSU is moving boldly into the future. Here, one alumni’s story reminds us why this university and its mission are so important.

WSSU Helps a Student Beat the Odds – and Pass It On “Congratulations! You have been accepted to attend Winston-Salem State University.”

These same words have been repeated five times to family members from a small, rural and poverty-stricken town, Rich Square, N.C. According to recent statistics, Northampton County is the second poorest county in North Carolina. However, these five family members have vowed to defy the negative statistics by attending a Historically Black College/University in pursuit of furthering their education and adding value to their neighborhoods, community and the world.

“If better is a possibility, then good is no longer an option,” stated Christa Flood, Class of 1996. Christa was the first in her family to enroll at Winston-Salem State University and the only one from her graduating high school class to attend the institution.

She recalls the drive to WSSU, which took almost five hours, wondering “What was I thinking about? My family’s car will not be able to make the trip to visit me and how will I see my two-year old daughter, Tyra?”

Christa was a teenage mother who vowed that she made one negative statistic, but she would not be on the list of drop-outs living off the welfare system. She went on to graduate from WSSU with honors and a degree in history and English. Currently, she serves as Managing Director of the Teacher Leadership Development department for the Teach for America division in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she works to ensure that all children have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.

“Auntie, I’m going to WSSU too!” shouted Brooks Williams.

“YES!” replied Christa. Brooks admitted that his aunt bragged so much about the university and how important “family” is to the staff and students. She stressed to him that the faculty will help you, but you have to want to be successful. He graduated in 2003 with a degree in social work and currently lives and works in Washington, D.C.

“Mom, I’m going to Winston-Salem State University!” screamed Tyra Flood, the same little girl who visited the campus when her mother was a student. It was a dream come true for

Left to Right: Christa Flood, Brooks Williams, Tyra Flood, Keon Artis, Quiana Harris

Christa Flood, the teenage mother who brought her daughter to visit WSSU when she was only two years old. Tyra is currently a junior who is majoring in physical education and plans to seek employment for a sporting franchise upon completing graduation.

Tyra admitted that you can’t help but love WSSU. “It’s in our family blood line,” she said. “Ram until we die …”

“Aunt Chris… I got accepted to WSSU, and I will be in the Honors Program!” In 2011, Christa’s nephew, Keon Artis, was elated to find out that he too would continue the legacy and become a Ram just like his previous family members. He is currently a sophomore, majoring in business management, who knows the value of education. Keon is very active and involved on campus.

When he’s not busy completing class assignments, he’s out engaged in various on-campus organizations and volunteer opportunities.

In 2012 Christa’s great niece, Quiana Harris, received her acceptance letter and decided she would attend WSSU to major in political science. Her goal is to live in Washington, D.C. to work on policies that impact the education system. Her dream is to make enough money to help her single-parent mother and her younger sister. She, too, is now a student in the Honors Program alongside her favorite cousin, Keon. He has shared with her the benefits of being in the program, such as the support and mentoring by current students and advisors.

From one determined young man – Simon Green Atkins – we see the rewards today of a life dedicated to helping others. With inspiring stories spanning 120 years, students and alumni such as Christa Flood exemplify the dramatic difference a WSSU education can make, inspiring the next generation, and the next.

With the continued support of dedicated alumni who help spread the word and provide financial support, this university’s future will remain rich with opportunity.

WSSU’s inspiring legacy is in good hands.

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WSSUCHOIR MAKING A Joyful

Noise

The University Choir of Winston-Salem State University has a storied history and is one of the oldest student organizations on campus. The favorable reputation of WSSU’s Choir dates as far back as the turn of the 20th century. Information recorded in Slater Industrial’s catalog of 1906-07 refers to a brass band and orchestra composed of students who “show satisfactory progress in their vocal studies.”

In the late 1930s, Winston-Salem Teachers College (WSTC) began offering opportunities to the entire student body to take courses “devoted to the simple music of community life.” What resulted was an organization that became known as the “500 Voice All-Student Chorus.” This group performed a weekly series of broadcasts on WSJS radio known as the “College Music Hour.” Performances included presentations by the all-student chorus, the student mixed glee club, the student women’s septet, four student quartets and the student male quartet.

Choral music played a big part in campus life and in the life of the wider community in the early days of WSSU’s development. It was generally accepted and often expected that a teacher from the institution could play the piano and be very knowledgeable in teaching choral music.

By the 1940s, the choir had reached a national reputation, and was invited to perform at Radio City Music Hall and Lincoln Center, and in a series of spring concerts in Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts. Some of the choir’s selections were also taped or broadcast on the NBC series “Great Choirs of America.”

BUILDING THE REPUTATION

EXPANDING RECOGNITION

In the mid-1930s, a smaller choral group known as “the college septet” emerged from the 60-plus-voice choir under the direction

of Pauline Best. The septet provided music for

local occasions and out of town engagements.

The larger choir provided appropriate music for the institution’s religious services and special occasions.

The tradition of excellence and performance achievement continues today under the direction of Maestra D’Walla Simmons-Burke.

The choir is known for its moving renditions of Negro Spirituals and South-African arrangements and continues to be sought after both nationally and internationally. Under the leadership of Maestra Simmons-Burke, the choir has performed with the Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra, Gateways Festival Orchestra, Dvorak Symphonic Orchestra and the New England Symphonic Orchestra.

WSSU Choir Directors: Cadd Grant O’Kelly Robert Bolling Harry Gil-Smythe

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Mrs. Francis L. Atkins Dr. Noah F. Ryder Dr. James A. Dillard

Pauline Best Dr. Roland Allison Dr. Permilla Dunston

Dr. Robert Morris Dr. James B. Kinchen, Jr. D’Walla Simmons-Burke

“Winston-Salem State University has been blessed over the years to have had renowned choral leadership within its Department of Music and I am just humbled to be standing on such broad shoulders,” states D’Walla Simmons-Burke – WSSU Choir Director In 1993, the choir was invited by the National Black Music Caucus in Nashville, Tennessee, to perform as one of the conference’s featured groups. In 1997, The Winston-Salem State University Choir was one of the only university choirs from North Carolina’s 16 state institutions invited to perform during the festivities of the inauguration of Governor James B. Hunt.

In 2006, members of the University Choir traveled to Prague, Czech Republic and recorded with the Dvorak Symphony Orchestra. The choir enjoyed eight days traveling and performing for international audiences.

“My goal is to continue to expose my students to a diverse and global repertoire of choral music and cultures,” says Mrs. Simmons-Burke.

“I truly believe that music of diverse cultures helps to systematically develop a form of intelligence that affords meaningful, cognitive experiences unavailable in any other way.”

Top to bottom: 1935 Choir, 1948 Choir, 1969 Choir, 1976 Choir, 2011 Burke Singers and Schola Cantorum

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ness ed to the busi n e st li as h U the that WSS ulum to meet ic “I am pleased rr u c s it d e is n d has rev ing to build o community an u n ti n o c m e ith ds. I see th re graduates w changing nee o m e id v ro p n as they omic pact the econ that foundatio im ly e v ti si o p ” ssary to d of our state. the skills nece an y it n u m m o of our c development

Mayor Allen Joines Winston-Salem, NC

Congratulations to WSSU, the pride of our community and a va lued partner of the Urban League. We commend you for your commitment to exce llence as you contin ue to provide quality educ ation to young min ds to make positive cont ributions to society.

Keith Grandberry President and CEO, Winston-Salem Urban League

s d n a h r u o It’s in y What is your vision for the future of Winston-Salem State University?

As our knowledge-based economy expands, WSSU plays a critical role in providing students with the expertise and experiences they need to be successful in many fields and to take their places as leaders in their professions and in our communities.

This question was posed recently to local community leaders. Here are just a few of the responses received.

Gayle N. Anderson President & CEO Greater Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce

To see others, scan here or go to www.wssu.edu/anniversary.

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FALL 2012

time out ram sports

2012 Rams Season In Review

The 2012 edition of the Winston-Salem State University Rams football team will go down in the history books as maybe the best ever. The Rams have finished their second consecutive season undefeated, and captured a second straight CIAA Championship, and Super Region 1 Title.

The #2 WSSU Rams are led by Harlon Hill Award candidate, quarterback Kameron Smith. Smith has been on fire all season, and he has set the bar high for future Ram signal callers, as he became the school’s all-time leading passer in just the second game of the season. He also set a single game record for touchdown passes as he threw seven touchdowns versus Livingstone College, but followed that up with a six touchdown performance the next week. Smith played in very few fourth quarters throughout the season, as the Rams blowout wins kept him on the sideline in the final period so reserves could gain valuable experience and playing time.

One of the most underrated elements of the WSSU Rams team in 2012 is the solid play of the defensive unit, led by Defensive Player of the Year linebacker, Carlos Fields. Field has amassed 97 tackles and has been the vocal leader on the CIAA’s top defensive unit. Free safety Malcolm Rowe (64 tackles), inside linebacker Daniel Mungin (53 tackles) outside linebacker Khendra Reid (50 tackles) and defensive lineman Donnie Owens (48 tackles) have also been leaders on the defensive side of the ball.

One thing for sure, it has been a total team effort for Winston-Salem State this season, as the team reached historic heights, becoming the CIAA’s highest rated team in history and as they ascended to the #2 ranking in the American Football Coaches Association poll.

The WSSU Rams have rolled through their 2012 schedule, as they began the season with a hard fought home opening win over UNC-Pembroke (28-23), before traveling to West Virginia to defeat the Concord Mountain Lions, 30-22. The Rams offense then began to hit on all cylinders, and blowout wins began to become a weekly scenario as, Morehouse (55-21), Virginia Union (35-6) and Bowie State (35-3) were the first teams to experience the high octane offense of WSSU in person.

The #2 WSSU Rams celebrate back to back CIAA Football Championships with Chancellor Dr. Donald Reaves and Athletic Director, William “Bill” Hayes.

As the month of October rolled around, the Rams offense and defense continued to keep the pedal to the metal, as WSSU defeated Johnson C. Smith (63-7), St. Augustine’s (56-37), Livingstone (58-0), Shaw (62-31) and finally Fayetteville State (41-8) to close out the regular season.

When the games mattered most in November, the Rams kept their foot on the pedal, as they took a hard fought 34-19 win over Elizabeth City in the CIAA Championship game.

The Division II Football Committee announced that the #2 Winston-Salem State University Rams were awarded the top seed in Super Region One, and would receive a first round bye. The Rams are the only final four team from 2011 to make the playoff field in 2012.

Winston-Salem State faced off with the Shippensburg Red Raiders in the second round of the playoffs, and it was really no contest. The Rams dispatched Shippensburg, 37-14 to advance to the quarterfinal round to face the nation’s top defense in Indiana (Pa).

In what could go down as one of the most exciting game’s in WSSU sports lore, the Rams scored on a “Hail Mary” to end the first half, and stopped the Crimson Hawks of IUP from a first and goal from the 10 yard line to secure an exhilarating, 21-17 win.

WSSU will host West Texas A&M at Bowman Gray Stadium on December 8, 2012 for a chance to reach the ultimate goal of playing for the National Title. The 2012 championship game will be played Dec. 15, at 1 p.m. ET at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Ala., and will be broadcast live on ESPN2 HD and ESPN3.com.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY

WSSU!

WSSU kicked-off its 120th year-long celebration with a community birthday party on Friday, September 28, 2012.

Visit wssu.edu/120years to learn more.

Scan this code to see more photos on Flickr.

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FALL 2012

CHAMPIONS The Rams were victorious once again at the 2012 Cleveland Classic defeating Morehouse College 55-21.

Scan this code to see more photos on Flickr.

This year’s homecoming marked a special occasion celebrating the 120th anniversary with a special fireworks displays and an event filled weekend.

Scan this code to see more photos on Flickr.

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on the yard

campus news & events

Hall of Fame

Ceremony

2012

WSSU celebrated the induction of eight individuals and one team in the 2012 Clarence E. “Big House” Gaines Hall of Fame ceremony held on

2013

Friday, August 31st.

EVERY EVERY RAM YEAR...

Phone-a-Thon “We would like to raise $70,000 to $75,000, but our main goal is not necessarily monetary, but rather to bring in donors who are new.”

Beginning February 4, the day after Superbowl Sunday, a handful of Winston-Salem State students will be calling alumni to ask for their financial help in supporting the university.

“A mailing will be sent in January, which will include some accomplishments of the university, our plans for the future, and how donations have helped our students,” said Gregory Hairston, director of Alumni Relations. “This will also serve as an alert to our alumni for the call program before it begins in February.”

The Phone-a-Thon will run for eight weeks, through the end of March, Hairston said.

The student callers will contact alumni Sunday through Thursday of each week via 12 call stations at the school. The goal is to reach a total of 9,800 people, Hairston said. “We would like to raise $70,000 to $75,000, but our main goal is not necessarily monetary, but rather to bring in donors who are new. We use our call program to bring in persons who are non-donors, who haven’t made any donations to the university prior to us soliciting them

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through this program.

The non-donors are persons you hope to encourage to donate and to continue donating on a regular basis. Our goal in regard to participation would be at least 750 donors.”

Although all won’t be new donors, Hairston is hopeful that many of them will be. “Last year, we had 1,400 alumni donors, which broke a record for us. And 714 of those came from the call program.”

Repeat donors fill a critical need, Hairston said. “One of our themes is ‘Every Ram Every Year.’ Through this program we hope to encourage participation year after year.”

Dr. Yolanda Edwards named

Educator of the Year

by national association

Dr. Yolanda Edwards recently received the Sylvia Walker Education Award from the National Association of Multicultural Rehabilitations Concerns (NAMRC), the division of the National Rehabilitation Association that promotes ethical and state-of-the-art practices in rehabilitation.

Edwards is the coordinator of the M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling program in the Department of Educational Leadership, Counseling and Professional Studies in WSSU’s School of Education and Human Performance. She was recognized for her innovative curriculum developments that have increased student certification as rehabilitation counselors from 43 percent to 75 percent. The award was also based on her national activities that help provide access to educational opportunities in rehabilitation counseling for minority students. Edwards previously received the Joyce Keener Award in acknowledgement of her service to the association.

Although Dr. Edwards was unable to attend the conference due to scheduling conflicts, Dr. Brenda Cartwright, who nominated her, received the award on her behalf and read Edwards’ acceptance speech to the crowd. In it, Edwards wrote, “It is a great pleasure to be an NAMRC member and receive this award. I am deeply honored to have been selected. I should admit I was a bit stunned when I learned about my nomination. As with most educators, we don’t always get recognized for the things we do. I can’t express my excitement and inspiration ... Getting this type of award always feels like you are at the tail end of your career, which is definitely not true for me. I feel like I have just started down this long road, and it is only going to get better.”

Through the Arches Ceremony

City of Winston-Salem dedicates

Vic Johnson, Jr. Way

The City of Winston-Salem honored Vic Johnson ’61, vice chair of the university’s Board of Trustees, by designating the intersection of Old Greensboro Road and Waterworks Road as “Victor Johnson, Jr. Way” in commemoration of his contributions as an educator, a community servant and a father.

Johnson was recognized for his years of service to the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School System as a teacher and administrator, as well as his service on the Board of Education. The city’s proclamation also noted Johnson’s role as a WSSU student in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, when he and other students were involved in the integration of lunch counters in Winston-Salem.

Through the Arches Ceremony was held on Saturday, October 18, officially welcoming new students into the RamNation.

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class notes

’60s

’67 Dr. Virginia Watkins Adams completed the 2012 Global Nursing Leadership Institute in Geneva, Switzerland.

The class included 30 participants from 27 countries around the globe. The class visited the United Nations and the International Council of Nurses in Geneva. ’69 Mrs. Josephine Langston Davis recently retired from Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center in Philadelphia, PA, completing 38 years of service. ’69 Dr. Bettie L. Glenn retired after having served most recently as the associate dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Nursing at UNCW. Currently, Glenn is involved with a variety of civic, social justice and professional organizations. Glenn remains actively engaged in endeavors that she believes makes a difference in the lives of others.

“My commitment to professional nursing education at WSSU, and to WSSU in general, informs many of my decisions regarding consultation, presentations and financial contributions. WSSU Alumni must diligently serve to benefit the university; ‘enter to learn, depart to serve’.

We make the difference...”

’70s

’70 Dr. Georgia Battle retired July 31, 2012 from Georgia Southern University as a professor of educational psychology, Statesboro, GA. She was granted Professor Emerita status. ’74 Ms. Jamie Mae Stokes recently retired as a business teacher in the Philadelphia School District, after working there over 38 years.

The book captures the Montgomery’s values and beliefs on how to grow wealth through real estate investing during these turbulent economic times.

The book is available online at www.thebookoninvesting.com.

’80s

’80 Mr. Timothy A. Grant recently graduated from the UNC School of Government Municipal Administration Program.

’83 Mrs. Desiree Fodrell Best was inducted into the James B. Dudley Educational and Sports Hall of Fame/Hall of Distinction. She received this honor for her longstanding service to the students and staff at James B. Dudley High School and her commitment to educational excellence in Guilford County Schools. ’83 Mr. Lacy J. DeBerry has been selected to participate in the Executive Leadership Institute of the National Forum of Black Public Administrators for 2012-2013.

DeBerry currently works for the City of Greensboro as a Human Resources Consultant. ’84 Mr. Eddie N. Sauls, III was elected as the 56th Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge for Masons in the state of Iowa on July 14, 2012.

This was at the organization’s 125th Annual Communications held in Bettendorf, Iowa. Sauls is a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason, a member of the Royal Arch Masons and the Knights Templar and a member of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine and in May 2012, was inducted into the York Rite College of North America.

’78 Mr. Dexter Montgomery has published his latest book, The Book On Investing, The Ultimate Real Estate Guide for the Savvy Investor.

Professionally, Sauls served overseas as a diplomat at U.S. Embassy locations in Asia, Latin and South America, Africa and Europe before returning to Des Moines, Iowa to settle down.

Montgomery and his wife, Pamela, have written the definitive guide for real estate investors seeking to minimize their risks and maximize their return on investments.

He currently works for the state of Iowa as a bureau chief at the Iowa Workforce Development.

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’88 Ms. Deborah F. Sharpe was invited to present at the American Federation of School Administrators’ 2012 Constitutional Convention held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, July 26-28, 2012. The only national education union for school administrators, the American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA) provides labor relations, professional and occupational services to public school principals, vice principals, administrators and supervisors in diverse school districts across the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Sharpe presented on Administrator Evaluations: Supportive or Punitive? The focus was to explore how this standard required procedure can be used as an instrument for growth and development along with how it might impact the overall commitment to public education if the evaluation is used in a less than constructive manner.

’90s

’92 Mrs. Charletta Sims Evans has been named the new assistant dean for student affairs at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Evans will lead the Office of Student Affairs in providing student outreach and recruitment, advising and counseling on academic and career choices, preventing and managing student disputes and grievances, and advising student organizations.

Also, Evans and her husband, Darrin, are proud parents of their first child, Paul Winston Evans, born February 24, 2012. ’98 Mrs. Keisha Dunn-Ross recently relocated her private practice to Atlanta, GA. Dunn-Ross works in the mental health and substance abuse field.

’00s

’01 Mr. Alvin J. Hughes is pursuing a masters in human services from Walden University.

class notes ’02 Mr. Raul A. Davis is currently running a successful CEO branding firm that specializes in increasing visibility for CEO’s through PR, speaking engagements, book deals and social media. Davis recently had an article on the topic published on Forbes.com http://www.forbes.com/sites/ theyec/2012/08/08/as-ceo-are-you-puttingyour-best-face-forward/.

’04 Mrs. Tarsha Wilkinson Perry and husband, Richard, gave birth to their third baby girl on March 12, 2012.

’05 Miss Tamika La’Cole Exum received a Masters’ Degree in psychology with a Human Resource Management Certification from the University of Phoenix.

’08 Mrs. Sherena M. Ramirez is currently building her own business with Mary Kay Cosmetics. ’09 Mr. Harold T. Respass after serving last year as a graduate admission counselor at The New School in New York City, began a new position as manager of alumni engagement in The New School’s Development and Alumni Relations division.

In Memoriam Mrs. Winifred ”Winnie” K. White Mrs. Elizabeth Adams Bradshaw, ’94 Mrs. Barbara T. Carter Miss Marjorie Thacker Mrs. Thelma Mack Jenkins Mr. Rex A. Bowman, ’76 Mr. Benjamin Earl Becton, ’78 Miss Antoinette Michelle Hillian Mrs. Patricia Rhodes Landingham Mr. James Everette Funches Mrs. Sandra Ledbetter Piercy, ’73 Ms. Barbara Jacqueline Harris-Banks Mrs. Majorie Jordan Ellis Mrs. Mary ledbetter Smith Ms. Jillian Rose Charlet - Student Sr. Ms. Willie B. Lane, ’47 Mr. Logan Carter Pannell, Sr. Mrs. Sylvia Lubertha Bell Edwards, ’46 Mrs. Margaret Norton Byers, ’47 Mrs. Mozella Olive Vance Williams, ’46 Ms. Tammy Y. Slater Mr. James Bankhead Mrs. Mildred Coleman Leak, ’44 Mrs. Bessie Eaton Snuggs, ’60 Mr. Leslie H. Kimbrough, ’70 Mr. Thomas Woodbury Johnson Sr., ’59 Mr. Audrey L. Roseboro Mr. Clemon Williamson, ’52 Miss Carolyn L. Mitchell, ’71

December 31, 2011 January 7, 2012 January 13, 2012 January 14, 2012 January 15, 2012 February 4, 2012 February 12, 2012 February 19, 2012 February 24, 2012 March 5, 2012 March 14, 2012 March 15, 2012 March 19, 2012 March 21, 2012 March 28, 2012 March 31, 2012 April 10, 2012 April 12, 2012 April 16, 2012 April 19, 2012 April 19, 2012 April 23, 2012 April 24, 2012 April 26, 2012 April 29, 2012 May 9, 2012 May 10, 2012 May 11, 2012 May 15, 2012

Send us your news for Class Notes!

What’s new with you? Your friends and fellow alumni want to know! Please send news about your personal and professional life to include such items as new career appointments, promotions, births, marriages, retirements, memorials to alumni, etc. to: WSSU Alumni Relations Attn: Class Notes S. G. Atkins House Winston-Salem, NC 27110

Fax: 336-750-3134 Email: snipesc@wssu.edu or hairstong@wssu.edu

To access this form online, go to www.wssu.edu/classnotes

Mrs. Hazel O. Rhodes Norfolk Mrs. Queen Eaton McKnight, ’75 Mrs. Carolyn Woodard Coleman-Todd, ’44 Dr. Sylvester Wendell Wooten, ’64 Mr. James Curtis, ’56 Mr. Roy Gerald, Jr. Mr. Earl Lee Hicks Mr. Donald B. Wood Mr. John A. Hunter, Sr., ’63 Mrs. Jacquelyn Hauser-Claiborne Mrs. Virginia Blondell Rorie Mickens, ’55 Mr. Charles T. Crumblin, Jr. Reverend Joseph Roland Samuels Ms. Marion Shanklin Durrell, ’51 Miss Toshenda Quonet Streater, ’03 Mrs. Catherine Gray Lytle Mrs. Caronelle Coston White Mr. Harold “Cocoa” Clawson, ’56 Mrs. Marian Scales Collins, ’54 Mrs. Roberta E. Carter, ’78 Dr. Robbin Joe Kirkland Mrs. Anita Bailey Blanks Mrs. Barbara Leach Payne, ’64 Mr. Moses L. Robinson, Jr., ’76 Mr. James Edward “Jay” Campbell Dr. Mary Scott Isom, ’57 Mrs. Clarice Scales Parrish Ms. Carolyn L. Turner, ’85

New Address?

Full Name:

May 17, 2012 May 20, 2012 May 24, 2012 May 27, 2012 June 28, 2012 July 1, 2012 July 5, 2012 July 8, 2012 July 10, 2012 July 18, 2012 July 21, 2012 July 26, 2012 July 28, 2012 July 30, 2012 August 4, 2012 August 6, 2012 August 12, 2012 August 13, 2012 August 14, 2012 September 5, 2012 September 15, 2012 September 18, 2012 September 18, 2012 September 21, 2012 September 28, 2012 September 30, 2012 October 1, 2012 October 8, 2012

o Yes o No First

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Home Mailing Address: City: State: Zip: Telephone Number: Email Address: WSSU Degree: o BA o BS Major: Year Graduated: Have you been receiving alumni correspondence? o Yes o No Your news: Please attach a current photograph to be included with the article. Digital files should be in .jpg format and no larger than 10 kb. Please make sure the image is at least 300 dpi for print publication. Due to production schedules, your news may not appear in the newsletter you receive immediately after submitting items.

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alumni news alumni news

Message from the President, Message the President, WSSUfrom National Alumni Association

WSSU National Alumni Association Dear Fellow Alumni,

a little bit less and make up for it next year Great leaders and great thinkers have a because Winston-Salem State is doing so way of getting people to see and embrace a well. We may mislead ourselves into thinkvision.

When they introduce an idea, they go compete in today’s rough and tumble market When I was growing up in Wilmington, ing, “they won’t missthat another $100, $200” or the extra step and find creative ways to paint place. But I am proud to say WinstonNC, college was viewed as the gateway to $30 million campaign goal only to whatever the reduction of your a clear and convincing picture of what the Salem State University does prepare its contribution a successful and stable life. It was generally find out that 5 percent of the donors would be hypothetically.

Frankly, that is vision of their idea entails.

Great universities students well, and the article “WSSU Steps Up accepted that a college degree would buffet were alumni. As we have benefited the kind ifAsthinking can slowly dothe theheadwinds same thing.ofSuch institutions are To ableNew Challenges It Equipsthat It Students for undo you against up-and-down most from Winston-Salem State, we progress.

Just like World” in a race, onceayou get buildbecause upon a you vision when they plan for Success in a Fast-Changing makes economicto cycles were someone must also be first among those who you not slowand down. the future and, dynamic ahead case for ourdouniversity the imwith specialized skills andthankfully, specializedWinston-Salem knowl are contributing financially to the State University is one of those few instituportant role it is playing in training students edge. You were educated. We watched as our university’s future. tionstoofwork higher thatout knows to will be best-prepared for the challenging Archway clearly captures that attitude about parents went day learning in and day to howwho joinclimate me in commemorating a vision.

That is whyand changing Please economic we face today. theour university, and it does a great job of telling the same plan jobs, and livedimplement in the same house and According • more to emPower magazine, our story that of America is learning at did not change routines today much we in about Rams their Nation are enjoying Quite simply, a student 120theducated yeartoday of WSSU HBCU alumni giving rates are about 5 about.

University is a safe bet from yearthe to year. predictable and fruitsLife of was yesterday’s visionaries and Winston-Salem State by enrolling and becoming to 7shifts percent for public and As the world beneath all of institutions us techquite manageable. was rare, andunfold even withtomorrow for any corporation, small business, seeing theChange university’s future an active member of our nologically and economically, it is gratifying

9 to 11 percent for private institutions. government agency, nonprofit, or entrepresole breadwinner households were able to tremendous excitement and promise. We are today grab one living of the yesterday’s top rungs on the socio-eco our Thisstudents compares to at theWinstonnational average National Alumni Association now.to know that dream while building neurial operation.

Salem State areoflearning I am proud of the progress our university nomic ladder.

In the 21st hopes. century, two-income about to 20develop percent.transferable One of the on tomorrow’s skills, understand creative decision-making, families are gaining a foothold reasons most identified for lower having Truly,trouble it is exhilarating to see and has made and of our standing among top look more broadly at how selectisand academic institutions in our nation.

Surely on the economic ladder.

Times are tough.

My alumni givingtorates that many alumni

When we are celebrating success and digest these noteworthy developments as prepare for a successful career and, not mostbeen asked to you have heard this from other WSSU gradugraduatingweclass did not face the daunting simply say they have celebrate the Past, Present and Future progress, my fellow alumni, is the time to importantly, that their true career the further away we get from our circumstances students are running into today realize contribute.

Well, just in case you have of Winton-Salem State University duringates, thatpress harder on the gas. As alumni of this growth will come from “learning for a let me assure college days, the more we appreciate what when they leave our campus for entry into not been asked before, the 120th Anniversary. But what this should great university, we should use this opportulifetime.” Being open learning to is actively we have learned, and the further we go into the “real world.” you thistoislifelong your invitation really bring to mind for all of us as alumni nity as a challenge to press harder on thecritical gas to making it in today’s world. I believe our lives and careers, the more thankful we Today, planning for college is about give back to Winston-Salem State is that this serves as a reminder as to how with a pledge to provide additional support I speak for all of our alumni when I say are that we were educated at WSSU. In my planning for survival in an uncertain global University. this happens.

Yes, we need great ideas in the coming year.

The message of this that we are excited to know that our leadertravels, I come in contact with many WSSU economy. It is about equipping yourself to coming from the minds of great thinkers edition of Archway is that progress to date ship “gets it.” Hearing Dr. Reaves glowingly graduates who represent the full spectrum fully embrace sudden change and somtimes Finally, let me again lead in joining alumni leaders.

But it does and pursuits future achievements are about us the potential of Winston-Salem and from different eras, all ofdescribe upheaval and and great making it work forno, you.

Not not of academic from all thewith country in expressing happen in a vacuum.

It is the financial playing a role both directly and indirectly, State University’s around agreement the Hubei and the sense of pride and promise they feel many colleges and universities can offer a tremendous sense ofand Ram Pride at where ofofalumni thathelp is critical to any about of and is once we leave the this university of Chinese Medicine hearing WSSU exciting.

I think issue ofafter University students asupport full array tools that them to we have come from, where we are and our this becoming a reality. One of the reasons graduation, our financial support becomes Dr. Allen talk about preparing Winston-Salem future direction at Winston-Salem that Winston-Salem State has done so well part of both our legacy and our ongoingState students to do “anything” and not just State University.

Letallme alsotoencourage through the generations is the consistent connection to Rams Nation. Some recent studies ”something” makes us want return for you to a member of the National Alumni semester! support of our alumni. point to a need for HBCU alumni, for allone morebecome and let all pledge looking forward to us more excitingto the success and growth we are experiencing I amAssociation

It is easy to view all the progress of examine and maximize our givinginwith news from Winston-Salem State University at many of our institutions, there are some Winston-Salem State through the years and the months understanding thatand ourbelieve support is the coming and years, troubling trends that we must work to avoid become complacent. It is human nature. me whenthe I say all of us between who were privileged difference success and at Winston-Salem State University: We have witnessed our beloved university to receive our education there are more than success that is sustained. grow over the years and enhance its already • At the recent annual meeting of thehappy to continue spreading the good news. stellar reputation before our very eyes. We Sincerely, are so proud of what we see and where we White House Initiative on HBCUs, Gordon G. Everett have come from as a university community members of a panel identified the need (and rightly so) that we may overlook just to create a culture of giving to improve how important our individual contributions the share of alumni giving at HBCUs. National GordonPresident G. Everett have been. We see such success and we may In one case, a panelist cited one Class of 1978 National President, Class of 1978 feel that “just for this year,” we can give just example where a school reached a

Dear Fellow Alumni,

Gordon

www.wssunaa.org Caption caption caption caption caption

Panel Focuses on Strategies to Increase HBCU Alumni’s Giving: http://www.educationdive.com/news/panel-focuses-on-strategies-to-increase-hbcus-alumni-giving/58486/ A R C HAlumni W A Y Donation 17 Rates: How HBCUs Can Increase http://www.empowermagazine.com/how-hbcus-can-increase-alumni-donation-rates/

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FALL 2012

Growing through

Giving

Culture of Giving W i n s t o n - Sa l e m S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y F A LL 2 0 1 2

A Message from Michelle Cook is always an exciting time at Winston-Salem State F allUniversity.

Students return to begin a new year of coursework, research, and volunteerism. Football season kicks off. Homecoming brings our alumni back to campus to commemorate the university’s proud past and to celebrate its bright future.

This fall we added a couple of new elements to our already abundant roster of events. Funding for scholarships continues to be a top priority on our campus, so we hosted a concert featuring world-renowned gospel singer Dr. Wintley Phipps to benefit the Winston-Salem State University Student Scholarship Fund. The university also held our first-ever Chancellor’s All Boards’ Retreat where members from 14 different boards and advisory committees convened around one common objective: a coordinated focus on our strategic plan Achieving Academic Distinction: The Plan for Student Success.

A total of 120 board members engaged in this day long retreat, which featured a joint presentation by Chancellor Donald Reaves and Provost Brenda Allen about WSSU in its 120th year, an interactive session with fundraiser Gail Perry about being ambassadors for the university, and breakout groups where they shared their unique perspectives and knowledge about ways to move the university forward.

The overarching theme that emerged during the retreat was that we—the faculty, staff, board members, alumni and friends of the university—need to do all that we can to provide a pathway for our students to have the best educational experience possible.

We need to work together to empower our students and our graduates to achieve great things professionally and within their communities. And we need to instill in our students a deeply held ethic of service that will embolden them to take on whatever challenges they face once they graduate.

These are all great aspirations. We know that. So, during the retreat, we dug a little bit deeper to see how we can all

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FALL 2012

contribute to turn these visions into reality.

What ensued was an outpouring of insights and suggestions that proved inspiring to all of us. Board members volunteered to host career fairs for students, make internships available, and serve as guest speakers to introduce students to their companies. Attendees reaffirmed their roles as ambassadors for Winston-Salem State University. People left the retreat reinvigorated and ready to share the WSSU story with friends, family, neighbors and the wider community.

At the end of the day one retreat participant stood up and said, “I know what I can do to help the university!” and he wrote a check on the spot and held it up for the crowd to see. The audience broke out into wild applause and several more attendees pulled out their checkbooks to make their contributions. They knew that their dollars would go directly to support the WSSU Student Scholarship Fund, so they made their donations gladly.

I am asking you now, as the holidays approach, to keep our students in mind. Make a gift—a truly important gift— that will shape the life trajectories of our students and will have a lasting effect on our community as a whole.

Michelle M. Cook Vice Chancellor for University Advancement and Executive Director of the WSSU Foundation

From the beginning of this institution through 120 years of dramatic change and progress, one challenge has faced every administration and every class of students:

WSSU Foundation Launches New Website

The need for financial support from individuals, businesses and foundations to supplement public funding.

In this, WSSU is not unique.

All educational institutions share this challenge.

What we do have is just as important: Alumni, faculty, staff and students who care deeply about WSSU. Who recognize – from personal experience – its distinctive role in lifting students to new levels of opportunity.

Who want to extend that opportunity to future students.

And are doing so in larger numbers than ever, in more creative ways than ever.

Beginning younger than ever and extending through life.

This issue of Pathways is dedicated to you and the Culture of Giving you are helping to create at WSSU.

www.wssu.edu/anniversary

Donations to WSSU are administered by the WSSU Foundation. Check out the Foundation’s new website for user-friendly descriptions of giving opportunities, including the WSSU Annual Fund, the Simon Green Atkins Society, the Heritage Society, major gifts, athletics and other campaigns.

The site also provides information on convenient ways to give, including outright gifts, planned or deferred gifts, corporate matching gifts, and more.

The website explains the mission of the WSSU Foundation, information from its annual report, special events and campaigns, stories of giving, and introductions to the Foundation’s staff. It also offers access to downloadable pledge forms and a link to donate online.

Scan this QR code

or visit wssufoundation.org.

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Our Number-One Priority:

73%

27% Scholarships

(student financial aid)

Special programs and initiatives (band, academic research, international programs, athletics, academic/departmental support and etc.)

In 2010-11 gifts to scholarships and special program funds totaled $1,471,468.

Your investments supported WSSU’s highest strategic priorities.

student scholarships

While we encourage and appreciate donations for designated purposes that match alumni interests, there is no question about our greatest need: funding for student scholarships.

“The need is great,” said Jim Brewer, director of Major and Planned Gifts. “In the past four years, WSSU sustained state budget cuts of $31 million. In 2012, state and federal need-based and merit-based scholarship program cuts totaled $1.475 million. Because of state and federal cuts, tuition and fees for state-supported schools have increased while financial support has decreased.

“When the university started, it relied upon private support; there was no state support at that time,” Brewer said. “We relied on private philanthropy until it was taken over by the state in 1969. Some students could pay, but many literally made the bricks for the buildings to help pay for their education. Today, we don’t make bricks, but we hope that our alumni providing scholarship money will continue to build for the future of the university. In a way, each scholarship dollar is like one of those bricks, you might say.”

Sustaining the Promise “Over the past several years, we have focused on the difference scholarship dollars make in student performance or our ability to attract the best and brightest freshmen,” states Dr. Brenda Allen, WSSU provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. “We are now talking about the difference scholarships make in our sophomores, juniors and seniors being able to complete their education. Colleges and universities throughout the country are dealing with reductions in federal and state support for financial aid and the impact on our students, but that impact is even greater at institutions like WSSU. Because 60 percent of our students do not have financial support from their families, financial support from the university is the best hope they may have for creating a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.”

Name: Nicolette Stewart Hamilton Class/ Year: Sophomore/Class of 2015 Major: Sport Management Type of Scholarship: Chancellor Scholar

“Being a scholarship recipient has allowed for me to adjust my future dreams into goals.

Instead of saying ‘In five years I hope to be…’ I can now proudly and confidently say ‘In five years I will be…’ .”

For every $1,000 put toward a scholarship, that student’s potential for remaining in school and graduating increases by 20 percent.

The Importance of Alumni Giving Gifts from alumni are important in developing a culture of giving among other alumni and students. “Alumni giving is a recognition or vote of confidence that they received a great education and they want other students to do so also,” states Brewer. “It’s like paying it forward and continuing a tradition.”

Alumni giving also impacts the university’s national ranking in U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Annual Issue. “The percentage of alumni who give is one of the ways schools are measured for the rankings,” Brewer pointed out. “So every gift, large or small, helps raise our profile which is important in raising scholarship funds.”

For more information about funding and the impact of giving, visit www.wssufoundation.org.

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FALL 2012

“The need is critical,

particularly where scholarships are concerned,” states Shirley Shouse, chairman of Major Gifts and Planned Giving for the WSSU Foundation.“We had so many good, bright applicants this year, and we were so disappointed to have to turn some of them away because of cuts in our government funding. We don’t ever want to turn students away because we can’t provide them with financial aid. This year we had to.”

“We don’t ever want to turn students away because we can’t provide them with financial aid.

This year we had to.”

benefactors receive enhanced recognition, including invitations to exclusive events designed to celebrate the university with fellow members.

Shouse is proud of the university and how far it’s come, and she encourages students and alumni to bring Foundation board member newcomers to the campus and show them around. “We have more than 110 Shirley Danner Shouse stresses the importance acres, and it is a gorgeous campus, and of unrestricted financial it’s for everyone,” she said. “If you take contributions to WSSU. a tour of the school and see what we’ve done there, you will be so impressed that you will want to take someone else Shouse strongly encourages donors to join the Foundation’s Simon with you the next time you go. And another thing, those people on Green Atkins Society. “Gifts to the Atkins Society are unrestricted that campus are the sweetest, brightest kids you’d ever want to meet. funds, meaning they can be used for scholarships or other needs of When you walk across campus, you see nothing but smiling faces.” the university. Other types of gifts are used for specific purposes, like for a building or a room, but Atkins Society donations can be used For more information about the Simon Green Atkins Society, visit for the areas of greatest need, including scholarships.” www.wssufoundation.org or call the Foundation office at 336-750-3151.

The Simon Green Atkins Society was established in 2011 and requires a minimum donation of $1,000 per year. Atkins Society

Developing a culture of giving

“Give at whatever level you can. Every dollar touches a life.”

Kelvin Farmer ’86 adopted a culture of giving as a WSSU student. “It’s not about what’s in your wallet,” he points out.

“It’s what’s in your heart.”

“As a student, I couldn’t afford to give thousands of dollars, but I gave $25, or $50, or $100 …” said Farmer, who graduated with a BS in accounting in 1986 and began donating small amounts to WSSU as a student. “And I continued giving what I could after graduation.”

Over the past few years, he and his wife, Tammy, who are tax industry professionals in Fayetteville, have donated a total of $35,000 toward business and economics scholarships at WSSU.

“We really wanted to give back to the community, and to Winston-Salem State, because the education I received there provided the foundation for my success and my career,” Kelvin said.

“We’re in an economic downturn, and so many scholarships are needed,” he said.

“It’s sad when you talk to so many people who would love to attend college and their parents just don’t have the money to send them.”

The Farmers understand that every scholarship dollar counts. “A lot of people look at others and say, ‘Wow, that person really made a large contribution.’ Don’t compare yourself and say, ‘I wish I could do that’ and not give anything. I’d like to tell people to consistently give at whatever level they can give. ”

Every dollar donated has an impact on someone’s life. Many of the funds used for scholarships come from various donors at all levels. When you contribute unrestricted gifts, your dollar is combined with many other gifts to make a significant difference in a young student’s life.

Kelvin and Tammy Farmer

For more information about ways to give and how to provide scholarships, please visit www.wssufoundation.org or call 336-750-3151.

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Planting the Seeds Early for a Personal Commitment to Giving

$1250! $1200

In creative and impactful ways, WSSU is working to inspire students and young alumni to adopt a culture of giving that will continue through life.

$1150

$1050

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SOPHOMORES $950

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“In August during freshman orientation, Young Alumni Council (YAC) representatives introduced the competition to the freshman class,” Hairston said.

“Then, during WSSU Family Day at the end of orientation week, the Student Government Association (SGA) distributed donor envelopes to the freshmen.”

$1050

$1000

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Each class at WSSU has been challenged to donate money for scholarships as part of a new Class Giving Competition, and the response thus far has been promising, said Gregory Hairston ’83, director of Alumni Relations.

$1100

FRESHMEN

$1000

JUNIORS

Students Respond to New Class Giving Competition

$1050

SENIORS

It’s happening across the campus, across the community, across the state and beyond: innovative approaches to build awareness of the role each individual can play through financial support to WSSU. Whether it’s a dollar or many times that, students and young alumni are stepping up to the challenge. Here are just a few examples.

$1200

$1250!

$1200

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$1150 $1100

$1250! $1150

$1250!

$150 $100 $50

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$150 $100 $50

Other classes learned about the competition during Yard Fest on September 13.

Class presidents are serving as coordinators, distributing donor envelopes and encouraging their class members to participate. Donations are collected during cafeteria hours and at SGA events. “We’ve already begun receiving donations,” said Hairston.

“Thermometers” with dollar amounts raised are displayed around campus to track the gifts. In January 2013, another SGA-sponsored event will highlight the continuing effort.

The goal for each class is to have at least 250 donors contributing a minimum of $1,250 by April 2013. The first class to meet both of those criteria will be designated Class Champions at an award reception on April 30.

“It’s a new and fun way to encourage current students to give and creates a real sense of pride within each class. We feel that this pride will continue throughout our students’ time here on campus and after graduation,” states Hairston.

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FALL 2012

Freshman Piggy Bank Program Encourages Saving and Giving During freshman orientation in August, students were given piggy banks as part of a new Freshman Piggy Bank program presented by the Young Alumni Council. The program was designed to teach freshmen to manage their finances successfully through budgeting and finance seminars. In addition, Young Alumni Council members explained how, even as freshmen, they can become important contributors to the university and the opportunities they have to support the university while they are students.

put some money aside as a savings program for themselves, so that when they needed a book in the spring semester that they may not have necessarily planned for, they would be able to pull money from out of their piggy bank,” said Greg Hairston ’83, director of Alumni Relations. “Or, if they decided that their class was lagging behind in the Class Competition donations and they wanted to help pick things up, they could take just a little out of their piggy bank to make a donation. In the development of that culture of giving, we hope that our students will start providing support to the university while they’re still enrolled and that support will continue long after graduation.”

“We asked freshmen to make a gift in the envelopes we provided, and we also encouraged them to hold on to their piggy banks and

Reaching Young Donors in New Ways In late September, the Young Alumni Council staged a beat-the-clock, 120-Hour Campaign, in honor of the 120th anniversary, to raise online donations for the WSSU Scholarship Fund. The campaign’s focus was targeted to young alumni for online donations through event and social media strategies. The start of the campaign coincided with the university’s official anniversary kick-off birthday party that was held on September 28.

Young Alumni Council members attended event locations in Raleigh and Winston-Salem to encourage donations and explain the online giving process during the 120 hours. The events were publicized through Facebook, LinkedIn, RamBits, Twitter and email.

“We look forward to reaching new heights through our growing support from young alumni donors,” stated Gregory Hairston,

director of Alumni Relations. “Alumni support makes a difference in so many ways. The percentage of alumni giving is one of the ways schools are measured for certain rankings. When students understand that alumni have provided almost half a million dollars for their benefit, these same students will be more inclined to support the university while they are enrolled and after they graduate.”

Name: Conner Chambers Class/ Year: Junior Major: Management and Marketing Type of Scholarship: Chancellor Scholar

This scholarship has allowed me to focus on my studies without the burden of financial anxiety. It has opened new opportunities in my future, like grad school and the ability to get an internship in my field as opposed to a job outside of my field.

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Donors Take Creative Approaches

to Expand the Impact of Their Gifts While direct gifts are important, alumni are also encouraged to work with the WSSU Advancement Office and WSSU Foundation to explore opportunities to create a legacy by giving through a will, a trust or a life insurance policy.

Even young alumni in the early stages of their careers find these avenues a good match for their resources and goals.

Purchase life insurance policy with WSSU as beneficiary

Young alumna finds a new way to give

Today there are legions of bright, talented students who want to attend college but simply can’t afford it. Without donations from other students and alumni to provide scholarship money and other financial aid, many of them are turned away. When most of us think of giving such a gift, we first think of writing a check. But there are several different and lesser-known ways to give aside from that option.

Rotunda Eaton, who received her MHA degree from WSSU in December 2011, has taken a creative yet generous approach to giving back. After weighing her options as a young alumna, she decided to fund individual life insurance policies and name WSSU and N.C. State University, where she obtained her undergraduate degree, each as beneficiaries.

Another policy will benefit Gardner Webb University, where she received her MBA. It’s likely that Eaton’s donations will far exceed the cost of the premiums she pays.

Eaton, who has worked for the university in various capacities since 2004, is now the assistant director of Business Services. Helping college students achieve their dreams is something she’s been passionate about for years, she says.

“I just saw the need, and wanted to give a gift that would serve several people,” Eaton said. “When I first came to the university, I worked in Advancement for five years or so, doing fundraising, and I learned about this donation method. It was an option that really appealed to me as a way to give back.”

Eaton says her motivation to donate scholarship funds is to provide others with the educational opportunity that she feels fortunate enough to have had. “It’s important to give other students the opportunity to search out their dreams,” she said. “So many people have the desire to go to school, but they just don’t have the funds. With me working at this institution, and working with students, I especially see that need.

And I know that if you can contribute in any way, it is very possible to open up doors and provide life-changing opportunities for others.”

For more information about the many methods of giving back to WSSU, visit wssufoundation.org or call us at 336-750-3151.

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FALL 2012

Create a Legacy

Turning Tragedy into Opportunity for Others When Julia Woodard ’61 was a sophomore at WSSU, her father had a heart attack, and her life changed drastically. “He became unable to continue to send me to school, and I was going to have to withdraw,” Woodard said. “Then one of my instructors told me about a state loan that I was now eligible for. Without that, I would not have been able to finish my degree.”

Woodard, who resides in Durham, received a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing and attended nurse anesthesia school after graduating from WSSU. “I’ve had a very lucrative career, and I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to finish school,” she said.

Because of the generous support she received, Woodard decided that she wanted to help other WSSU students achieve their dreams by establishing a trust fund naming WinstonSalem State as the sole beneficiary. “I don’t have children, so I decided that this was one way I could give back,” she said.

“I encourage others to consider various methods of giving that they may not be aware of,” said Woodard. Deferred gifts such as hers can begin with small, periodic contributions that grow into large amounts over time. Other planned options, such as a beneficiary gift in a will for instance, make it possible to offer a percentage of an estate later without the donor incurring any current expenses.

“Anything you can give will help make a difference in someone’s future,” she says. “We all should give whatever we can, and I’ve learned that what you do for others all comes back to you in some way.”

For more information on ways to give, visit wssufoundation.org or call us at 336-750-3151.

Name: Evanna Howell Class/ Year: Senior Major: Sport Management Type of Scholarship: Chancellor Scholar

“As a Chancellor Scholar, I have been able to volunteer in a range of opportunities from tutoring, mentoring, and helping maintain the beauty of Winston-Salem through Adopt-A-Street, just to name a few. For the person that created this scholarship, I would thank them tremendously because honestly I do not know where I would be or what I would be doing now. I can gladly say that I am prepared for life after graduation, wherever it may lead me.”

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Office of Marketing and Communications Winston-Salem State University Alumni House Winston-Salem, NC 27110

Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID

Winston-Salem, NC Permit No. 257

www.wssu.edu www.wssurampages.com

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

An easy, tax-smart way

to make a significant gift to Winston-Salem State University is to designate the WSSU Foundation as the beneficiary of your retirement plan or life insurance policy.

Leaving your retirement plan assets to WSSU means you could avoid losing up to 70 percent of the fund’s value to estate and income taxes.

Making a planned gift to WSSU now means pledging to sustain the university for future generations.

That’s a powerful legacy.

If you’d like more information on bequests and how to remember WSSU in your will, retirement account, trust, or life insurance policy, email Jim Brewer at brewerje@wssu.edu or call 336-750-3089.

PLEASE SEND ME INFORMATION ON:

c Bequests

c Charitable Gift Annuities

c Charitable Remainder Trusts

c Real Estate Gifts

c Other

I HAVE REMEMBERED WSSU IN MY:

c Will

c Retirement Account

c Trust

c Life Insurance Policy

c Other

Your gift entitles you to membership in the University’s Heritage Society.

Name(s) Address City, State, Zip Birthdate(s)

Winston-Salem State University

Email Phone Please return to: University Advancement, Winston-Salem State University, 311 Blair Hall, Winston-Salem, NC 27110