150305 Report to Chancellor - Complete - Post 3

Memorandum

TO: Dr. Debra Saunders-White, Chancellor; Dr. Johnson O. Akinleye, Provost

FROM: Michael Provencher, Student

DATE: May 7, 2014

SUBJECT: Scholars Task Force Report: Student Feedback and Recommendations

Enclosed is the “Scholars Task Force Report: Student Feedback and Recommendations.” This

report, requested by Chancellor Dr. Debra Saunders-White, contains a review of the context and

content of the recommendations made in the “Scholars Task Force Report,” as well as several

conclusions and recommendations from additional research.

Among the recommendations of the “Scholars Task Force Report” is a partial merger of the

University Honors Program, Centennial Scholars Program, and Annie Day Shepard Scholars

Program into one Eagle Excellence Living Learning Community. Given the starkly distinct

target audiences, missions, resources, services, and activities of these programs, many student

members have become concerned about 1) the ability of such an entity to effectively serve the

needs of this incredibly diverse audience and 2) the culture clash that might ensue from combing

these students groups into one living-learning community. Furthermore, the report as a whole

seems to be missing critical support—i.e. data and rationale for the recommendations—which

would seem to suggest that the task force was unable to complete its mission.

It is my hope that this report will provide the Chancellor, Provost, and any others involved with

the information necessary to decide how to proceed with the recommendations made in the

“Scholars Task Force Report,” particularly by more fully understanding the scope and depth of

the impacts said recommendations can have on the students of North Carolina Central

University, to whom these changes are intended to benefit. Please let me know if you have any

questions about this report or if you need any further information. I can be reached at (910) 728-

1267 and at [email protected].

mailto:[email protected]

SCHOLARS TASK FORCE REPORT:

STUDENT FEEDBACK AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Prepared by Michael Provencher

Student at North Carolina Central University

Report Distributed May 7, 2014

Prepared for

Dr. Debra Saunders-White, Chancellor

Dr. Johnson O. Akinleye, Provost

Scholars Task Force Report: Student Feedback and Recommendations

iii

ABSTRACT

This report examines the context and content of the recommendations made in the “Scholars

Task Force Report” for North Carolina Central University (NCCU) during the spring of 2014.

The purpose of this report is to provide the Chancellor of NCCU, Dr. Debra Saunders-White, and

the Provost of NCCU, Dr. Johnson O. Akinleye, with the information necessary to decide how to

proceed with these recommendations. Research methods include 1) interviews with key

stakeholders, 2) meetings with concerned and affected student groups, and 3) supplementary

secondary research. Conclusions include 1) that the Scholars Task Force did not share a common

vision for the report, 2) that the Scholars Task Force was not fully prepared to accomplish all of

its goals in the given timeframe, and 3) that the students of NCCU were not informed or involved

as much as they should have been in the creation of the “Scholars Task Force Report.”

Recommendations include 1) revising the “Scholars Task Force Report” before implementation

and 2) significantly incorporating quality student input into that revision.


iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... iii

ILLUSTRATIONS ..........................................................................................................................v

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................3

Definition of the Problem ....................................................................................................3

Background ..........................................................................................................................3

University College .........................................................................................................4

Aspiring Eagles Academy..............................................................................................4

University Career Services ............................................................................................4

University Honors Program ...........................................................................................4

Centennial Scholars Program .........................................................................................5

Annie Day Shepard Scholars Program ..........................................................................5

Chancellor’s Scholars Program .....................................................................................5

“Scholars Task Force Report” Recommendations ...............................................................5

RESEARCH METHODS AND FINDINGS ...................................................................................7

Interviews and Meetings ......................................................................................................7

Dr. Ontario Wooden .....................................................................................................7

Dr. Debra Saunders-White ...........................................................................................8

Mr. Ansel Brown ..........................................................................................................8

Ms. Donna Hembrick ...................................................................................................8

Ms. Philina McCray and Ms. Brittany Smith ...............................................................9

CSP General Body ........................................................................................................9

SGA Senate ..................................................................................................................9

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................13

Conclusions ........................................................................................................................13

Recommendations ..............................................................................................................14

WORKS REFERENCED ..............................................................................................................15


v

ILLUSTRATIONS

Figures

1. Michael Provencher, “Organizational Chart of the Transition and Support Initiatives

Branch” ..............................................................................................................................11

2. Michael Provencher, “Organizational Chart of the Honors and Scholars Initiatives

Branch” ..............................................................................................................................12


1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY





proceed with these recommendations.

Definition of Problem

In September of 2013, the Chancellor charged the Scholars Task Force with an important

mission as a part of her comprehensive strategy to “foster Eagle Excellence” (Allen et al. 2013,

1). In response, the December 2013 “Scholars Task Force Report” made several

recommendations of how the Chancellor can achieve some of her goals; however, these

recommendations have received much criticism from students and staff. Some questions have

been raised as to their thoroughness and evidence base; others have been raised as to their

rationale and consequences for students. The Chancellor needs to make timely decisions on these

recommendations, and therefore is seeking additional quantitative and qualitative research in

these areas to better inform her decisions regarding the implementation of these

recommendations.

Background

In the fall of 2013, the Chancellor assembled three task forces to discern organizational and

programmatic improvements that can be made throughout the university to increase the quality

of the experience at NCCU for all students. The Scholars Task Force was one of the three

assembled. It examined programs such as the University Honors Program (UHP), Centennial

Scholars Program (CSP), and Annie Day Shepard Scholars Program (ADS), as well as

departments such as University College and University Career Services, looking for ways to

increase collaboration and reduce inefficiencies among these parts of NCCU. Some of the

recommendations made in the “Scholars Task Force Report”—particularly Recommendation

51—were met with strong resistance, particularly from student groups, because of the possible

implications they can have for programs such as UHP, CSP, and ADS.

Methods Used

Research methods used in this report include 1) interviews with key stakeholders, such as

members of the Scholars Task Force and heads of the departments which would be significantly

affected; 2) meetings with concerned or affected student groups, such as the UHP, CSP, and

ADS; and 3) supplementary secondary research. The interviews and meetings were focused on

gathering more information on the context and content of the “Scholars Task Force Report” and

students’ feedback regarding its recommendations. The secondary research was focused on

supplementing the conclusions and providing greater support for the recommendations made in

this report.

1 The recommendations were not originally numbered; I have enumerated them simply by their order of appearance

in the “Scholars Task Force Report”.


2

Conclusions and Recommendations

From the evaluations of the context and content of the recommendations made in the “Scholars

Task Force Report,” three conclusions and two recommendations can be drawn. Conclusions

include 1) that the Scholars Task Force did not share a common vision for the report, 2) that the

Scholars Task Force was not fully prepared to accomplish all of its goals in the given timeframe,

and 3) that the students of NCCU were not informed or involved as much as they should have

been in the creation of the “Scholars Task Force Report.” Recommendations include 1) revising

the “Scholars Task Force Report” before implementation and 2) significantly incorporating

quality student input into that revision.


3

INTRODUCTION





proceed with these recommendations.

Definition of the Problem

In September of 2013, the Chancellor charged the Scholars Task Force with an important

mission as a part of her comprehensive strategy to “foster Eagle Excellence” (Allen et al. 2013,

1). In response, the December 2013 “Scholars Task Force Report” made several

recommendations of how the Chancellor can achieve some of her goals; however, these

recommendations have received much criticism from students and staff. Some questions have

been raised as to their thoroughness and evidence base; others have been raised as to their

rationale and consequences for students. The Chancellor needs to make timely decisions on these

recommendations, and therefore is seeking additional quantitative and qualitative research in

these areas to better inform her decisions regarding the implementation of these

recommendations.

Background

In the fall of 2013, the Chancellor assembled three task forces to discern organizational and

programmatic improvements that can be made in key areas throughout the university to increase

the quality of the experience at NCCU for undergraduate students. The three task forces were the

Four Year Graduation Challenge Task Force, the Transfer Imperative Task Force, and the

Scholars Task Force.

The Four Year Graduation Challenge Task Force was assembled to determine ways to ensure

that “the traditional first-time freshman . . . matriculate[s] successfully in a four-year time

period” (Brown et al. 2013, 1). The Transfer Imperative Task Force was given the even more

specific tasks of meeting a higher level of transfer enrollment at NCCU and developing a dual

enrollment program with a local community college (North Carolina 2013b, 2). While these two

task forces are not the primary focus of this report, their respective missions have a significant

relevance to that of the Scholars Task Force. Additionally, they provide valuable research and

insight into the specific needs of NCCU students.

On September 4, 2013, the Chancellor charged the Scholars Task Force “to examine scholarly

initiatives at [NCCU], explore how these areas can synergize and minimize duplication of

services, and optimize innovation for an improved undergraduate experience” (Allen et al. 2013,

1). The scholarly initiatives in question include University College, the Aspiring Eagles

Academy (AEA), University Career Services, the University Honors Program (UHP), the

Centennial Scholars Program (CSP), the Annie Day Shepard Scholars Program (ADS), and the

Chancellor’s Scholars Program. Most of these programs have distinct missions and target

audiences, although there is some overlap, particularly by University College and University


4

Career Services, since these two serve all NCCU students. Indeed, it was partially because the

Chancellor noticed that many of the active members of these different programs were, in fact, the

same people that the goal of minimizing duplication of efforts among the programs was created.

University College

In the fall of 2007, University College was designed to help facilitate the successful transition to

college for all new first-year and transfer students. University College then serves these students

until they transition into the department of their major, typically in the beginning of their Junior

year. To further help these students succeed, University College offers services, including

academic advising and support, personal and career counseling, social engagement, and

leadership opportunities. As a part of the academic advising component, all students are assigned

an advisor who assists them in planning and registering for courses each semester. This also

includes encouraging students to complete most, if not all, of their General Education

Curriculum (GEC) courses within their first two years at NCCU.

Aspiring Eagles Academy

The AEA is University College’s summer bridge program. This program serves high school

graduating seniors who are admitted to NCCU at the lower end of the minimum admissions

requirements. The AEA is an intensive summer program where students take a number of GEC

courses with a demanding class and study schedule to help them adjust to the rigor of college.

The program also includes many academic enrichment activities, as well as continued

monitoring of AEA members throughout their matriculation at NCCU. The AEA is a living-

learning community (LLC) because members are required to stay in the McLean residence hall

for the summer program. This LLC component increases members’ focus and support system,

and has been shown to have significant benefits for students’ performance and transition to

college.

University Career Services

University Career Services is designed to facilitate the career and professional development of

all students. Accordingly, it provides a number of services, including resume building and

critique, interview preparation and practice, career advising, academic counseling, and job and

internship searches. University Career Services also hosts many developmental programs, such

as the Career Fair, the Professional Development Network (PDN) Conference, and various guest

speakers from prospective employers, internship placement programs, etc.

University Honors Program

The UHP serves NCCU’s highest achieving students, many of them from the time they are

admitted to NCCU. The program has minimum GPA and other performance requirements for

admittance and matriculation. It also places an addition curriculum of rigorous, honors-level

courses upon its members, along with requirements to do peer mentoring and an honors thesis.

Furthermore, the UHP is a LLC because Honors students can elect to live in the Honors

residence hall, Annie Day Shepard Hall, where they have access to an Honors library, a smart

conference room, and tablet rentals, in addition to having a close community with fellow Honors

students.


5

Centennial Scholars Program

The CSP was founded to serve minority male students at NCCU because this demographic had

been the lowest performing demographic across the state of North Carolina for years. The CSP

has no minimum entry requirements—although there is an interview process—as it is designed

to uplift and empower lower performing or disadvantaged students. Services include tutoring by

CSP upperclassmen, professional coaching by CSP staff, a CSP library of class textbooks, social

programming, and more. The CSP is a LLC because most freshman and sophomore members

live in the CSP residence hall, New Res II, so that they may form social bonds and study groups,

helping to create a strong and mutually uplifting brotherhood.

Annie Day Shepard Scholars Program

The ADS is a program designed to serve female students at NCCU, particularly first-generation

college students. The program has no minimum eligibility requirements, other than that members

must join as a freshman and go through an interview process. ADS members enjoy a sisterhood

of high expectations, in which they work together to excel academically and adjust to college

socially. In collaboration with the Women’s Center, ADS regularly brings guest speakers to

NCCU, hosts professional development workshops, and has all members document weekly their

progress and experiences. The ADS is a LLC because members live together in the ADS

residence hall, Ruffin Hall.

Chancellor’s Scholars Program

The Chancellor’s Scholars Program consists of all the recipients of the Chancellor’s Cycle of

Success Scholarships, which are the Soaring Eagle, Rising Eagle, Eagle in Flight, Eagle in Flight

2, and AA/AS/AAS Degree Transfer scholarships. These recipients may also receive

paraphernalia, such as a Chancellor’s Scholars polo shirt, and may, from time to time, be called

upon to represent and serve NCCU in various capacities. However, apart from a welcoming

banquet at the beginning of each academic year, there are no regular meetings or other activities

for the Chancellor’s Scholars Program.

“Scholars Task Force Report” Recommendations

There were eight recommendations made in the “Scholars Task Force Report.” Recommendation

12 set up the organizational framework for the other seven recommendations: It called for the

creation of an Office of Undergraduate Studies which reports to the division of Academic

Affairs; this new office would include two main branches to coordinate 1) the transition and

support initiatives and 2) the honors and scholars initiatives (Allen et al. 2013, 9-10).

Recommendations 2–4 were assigned to the first branch and Recommendations 5–8 to the

second. Because of this division, the “scholarly initiatives” (Allen et al. 2013, 1) are only

affected by Recommendations 5-8; Recommendations 2-4 pertain to other areas of NCCU, such

as University College and University Career Services and programs within each of those

departments (Allen et al. 2013, 10-14).

Recommendation 5, in particular, has raised much concern among the students and staff of

NCCU. It calls for a partial merger of NCCU’s University Honors Program (UHP), Centennial

2 The recommendations were not originally numbered; I have enumerated them simply by their order of appearance

in the “Scholars Task Force Report”.


6

Scholars Program (CSP), and Annie Day Shepard Scholars Program (ADS) into one Eagle

Excellence Living Learning Community (EELLC), to be housed in two adjacent residence halls,

Annie Day and Rush (Allen et al. 2013, 14-16). The merger would also entail shared resources

and personnel among these programs and facilitate more interaction among their members, with

the purpose of creating an “elevator of excellence” (Allen et al. 2013, 15) among the students.

Given the impacts that each of these three programs have had on their respective members—as

well as the stark differences in their target audiences, missions, resources, services, and

activities—many students and staff have raised concerns about 1) the ability of the proposed

EELLC to effectively serve the needs of this incredibly diverse audience and 2) the culture clash

that might ensue from combining these three student groups into one LLC.


7

RESEARCH METHODS AND FINDINGS

The primary research methods used in this report were interviews and meetings with key

stakeholders to gather more information on the context and content of the “Scholars Task Force

Report” and students’ feedback regarding its recommendations. Secondary research was also

conducted to supplement the conclusions derived from the primary research, thereby providing

greater support for the recommendations made in this report.

Interviews and Meetings

This report examines the recommendations made in the “Scholars Task Force Report.” Key to

understanding the nuances of that context and reading between the lines of that content is

conducting interviews with stakeholders. These stakeholders include the Chancellor, members of

the Scholars Task Force, and the heads of the departments and programs to be affected by the

report (e.g. the directors of University Career Services and UHP). Moreover, it is important to

gauge students’ perceptions of and receptiveness to the recommendations of the “Scholars Task

Force Report” when deciding whether said recommendations are worth implementing. To gather

this information, I spoke at several CSP, UHP, and Student Government Association (SGA)

meetings and events about the “Scholars Task Force Report”; I also interviewed the president

and vice-president (students) of ADS. In all of these conversations, I presented the report as

thoroughly and objectively as possible, taking great care to hear all opinions about it and to

ensure that my affiliations with the UHP, CSP, Chancellor’s Scholars Program, University

College, and University Career Services did not bias or predispose this study towards any

particular outcome.

Interviews with Dr. Ontario Wooden, Dean of University College

On February 26, 2014, I briefly interviewed Dr. Wooden. During this interview, I got my first

glimpse of the difficulties the Scholars Task Force had in creating the “Scholars Task Force

Report.” I was told that the report “was never supposed to be published” (Wooden 2014a) and

that the task force was surprised when it was made public.

On April 9, 2014, I interviewed Dr. Wooden again, this time for approximately 1 hour. During

this interview, there were many findings regarding the unwritten content of the report, as well as

some of the rationales for the recommendations, as follows:

1. The structure of NCCU’s University College is unique compared to other colleges in that

it has 1) a transfer to college piece and 2) an academic success piece (Wooden 2014b).

2. Dr. Wooden contended that student success should be looked at as a four-year process

(2014b).

3. There was a sentiment expressed in the task force that it would be counterproductive to

have academic support programs residing in Student Affairs, as opposed to Academic

Affairs (Wooden 2014b).

4. The Chancellor’s challenge is to continue supporting students as much as possible while

making wise financial investments (Wooden 2014b).

5. There was a sentiment expressed in the task force that the numerous “pockets” of

students being supported (academically) could be contributing to the overall inefficiency


8

of academic advising at NCCU, particularly hurting the University College’s Academic

Advising (Wooden 2014b).

6. The question was posed: Given the [small] size of NCCU and the funding cuts NCCU

recently experienced, is it even possible—much less wise—to continue supporting so

many specialized organizations (e.g. UHP, CSP, ADS, and Summer Bridge) (Wooden

2014b)?

Interview with Dr. Debra Saunders-White, Chancellor

On February 26, 2014, I interviewed the Chancellor for approximately 45 minutes. During this

interview, I expressed my interest in becoming involved in the discussion surrounding the

“Scholars Task Force Report.” It was during this interview that I first detected the lack of student

input in this discussion and that the Chancellor charged me with gathering feedback from the

students of NCCU on the recommendations made in the report (Saunders-White 2014a).

Interviews with Mr. Ansel Brown, Director of University Honors Program

On March 25, 2014, I first interviewed Mr. Brown for approximately 10 minutes. As a member

of the Scholars Task Force and the Director of UHP, I wanted to hear his perspective on the

recommendations in the report and the rationale behind them. I learned that the Scholars Task

Force members were under the impression that the report was not intended to be a final

document, ready for publication, but rather a “brainstorming of ideas” intended to facilitate

further discussion on possible improvements (Brown 2014a). I also learned that some members

of the committee—i.e. Ms. Hembrick—were not brought on until later, thus creating room for

additional problems when crafting the report (Brown 2014a).

On April 1, 2014, I interviewed Mr. Brown again for approximately 15 minutes. NCCU’s SGA

Vice-President Norman Jones was also present and participating in this interview. During this

interview, Mr. Brown expressed a perspective that I had not heard before: that Recommendation

5 of the “Scholars Task Force Report” (calling for the creation of one EELLC) was not supposed

to entail a merger, partial or otherwise, of the UHP, CSP, and ADS, but simply increase

collaboration among these organizations (Brown 2014b). This was a surprising proposition given

that the wording of the report, intentionally or unintentionally, clearly calls for a merger of those

three programs, both in its direct language and its practical implications, e.g. the staffing

redistribution for the EELLC (Allen et al. 2013, 16).

Interview with Ms. Donna Y. Hembrick, Director of University Career Services

On March 31, 2014, I interviewed Ms. Hembrick for approximately 15 minutes. I interviewed

Ms. Hembrick to see if she had any new perspectives on the report’s recommendations or

students’ reactions to the report since she was brought on somewhat late to the task force (Brown

2014a). She did have some valuable insight, although it had nothing to do with when she was

brought on to the task force. Rather, Ms. Hembrick’s years of career services-related work, under

both academic affairs and student affairs divisions at several institutions of higher education,

allowed her to present a new perspective of looking at the recommendations. According to Ms.

Hembrick, one ought not to look first at how the recommendations may impact current

organizations, employees or students, but instead seek to determine whether they have the

potential to fulfill the critical needs of NCCU students. Only if this potential exists should there

be discussion as to the feasibility of the recommendations and the implications for specific


9

people or organizations (Hembrick 2014). The purpose of this approach is to avoid getting

caught up in premature worries that, in effect, inhibit a thorough, objective analysis of the

recommendations’ theoretical worth. For example, if a student is asked whether he would like his

program to be merged with others and restructured, he is likely going to be closed off to the

whole discussion; whereas, if he is brought in on a discussion of students’ needs, he is more

likely to be more open-minded to creative solutions to fulfill those needs.

Interview with Ms. Philina McCray, President of ADS, and Ms. Brittany Smith, Vice-President

On April 11, 2014, I interviewed Ms. McCray and Ms. Smith for approximately 1 hour. I

interviewed Ms. McCray and Ms. Smith to learn about ADS’s mission and activities and to

gather feedback from ADS on the “Scholars Task Force Report.” McCray and Smith’s biggest

concern was that the creation of the EELLC—with one director, as detailed in Recommendation

5—would necessarily entail one mission for the program; yet, it did not make sense (to McCray

and Smith) to have one mission and operation center for multiple programs which have such

distinctive missions and operations (McCray and Smith 2014; Allen et al. 2013, 16).

Meeting with the CSP General Body

On March 20, 2014, I went to a general body meeting for CSP. At this point, most of the CSP

students had heard about the “Scholars Task Force Report”; I had also begun working on this

report’s research. I was asked to speak to the general body about the report and its eight

recommendations. Afterwards, for approximately 30 minutes, I took questions from the audience

and stimulated discussion about these recommendations, attempting to discern what students’

initial perceptions of and receptiveness to the recommendations were.

The first key finding from this meeting was that the majority of CSP students—present and

elsewhere—did not support the report’s recommendations. It is important to note, however, that

many of these students had only heard about Recommendation 5—the creation of the EELLC—

and assumed that the implementation of the report would entail the dissolution of CSP. Due to

the significant amount of impact CSP has had on the lives of many of its members—as attested

to by many students during this meeting—members were naturally defensive of CSP and saw the

“Scholars Task Force Report” as a threat.

The second key finding was that the majority of CSP students were under the impression that the

“Scholars Task Force Report” was already being implemented, or was, in some other fashion,

past the point of no return. These students were not aware of what stage the report was in, nor of

how open the Chancellor was to receiving student feedback, until I spoke at that meeting.

The third key finding was that the CSP students expressed a strong interest in making their

voices heard and opposing the report, but in a very civil, respectful, and professional manner.

Meeting with the SGA Senate

On April 9, 2011, I attended the SGA Senate meeting where I was asked to present the “Scholars

Task Force Report” in its entirety to the Senate. During this meeting, I presented organizational

charts that I had created from a literal reading of the eight recommendations in the report.

Figures 1 and 2 show the organizational charts for the 1) Transition and Support Initiatives and


10

2) Honors and Scholars Initiatives branches of the recommendations, respectively, as detailed in

Recommendation 1 (Allen et al. 2013, 9).

One key finding from this meeting was that no one on the SGA Senate (except for Vice-

President Norman Jones, who invited me) knew of the “Scholars Task Force Report.” Moreover,

most of the Senate members were also UHP members. The Senate decided to organize an open

forum event where more students could be informed about the report and its implications. Also

of note, the Senate sought to inform the student body as objectively as possible; they did not

seem to want to let any personal biases they may have had into the forum planning.


11


12


13

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on my observations of and interactions with the students and staff of NCCU, there are

several conclusions that can be drawn to help determine the most appropriate course of action

regarding the implementation of the recommendations made in the “Scholars Task Force

Report.”

Conclusions

Conclusion 1: The Scholars Task Force did not share a common vision for the report.

Most, if not all, members of the task force that were interviewed had different interpretations of

what the recommendations made in the report entailed. While this is an understandable

phenomenon to have occurred during the project, the fact that it was still occurring after the

report had been published suggests that the members may never have fully reached the same

page as one another. Moreover, some members saw the report as a tool that can be used to

strengthen individual programs, while others saw it as a justification to centralize scholarly

initiatives into one program. These are fundamentally opposite ideas of what the report will

accomplish, which suggests that members may have been attempting to use the report to achieve

different ends.

Additionally, the conversations and recommendations of the report triggered territorial struggles

among the task force members and NCCU students. For one, many students’ initial reactions

were defensive, automatically rejecting the entire report based on a premature and [possibly]

wrong interpretation of one recommendation (i.e. Recommendation 5). Second, several members

of the Scholars Task Force were also directors of the scholarly initiatives under examination by

the report. While there certainly were no blatant or unprofessional efforts to sway the report in

favor of one organization over the others, it seems as though members might still have had

difficulty letting go of their organizational attachments to fully and objectively consider an

alternate future. This territorial struggle was occurring during the creation of the report and after

its publication, according to interviews.

Conclusion 2: The Scholars Task Force was not fully prepared to accomplish all of its goals in

the given timeframe.

Whether this was due to the members’ own faults or outside factors is unclear, yet irrelevant. The

fact of the matter is that the report is deemed by most members of the task force itself to be an

unfinished product. Every task force member interviewed said that they did not expect the report

to be published when it was. Furthermore, some believed the report was supposed to simply

facilitate more discussion among the administration, not become published or serve as official

recommendations to be implemented. The implication of this unpreparedness is that the

recommendations are much less likely to have been well-thought out, supported by evidence and

reason, or well-received by NCCU employees and students. That is not necessarily to say that

they are bad recommendations, but more so that there may still be work needed to make them

implementation-ready.


14

Conclusion 3: The students of NCCU were not informed or involved as much as they should

have been in the creation of the “Scholars Task Force Report.”

Despite the goal of the task forces being to improve the undergraduate experience, students were

scarcely involved creation of the “Scholars Task Force Report.” Consequently, students from all

reaches of NCCU—UHP, CSP, ADS, SGA, and even the general student body—were not only

caught off guard by the report, but felt threatened by it, as well. This caused many to inaccurately

assume and overgeneralize about the report, and thus inhibited productive discussions about its

revision and implementation.

Recommendations

Recommendation 1: The “Scholars Task Force Report” should be revised before being

implemented.

There are several deficiencies in the “Scholars Task Force Report,” especially when compared to

the “Four Year Graduation Challenge Task Force” or the “Transfer Imperative Report Findings

and Recommendations.” First, there is far less data or other empirical evidence supporting each

recommendation. Second, even the rationale for many recommendations is absent, making it

more difficult to evaluate their soundness. Third, the task force was not unified in its vision or

efforts, resulting in a deficient report. Therefore, the best option for NCCU and its students is to

continue the discussion and research on the ideas within the “Scholars Task Force Report” so

that revised recommendations can be later implemented without detrimental consequences.

Recommendation 2: The revised “Scholars Task Force Report” should significantly incorporate

quality student input.

This student element was largely missing from the first discussions and report. Consequently, the

report was met with strong resistance from many students and student groups. This not only

inhibited the Chancellor’s goals of a better undergraduate experience and operational efficiency,

but created further discord between students and administration, which might serve as another

barrier to progress during the revision. To prevent such reoccurrences, a high degree of

engagement with knowledgeable, dedicated, and concerned students should be incorporated into

the revision.


15

WORKS REFERENCED

Allen, Krystal, Ansel Brown, Jason Dorsette, Donna Hembrick, Terry Huff, Stefan Weathers,

and Ontario Wooden (Chair). 2013. Scholars Task Force Report. Durham, NC: North

Carolina Central University. http://www.nccu.edu/formsdocs/proxy.cfm?file_id=2455

(accessed February 25, 2014).

Analysis finds that historically black universities still come up short in state funding. 2008.

Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, no. 59 (Spring): 30-30.

Arms, Janet Heiss, Alberto F. Cabrera, and Aaron M. Brower. 2008. Moving into students’

spaces: The impact of location of academic advising on student engagement among

undecided students. NACADA Journal 28, no. 1 (Spring): 8-18.

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presented at the monthly Division of Student Affairs meeting, North Carolina Central

University. Durham, NC. January 15.

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