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Chancellor Talks Openly On Key Issues
The following interview was held on Oc
tober 12, between Dr. H. Douglas Cov
ington and Sam Davis. The purpose for the
interview is to provide the student body of
Winston-Salem State University with in
formation from the Chancellor on several
relevant issues affecting the university.
The News Argus: Dr. Covington, there
has been a lot of talk, both pro and con on
the campus concerning the issue of man
datory attendance. What are your feelings
on the issue?
Dr. Covington: First of all, the universi
ty has the legal authority to define atten
dance policies. Mandatory attendance was
a recommendation that came from
various faculty groups, including the
education council and was considered by
academic officers and Board of Trustees.
We requested the input of students on the
policy so that we could make a decision
based on the total input of students, faculty
and administration. As we looked at the
facts, we were alarmed by the number of
students on academic probation or
suspended for academic reasons. We
found that many of the students were those
that had not attended class on a regular
basis. The decision we made was to try a
mandatory attendance policy and then
evaluate it to see if it had contributed to
the improvement of our students’
academic performances.
The News Argus: Does that mean the
mandatory attendance policy might be
short-lived at WSSU?
Dr. Covington: After this semester we
will rigorously evaluate the pohcy. We
hope that students will give us input also.
The academic suspension and proba
tionary rates are too high here, so we are
trying to improve these areas. We respect
the opinion of students and faculty, both
pro and con, and we hope to evaluate the
policy and make a decision based on obser
vation.
The News Argus: Dr. Covington, the
News Argus published an article in our last
issue concerning low salaries and ine
quities among administration, faculty and
staff at Winston-Salem State University.
What do you'plan to do to alleviate the ine
quities and increase the yearly wages of
instructors here?
Dr. Covington: First of all, I agree with
the fact that salaries are low and this has
been a concern of mine during the past six
years I have been chancellor at WSSU.
One of the things that I have been doing is
speaking to our state legislators each bien
nium, asking them to allocate increased
funds to our black institutions, including
WSSU so that we can increase salaries
here. In recent years, we have been able to
boost the salaries of many of our faculty
who have been here for many years. But,
we have not been able to eliminate all ine
quities or increase the level of senior facul
ty to the level it should be. This can not be
done in one or two years. It is something
that has to be worked on each year, but is
still controlied by the amount of funds
available to us through the state
legislature.
The News Argus: Do you have any plans
on how the money currently available to
WSSU can be better utilized to compensate
instructors?
Dr. Covington: One aspect of salary in
crease that we are looking at is to award
salary on the basis of merit. We want to
make sure we reward outstanding
teaching performances. This is something
that grows out of faculty performance
evaluations that are done by each depart
ment head. We are also in the process of
forming a faculty salary review board.
This committee will carefully analyze
salary conditions, as well as procedures
for allocating salary increases.
Chancellor Douglas Covington chats with The News Argus' Editor-in-ChL7L'm 03^1^
Covmgton thinks big things are shaping up at WSSU.
The News Argus: As you know Dr. Cov
ington, the students at WSSU along with
students at predominantly black colleges
and universities throughout the nation ex
pressed their concern for maintaining
these institutions during Black College
Day. What is being done to prevent WSSU
from becoming a predominantly white
member of the University of North
Carolina system?
Dr. Covington: On the day our students
observed Black College Day, I was in
Washington at the White House meeting
with President Reagan and Vice-President
Bush. They signed an executive order
pledging more financial support of black
colleges. I was also there to witness the
President’s approval of a college endow
ment plan for black colleges. This pro
gram was developed by Dr. Fred Patter
son, former President of Tuskegee In
stitute in Alabama. I have worked with Dr.
Patterson and supported it since my days
at Tuskegee as Vice-President, before
coming to WSSU. This program will in
crease the number of funds coming to our
traditionally black colleges and univer
sities. Also, I am chairman of a committee
on black colleges and universities for the
Department of the Interior. The purpose of
this committee is to increase the amount of
grants, contracts and procurements
available to black colleges through the
Department of the Interior.
The News Argus: What is being done at
WSSU to maintain our identity as a “Black
College?”
Dr. Covington: We have reorganized and
expanded our admissions office so we can
boost our enrollment through the im
plementation of more creative and in
novative recruitment techniques. We have
developed a five-pronged approach based
on the support of several support groups.
This includes the involvement of students,
alumni, faculty and staff, parents groups
and church groups. In addition to a better
organized and greater use of these groups,
we plan to use the media more in pro
moting interest of WSSU with prospective
students. The best way however, to attract
black students to WSSU is by developing a
superior educational program and an at
tractive, functional campus environment.
If we do not work cooperatively and exten
sively to provide this type of campus, we
will lose students, both white and black. I
believe there is great value in maintaining
black colleges and universities, and I
believe black colleges can be racially in
tegrated. In my opinion, it must be done
through the development of outstanding
programs, physical facilities and through
an effective-comprehensive student
recruitment effort.
The News Argus: Dr. Covington, there
have been a lot of questions raised na
tionally and locally concerning the quality
of teachers graduating from college,
especially at traditionally black colleges!
What is being done to ensure that WSSU is
producing quality teachers?
Dr. Covington: One of the things we are
trying to do is strengthen our teacher
education program by carefully
evaluating our faculty. We are trying to
select for our faculty positions the best
people we can find, and like-wise we are
trying to retain and reinforce the excellent
faculty we already have. I think WSSU has
a strong teacher education program cur
rently. Another thing we are trying to do is
offer scholarships to outstanding prospec
tive teachers. We are hoping to attract
students who are accomplished scholars.
Also, we have found that many older
students who have worked in other fields
can prove to be exceptional teachers. So,
we are trying to attract older students who
are interested in becoming students. In ad
dition, we have tried to improve to quality
of our teacher experience. One of our ma
jor projects for the future surrounds the
purchase of Anderson School. We have
received an appropriation from the state
to acquire and completely renovate the
building. The facility will provide some
90,000 feet of instructional space and the
design calls for its complete renovation in
state-of-the-arts equipment, so it will
become one of the best teacher training
facilities in the state. We believe that all of
these approaches will result in a stronger
teacher education program at WSSU. So,
we are attempting to respond to the grow
ing demand by the public on institutions of
higher education to produce better
prepared teachers.
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