1HE Decree
since 1960 "‘of, by, andfor the Wesleyan community/’
November 15, 2013
NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN COLLEGE, ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 27804
President Jim Gray and wife Beth on the day of his inauguration. The president
has announced his retirement at the end of the school year. PR photo
President Gray To Retire at End of Year
Books-in-Tuition Still Draws Mixed Reactions
By Katie Beaman
Decree Staff Writer
Mixed reviews still surround NC
Wesleyan’s books-in-tuition program,
now in its third year.
In 2011 President James Gray
announced that the college would be
implementing the program whereby
the costs of textbooks were included
in the student’s tuition. At the time, the
administration said that $325 would be
added to one semester’s tuition to cover
the costs of books, according to a report
in the May 16,2011 issue of The Decree.
Under the program, students return their
books at the end of each semester.
Interviewed in recent weeks, students
offered different opinions about the
program, regardless of their major.
Matthew Richardson, Alex Cane,
Erinn Richardson, and Frank Willis all
would rather be able to sell their books
back at the end of the semester for
money or some form of bookstore credit.
Willis, a senior, believes the school
should revert to the old system, where
students were responsible for getting
the textbooks, because it allowed more
financial autonomy. “The new system is
just a way for the school to control more of
our money,” said the criminal justice and
sociology major. “Plus, selling the books
back at the end of the semester put more
money in my pocket. That’s gas money.”
But business major Edwardo Ugalde
thinks that the program is a good idea.
“Other schools make you buy your books
and sometimes you don’t use them,” he
said. “And since it’s in the tuition, you
don’t feel like you’re paying for it.”
Connor Wright agrees that the program
is sound. “It’s awesome not having to
shell out $500 for books,” she said,
adding that since the fee is in the tuition, it
doesn’t feel like she’s spending money.
Apil Gurung, Kendra Hoes, Kayla
Burr, Chavonne Jones, Samba Cande, and
Alex Andretti all had similar opinions.
Akeen Bangurah is one who likes
the convenience of the existing
program. He said that at his previous
school he had to go to the financial aid
department to get a book voucher. “The
whole thing was just a pain,” he said.
Salsa Andretti also went to a different
school before attending Wesleyan. He
didn’t like buying his books either. “I hated
it at the community college,” he said.
“They don’t give you back enough money
and sometimes you bought the book and
the teacher didn’t even use them.”
Trevour Huber, a graduate returning to
finish a math degree, stated that having
the cost embedded in tuition doesn’t
worry him. “Yeah, the tuition goes up, but
the tuition goes up every year anyways.”
Dr. Vivienne Anderson, an English
professor, stated that it’s hard to balance
the positive and negatives. Science books
tend to be very expensive while literature
books don’t cost as much. Also professors
can only change their book selections every
three years. “It’s hard to keep contemporary
literature when you have to wait three
years,” said Dr. Anderson. “A lot can hap
pen in three years.” She went on to say that
it’s a benefit knowing that all the students in
her classes will have their books.
Math Professor Bill Yankosky said he
didn’t have a strong opinion regarding
books-in-tuition. But he acknowledged
that students no longer have an excuse
for not having their books. “I’m not
really sure how the program works
in terms of students wanting to keep
books,” he said. “I think it’s fine, as
long as there’s a system in place so that
any student who wants to keep a text for
a particular class is allowed to do so.”
Under the current program, in most
cases, books are ordered from a supplier
for a three-year period. When it comes
to the three-year rule, the mathematics
faculty has no problems with it, Dr.
Yankosky said. “I realize that our situa
tion is different from many other areas
because most of the content we teach
hasn’t been changed for hundreds of
years,” he explained. “Because of that,
it’s not a big deal that we’ve had to use
the same textbook for three years.”
Dr. Michael Brown, the NCWC
Provost, thinks that there are advantages
to books-in-tuition. “One, it’s more eco
nomical for students and two, it solves the
problem of students getting their books
late or not picking them up at all.”
Dr. Brown explained that some depart ¬
Wesleyan staged the "female version" of Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple"
in October at Powers Recital Hall. Katherine Crickmore (standing) is
shown here with, from left, Delon Wicks, Rachel Jones-Grooms and
Jerome Little. See play review on page 4. Drake photo
James Gray has announced that he will
retire as full-time president of NC Wesleyan
at the end of the academic year in May.
Board of Trustees Chairman Dewey
Clark said the board is launching a
national search for the college’s seventh
president. “The board feels confident
that it will find a quality candidate,” he
said. “We are committed to spending
whatever time and resources it will
take to find the right individual to be
Wesleyan’s next president.”
Gray will continue to work part-time
during the 2014-15 academic year to help
Wesleyan and the City of Rocky Mount
move forward on some current initiatives.
“I have decided to slow down a bit
after almost five years as president,”
Gray said in making his formal
announcement to the college’s Board of
Trustees at its annual fall meeting Octo
ber 4. “The average tenure of a college
president is about five to six years, and I
know now that to do the job right takes
full physical and emotional immersion
24/7/365. My seven grandkids call me
“Chief,” and I need to spend more time
with them in my chief’s head dress than
in my president’s academic cap.”
ments—exercise science is one example—
get a waiver so that they can get new books
each year, to reflect the latest research and
other changes in particular fields.
In fall 2014 the college is switching
to a different books-in-tuition program.
It will include a new book provider that
will allow professors to change their
book choices more frequently. The new
provider will also have a larger selec
tion of books, according to Brown.
It’s worth noting that students can
buy their books back at the end of the
year for 60 percent off the used price, a
policy that is currently in place.
Wesleyan Faculty, Staff Recall Day Kennedy Died
By Jonathan Winchester
Decree Staff Writer
Three bullets brought the nation to
a screeching halt that day in 1963, but
recalling the event continues to elicit
strong memories and opinions in 2013.
November 22 marks the 50th anniver
sary of one of the greatest tragedies in
American history—the assassination
of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 35th
President of the United States.
“I remember where I was that day; I
was upstate in a bar” (lyrics from “The
Day John Kennedy Died”—Lou Reed)
Retired English professor Terry Smith
had just walked in to his uncle’s house
when his aunt received a phone call
informing her that the president had
been shot. Now working as a part-time
tutor in Wesleyan’s Writing Center, Dr.
Smith remembers the fall of 1963 viv
idly due to personal tragedy. “My father
The president said the college is
headed in the right direction.
“I believe the school is on a sustained
and sustainable upward trajectory, which
was my personal goal when I came to
Wesleyan,” he said. “It has been the
signature honor of my life to serve as
Wesleyan’s sixth president.”
Gray indicated that recent improve
ments have resulted from a collabora
tive effort by his administration and
trustees, faculty, staff, alumni, and
supporters. “We’ve moved Wesleyan
forward in our mission to transition
from a good school to a great school.”
During the president’s tenure the
college has increased its overall enroll
ment on the strength of the ASPIRE
adult-degree program. The college
has expanded its presence throughout
eastern North Carolina in recent years,
growing to nine locations while raising
ASPIRE enrollment from 692 students
in 2009 to its current level of 937. In the
process, the college’s total enrollment
has risen to 1,587, its highest since
2006, according to the president.
While traditional enrollment has risen
the past two years, Gray acknowledged
that more work needs to be done for
the college to reach its goal of 350 new
students. “I’m disappointed over that but
determined to make our goal,” he said.
Over the summer, the college
completed $3.5 million in renovations
to Edgecombe Residence Hall and the
Hartness Student Center and construc
tion of the Southern Bank Green.
Clark thanked Gray for his efforts
over the past five years. “All of the
board members and I are grateful to Jim
for the positive contributions he has
made at the college,” Clark said. “He
and his wife, Beth, have meaningfully
contributed to Wesleyan as well as to
the Rocky Mount community, and they
have brought the city and Wesleyan
died three weeks prior, and I had been
visiting my mother at the hospital. She
was in critical condition,” he recalled. “I
wasn’t involved in all the hysteria, as I
was already out-to-lunch mentally.”
Before the assassination, Dr. Smith
was not impressed with the politician.
“At that time, in New York at least,
it was the Republicans who were the
reformers,” he said. Also, when John
Kennedy attended the Choate School
(in Connecticut) in the early 1930’s,
Dr. Smith’s father was one of the
future president’s teachers. “My father
disliked Jack. He was an offensive
teenager,” said Dr. Smith. “I didn’t vote
for him in 1960. Maybe part of that was
what my father told me about him.”
Costs To Exceed $36K
For New NCWC Students
Students will see the price of an NC
Wesleyan education increase 2.9 per
cent next year, raising the total annual
cost for incoming students to $36,182,
the administration has announced.
The increase covers tuition, room, and
board and it will help fund construction
and renovation projects in the residence
halls and the Hartness Center, said Jason
Edwards, vice president of NCWC
Finance & Administration.
‘From what we can gather we have
instituted an increase that is lower relative to
our competitor institutions,” Edwards said.
Edwards explained that the college
is announcing the hike months earlier
than usual. “This will allow our current
students to know the impact now,” he
said, “and it permits our admissions
team to get ahead of our competitors in
recruiting new students.”
Students can expect to see a number
of campus improvements in coming
years. Changes will include:
"More renovations to the residence
halls. One project was completed at
closer together. Jim and Beth both have
made a lasting impact at the college,
and both will be greatly missed.”
The board chairman added that he’s
pleased that Gray will continue to work
part-time on special projects in 2014-15.
“That way, he can continue helping
Wesleyan become an even better college
for our students across Eastern North
Carolina and the Wesleyan community.”
Gray said next year he’ll be working
on three projects that are very important
to him. One is the Eastern North Carolina
Center for Business & Entrepreneurship,
launched in August. The center will
expand Wesleyan’s business administra
tion program through a new concentra
tion in entrepreneurship and promote job
creation in Eastern North Carolina by
strengthening small business develop
ment. Gray will serve as non-executive
chairman of the center’s advisory board.
A second project will involve
fundraising for Wesleyan’s “Strength of
Heart” capital campaign, which already
has received more than $6 million in
commitments toward a goal of $20
million, Gray said. Funds will be used
to renovate Wesleyan’s four original
residence halls and student center,
construct a new classroom building to
house the Business & Entrepreneur-
ship Center, and increase funding for
student scholarships and grants.
Gray will remain chairman of the
Rocky Mount Organizing Committee,
which brought the USA South Spring
Sports Festival to the city last spring.
The committee is working to bring that
athletic event, with its thousands of
participants and supporters, back to the
area again next year.
“Wesleyan is proud and grateful
over our enhanced relationship with the
City of Rocky Mount and the wonder
ful people here,” Gray said.
(Article courtesy ofNC Wesleyan PR)
It was not until 30 years later, when
his son took him to visit the Sixth Floor
Museum in Dallas, that the horrific
event set in for Dr. Smith. “I got a stiff
dose of reality when I visited Dallas,”
he added. “I remember thinking, my
god the President was killed!”
“The team from the university was
playing football on TV”
As a ninth grader in Carlisle, Penn
sylvania, Kathy Winslow was standing
in the hall between classes when a
teacher said something inaudible with
a grim, nervous laugh. “Af that school,
the students changed classes in two-by-
two lines, girls first, and were led by a
teacher,” explained Winslow.
See KENNEDY pg 4
Edgecombe over the summer, and
the college plans to continue with the
remaining halls during upcoming breaks.
*Phase two of renovations at the Hart
ness Center. Edwards noted that the second
phase will involve expansion on the north
side of the building, upgrades to existing
kitchen equipment, and paving the parking
lot, among other improvements.
*Other capital needs such as roof
replacement on several campus
buildings, improvements to parking lot
islands, and sidewalk and curb repairs.
According to the college’s web site,
the 2013-14 costs are: Full-time tuition:
$26,482; Housing (double-room):
$4,160; and Meal Plan: $4,520
Edwards pointed out that the figures
indicated on the web site were for new
Wesleyan students and that the college
had frozen last year’s costs for returning
students. As a result, the 2.9 percent
increase will mean that new students
pay $1,020 more next year, while the
hike will be $998 for students who were
enrolled in 2012-2013, Edwards said.