University President Used Corporate Strategy to Save HBCU Accreditation

What are some of the unique attributes of your board members?
Mark Wilson is fiscal savvy. He invested his personal finances into the university and engages in fundraising to obtain the necessary resources to support the institution. Additionally, he has a great network of contacts and excellent leadership skills. John Miller has great knowledge of finance and holds everyone accountable for the bottom line. He has a great commitment and understanding of diversity. Additionally, John knows how to ask the right questions, which makes him a great fact finder.

You and your team enabled Wilberforce to retain its accreditation. What are some of the other improvements that have occurred since 2014?

– Hired/appointed new administrators.
– Held university-wide training and development programs for faculty, staff, and students.
– Purchased and installed new fiscal accountability software (Powerfaids) for more effective and efficient management of financial aid.
– Improved student learning/living campus conditions by renovating student center, putting games and activities in the student center, putting student computer labs in the residence halls, painting, fixing and refurbishing residence halls, establishing a counseling center, and establishing new Climb office space, etc.
– New partnerships for enhancement of STEM are being pursued with such groups as ZTE/VOX, NASA, Air Force Research Labs at Wright Patterson, Kroger, Honda, Battelle Memorial Institute, and The OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center.
– Developed Promise Program and partnered with Education At Work to permit students to graduate from college debt-free.

Did the threat of losing accreditation affect student and faculty morale? How did you boost student morale? How have you instilled trust in students, faculty, and the administration?
The morale of students and faculty was at an all-time low when the Show-Cause Order was issued in June 2014. To boost student, faculty and campus morale, the following things were done:

– Developed strategic plan for moving forward with input from the entire campus.
– Developed a shared governance plan to ensure that everyone has input in the decision-making process.
– Renovated student union and residence halls.
– Put computer labs in residence halls and purchased new furniture for residence halls and student union. Students had not had new beds in ten years.
– Gave faculty and staff raises and bonuses, because they had not had salary increases in seven years.
– Operated in a transparent and informed environment.
– Provided many opportunities for fellowship gatherings, professional development sessions, and team-building exercises.

How can other HBCUs keep from losing accreditation?

– Appoint qualified, experienced, and dedicated board members who understand their governance, accreditation, and fiduciary responsibilities.
– Hire a competent, experienced, knowledgeable, and no-nonsense president.
– Learn and pay attention to the accreditation regulations because they are real.