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From: The News & Observer Published: Jun 09, 2007 12:30 AM Modified: Jun 09, 2007 06:49 AM
www.newsobserver.com/news/story/597599.html


Chancellor-designate Charlie Nelms demonstrates his proficiency with the Eagle flap at an NCCU function.
Staff Photos by Harry Lynch

NCCU gets its man: Nelms at the helm
Indiana educator will lead school
www.nccu.edu

Eric Ferreri, Staff Writer

CHAPEL HILL - By the time he determined that Charlie Nelms was the perfect fit for N.C. Central University, Cressie Thigpen also realized Nelms might need some convincing.

Though the Indiana University administrator had applied for NCCU's chancellorship, he wouldn't automatically accept it if offered. He had made that clear in the past when he turned down an offer to head Tennessee State University and when he withdrew from at least two other searches after being named a finalist.

So Thigpen, chairman of NCCU's board of trustees, "went courtin'." He called. He coaxed. He sent an informational care package from local chambers of commerce in a gesture he likened to sending flowers. Then he e-mailed a news account of an NCCU fundraising success -- an act he compared to sending chocolates.

It took some doing, but Thigpen got his man.

Nelms was introduced Friday as NCCU's new chancellor, a post he'll assume officially Aug. 1. He'll be paid $258,000 annually, which actually amounts to a pay cut. His salary is $265,500 at Indiana University, where he is vice president for institutional development and student affairs.

"I knew it may take some extra work to get him here," Thigpen said Friday. "I think he was looking for the right fit."

Nelms' down-home roots and his respect for the vital role of historically black colleges and universities such as NCCU were key factors in his candidacy and the decision to hire him.

He mentioned both several times Friday, first during his election by the UNC system's Board of Governors in Chapel Hill and later at a reception at NCCU. Nelms told members of NCCU's search committee last month it was his life's dream to lead a historically black institution.

Nelms grew up in Arkansas, one of 11 children. His home had no electricity, so Nelms passed the time reading and memorizing poetry. Nelms attended the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff -- like NCCU, a historically black institution -- in the 1960s.

Though his academic career sent him to a number of places, rural Arkansas and his alma mater, called Arkansas AM&N when he went there, never really left him. Nelms presents himself as proof that the historically black college -- and education in general -- can be the engine by which disadvantaged students can excel.

Nelms' appreciation for the role of schools such as NCCU clearly scored some points Friday among the more than 200 people who packed the student union to hear him speak for the first time on campus. But his wide range of experiences was also viewed an asset.

"He went to a [historically black university], and he worked at an HBU, and that's important, but he's also worked in a lot of places and has broad experience," said William Smith, a former chairman of NCCU's board of trustees and current member of the UNC system board. "You want someone who has seen things done differently elsewhere."

Nelms succeeds James Ammons, who spent six years on the Durham campus and left this month to lead Florida A&M University. In his tenure in Durham, Ammons boosted enrollment significantly, making NCCU the fastest-growing campus in the UNC system.

That growth, and the positive message that comes with it, caught Nelms' eye, the new chancellor said Friday.

At Indiana, Nelms has spent a good deal of time working on core academic issues such as boosting enrollment and retaining students, experience that should serve him well at a university growing quickly but struggling to make those students successful.

Several months ago, UNC system President Erskine Bowles ordered the NCCU search committee to find candidates who are proven, community-minded leaders who can improve upon existing strengths and raise money.

Bingo. Nelms has led two midwestern institutions -- the University of Michigan at Flint and Indiana University's Richmond campus. He has undertaken a number of large administrative initiatives for the eight-campus Indiana University system, and he has had fundraising success as well. While chancellor of Michigan-Flint, he secured $75 million in private gifts.

Even with short hair and light, salt-and-pepper beard, Nelms seems a young 60. A former marathon runner who still exercises every morning, Nelms speaks in a rapid, excited staccato and exudes energy. Already adorned with an NCCU necktie and lapel pin Friday morning, Nelms worked the student union crowd like a seasoned politician.

And he did his homework. When Provost Beverly Washington Jones -- a popular administrator who was the favorite of many on campus for the chancellorship -- demonstrated the wrist-over-wrist flapping motion NCCU folks use to simulate an eagle taking flight, Nelms deftly demonstrated his mastery of the gesture.

Bowles, who selected Nelms from the pool of three finalists, was practically bursting with glee Friday over the hiring.

"Just listen to him!" Bowles said after Nelms was named to the post. "Every time this guy speaks, you can tell he gets it. He understands the important role a university plays in a community and a state."

Kent Williams Jr., a rising junior from Raleigh, attended Friday's campus reception and came away impressed. Williams, who is involved in student government, said he hopes Nelms will not only listen to student concerns but take them seriously.

"So far, I'm excited," Williams said following Nelms' short campus address. "He has an impressive resume."

CHARLIE NELMS

AGE: 60

CURRENT POSITION: Indiana University's vice president for institutional development and student affairs

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in agronomy and chemistry from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, 1968; master's degree in higher education and student affairs, 1971, and doctorate in higher education administration, 1977, both from Indiana University

PARTIAL WORK HISTORY: Chancellor and professor of education, University of Michigan-Flint, 1994 to 1998; chancellor and professor of education, Indiana University East (Richmond), 1987 to 1994; vice president for student services, Sinclair Community College, Dayton, Ohio, 1984 to 1987; associate dean for academic affairs, Indiana University Northwest (Gary), 1978 to 1984; associate director, Center for Human Development and Education Services, and assistant professor of education, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, 1977 to 1978

FAMILY: Married to Jeanetta Sherrod Nelms, director of the 21st Century Scholars Program at Indiana University-Bloomington; a son, Rashad Z. Nelms, a 2004 graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, is a policy officer with the United Nations World Food Programme

Staff writer Eric Ferreri can be reached at 956-2415 or eric.ferreri@newsobserver.com.

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For Nelms, NCCU job isn't about a legacy
ariel.acc.nccu.edu/chancellor/

BY BRIANNE DOPART, The Herald-Sun
June 13, 2007 11:57 pm
www.herald-sun.com/sports/nccentral

DURHAM -- Don't ask N.C. Central University Chancellor-elect Charlie Nelms about the legacy he hopes to leave at NCCU.

Currently a vice president at Indiana University whose new position was announced last week at a UNC Board of Governors meeting, Nelms said it's dangerous for people to talk about legacies.

In a telephone interview Wednesday with The Herald-Sun, Nelms preferred to talk about collaborative relationships, such as the one he hopes to have with his fellow leaders at NCCU.

"The thing I want people to know is that the chancellor is just one person," he said. "To move the institution along [in the direction that will bring it and its members success] will require the full participation of all of its members -- faculty, alumni and members of the community."

Nelms said he wasn't prepared to address questions about the declining academic qualifications of incoming NCCU freshmen, and said his job would be to strike a balance "between broad access and enhanced success."

The qualifications of incoming NCCU freshmen was a topic of conversation among faculty members at one of several university search committee forums held before Nelms was selected. At one of those forums, a senior faculty member said 55 percent of incoming freshmen finish in the bottom half of their high school classes.

Universities like NCCU must not seek to exclusively enroll those students who are already accomplished and academically successful, he said. Had his alma mater, the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, enacted such a policy, Nelms said he wouldn't have been able to enroll there.

More important than ensuring only the best students are admitted to NCCU, is ensuring that the university can "make sure the students admitted get provided with the right services," Nelms said. He added that NCCU should be about "helping people succeed rather than selecting only those who are guaranteed to succeed."

In introducing Nelms, UNC system President Erskine Bowles told the Board of Governors good days were coming to NCCU because Nelms is a successful fundraiser who was responsible for raising approximately $75 million in private donations -- while also increasing enrollment -- as chancellor at the University of Michigan-Flint.

He was UM-Flint chancellor for four years before moving to Indiana.

Nelms declined to discuss any specific fundraising plans but said his theory about the benefit of collaborative relationships works in the fundraising domain as well.

Just as important as getting donations is ensuring that the correct infrastructure is in place at NCCU to move the school's development forward.

What drew Nelms to seek the position at NCCU, he said, is its mission, which he interprets as providing "opportunities for people who have been historically underrepresented or disenfranchised, but at the same time respond in contemporary times because we can't be living in the past."

Nelms might not want to talk about legacies, but he does have hopes for what folks will say about him after his tenure ends.

"I hope they'll say that Charlie Nelms, building on the foundation of the nine [chancellors] who came before him, used his passion, used his experience, used his focus and used his worth ethic to advance excellence and opportunities for students, faculty and the community served by the university," Nelms said.

"I'll let someone else decide whether that's a legacy," he added.

URL for this article:
www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-856286.cfm

NCCU's Nelms set to officially join the flock
www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-926520.cfm


Christine T. Nguyen/ The Herald-Sun Charlie Nelms

BY BRIANNE DOPART and DAN E. WAY : The Herald-Sun
bdopart@heraldsun.com

Feb 21, 2008
www.nccu.edu

DURHAM -- N.C. Central University's new Chancellor Charlie Nelms is no stranger to Durham.

In his six months in Durham, he has presided over a convocation, a graduation and numerous ceremonies and events. He's been given a key to the university. More recently, he got some pretty impressive recognition from Mayor Bill Bell, who designated a month in the chancellor's honor.

Still, the biggest ceremony welcoming Nelms to Durham is yet to come. On Friday, at 10 a.m. in the McLendon-McDougald Gymnasium, UNC system President Erskine Bowles will administer Nelms' oath of office.

NCCU is expecting some 3,000 people, including hundreds of beaming Eagles, elected officials and delegates from 100 universities across the country, to attend the grand event. NCCU spokeswoman Miji Bell said the installation is traditionally the official culmination of events and ceremonies welcoming a new chancellor.

While classes won't be canceled for the occasion, NCCU faculty members are being encouraged to bring their students to the event, which like every event included in Installation Week is free and open to the public. The reception to be held after the event in the L.T. Walker Physical Education Complex is free and open to the public as well.

"The installation is truly a community event, and we hope that everyone will plan to join us," NCCU History Professor Carlton Wilson, co-chairman of the Installation Planning Committee, said in a written statement Wednesday.

"There have been over a dozen cultural and academic events planned this week around the installation theme of 'Preparing Students to Lead in an Global Society.' It was very important to Chancellor Nelms to invite and engage the Durham community to share in this memorable celebration," Wilson said.

Nelms supporter Vivian Patterson has been delighted by the new chancellor and eagerly awaits his installation. She insists she is not alone.

"Many, many people are impressed with him," said Patterson, who volunteers on campus. Her husband, Cecil L. Patterson, worked at NCCU for 37 years, 16 of those as vice chancellor of academic affairs, and as an English professor and dean.

"I heard him speak at the Durham Congregations in Action and, well, he was just outstanding. Really outstanding," Patterson said of Nelms. During his remarks, Nelms led the audience in singing "This Little Light of Mine", which helped to raise his stock in Patterson's estimation.

"He does well. He has a good voice," she said.

Aside from his oratorical and musical skills, Nelms impresses her with his devotion to service, Patterson said, relating an anecdote from a recent concert on the NCCU campus.

She was meeting with two friends after the musical event and Nelms came up in conversation. One friend lamented that she had heard so much about the man but had never gotten so much as a glimpse of him.

To which the other friend responded: "Did you see the man handing out the programs? That was him."

"He's very concerned that everyone feels welcome" on campus, Patterson said, so the fact that he was busying himself with the minor detail work of handing out the programs is in keeping with his character.

---

WHAT: Chancellor Charlie Nelms' installation ceremony and reception

WHERE: McLendon-McDougald Gymnasium, NCCU Campus

WHEN: Friday, beginning at 10 a.m. Free and open to the public

Published: Feb 23, 2008 12:30 AM Modified: Feb 23, 2008 02:41 AM
www.newsobserver.com/news...60749.html


Newly installed Chancellor Charlie Nelms displays the NCCU mace and medallion. Staff Photo by Chuck Liddy

New leader believes that NCCU can fly

Nelms raises the bar at his installation
www.nccu.edu

Eric Ferreri, Staff Writer

DURHAM - Upon being officially installed as N.C. Central University's 10th leader Friday, Charlie Nelms proudly displayed the university medallion, held aloft the ceremonial mace and then let loose an avalanche of promises and declarations aimed at raising standards on campus.

More money will be raised. More doctoral programs will be created. An ombudsman's office will soon start mediating employee disputes. And students have no choice but to excel in the classroom, Nelms insisted.

"Too many of our students are entering one door and exiting another, leaving with a great deal of debt but no degree," he said, a reference to lagging retention and graduation rates that the university has recently made a priority. "If you don't have graduation as your destination, you may want to consider transferring to an institution with lower expectations."

Nelms was recruited to NCCU from Indiana University, where he was a vice president. He has previously led two midsize regional public universities in the Midwest, so being the boss is nothing new. Still, the 61-year-old son of Arkansas farmers spoke with the exuberance of a young man when discussing NCCU's future. When he pressed faculty to take more ownership over the education of their students, murmurs of approval rippled through the crowd.

"I've been in higher education long enough to know that vision without focus is an illusion," Nelms said.

Thus, he offered a few specifics:

* NCCU cannot exist on current funding alone. To that end, Nelms is adding staff to the development office and announced three donations totaling $5 million, much of which will be used for scholarships.

* NCCU will create three new doctoral programs in the next six years -- in biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences, library and information science, and communication disorders. In those fields, NCCU has well-regarded faculty already, and there is a demonstrated need in the marketplace for more professionals.

"These programs will be delivered at the highest levels of quality," Nelms said. "We need not concede these areas of need to other institutions."

* NCCU's community service requirement will be overhauled to work more closely with nearby schools.

Faculty Chairman George Wilson called Nelms "a breath of fresh air."

"He doesn't make promises he can't keep," said Wilson, a criminal justice professor.

Nelms has been in constant motion since starting work in August. He has hired several new administrators, mandated service training for all employees and is figuring out how and where the university should grow.

Jim Phillips, chairman of the Board of Governors of the UNC system -- of which NCCU is a member -- said Nelms has made an impression more quickly than any other new chancellor he can recall in his 10 years of governance.

"Chancellor Nelms has already begun to make his mark on N.C. Central University," Phillips said. "He has already shown what kind of leader he's going to be."

While his initial reception has been positive, Nelms' efforts to expand NCCU's boundaries may bring an end to the love feast. He is advocating an expansion plan that would require NCCU to buy up at least 136 homes in neighborhoods close to campus, and many residents are concerned. Some see him as an outsider with a tin ear for the deep pride and passion locals have for both the university and their neighborhoods. Sweeping change will be too disruptive, they say, and the university's master planning process is moving too quickly.

University trustees may vote as early as next week on the plan.

eric.ferreri@newsobserver.com or (919) 956-2415