Here is Part II of my interview with Dr. Charlie Nelms, former chancellor at North Carolina Central University and the founder of Destination Graduation, a nonprofit organization focused on increasing retention and graduation rates at the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities. Recently, I sat down with him to discuss his suggestions for aspiring college/university presidents.
Q: “You cannot allow anyone to be responsible for your failure.” I love this poignant statement from your article, yet it seems that few people understand the gravity of it. Why do you think that some presidents make the critical mistake of keeping around friends, cronies and allies who are incompetent or not doing their jobs?
A: While all presidents must rely on a cadre of professional colleagues for their success, they must not allow anyone to be responsible for their failure. By this, I mean we should not hire or retain incompetent people no matter how well or long we have known them. The president must be clear about his or her work expectations, hire competent professionals, empower them and hold them accountable for desired results — not promises or excuses. In too many instances, personal friendships and loyalty, rather than relevant professional experience, form the basis for personnel decisions. One piece of advice that I always give my protégés who ascend to executive-level positions in the academy is this: “There are no substitutes for excellence and competence.” Surround yourself with people who are smart, who lead by doing and on whom you can depend for achieving agreed upon university outcomes. Hiring, promoting and retaining employees based on friendship is a sure way to fail.
Q: What is the responsibility of the university president in ensuring the academic success of students enrolled at the institution?
A: As university CEO, the president is accountable for every aspect of the university’s agenda — ranging from getting clean financial audits, maintaining accreditation and to graduating students. While the president doesn’t teach every class or provide every service, it is his or her job to make certain that all resources — human and fiscal — are properly deployed to achieve desired results. In the final analysis, it is the president — not anyone else — who has the ultimate authority to allocate or reallocate resources, human and fiscal, toward the institution’s highest priority, which is student success as measured by retention and graduation.
Q: During your tenure at North Carolina Central University, you did an excellent job of recruiting, retaining and graduating students. Any advice for aspiring presidents who may one day find themselves stepping into a situation where recruitment, retention and graduation statistics are extremely low?
A: My advice to presidents charged with leading institutions experiencing enrollment declines is four-fold. First, commission an in-depth analysis of longitudinal enrollment patterns before throwing money at the problem. Second, hire an experienced enrollment management administrator to develop and implement a comprehensive enrollment management plan with a focus on recruitment, retention and quality service initiatives. Third, empower all members of the university community to serve as enrollment management specialists, i.e., faculty, department chairs, support staff, etc. Fourth, refine the institution’s value proposition and mount a comprehensive and sustainable marketing effort.
