Winston-Salem State University July 1, 2014 Leading with Ideas Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in the rich history of Winston-Salem State University. Since our founding in 1892, we have consistently seized new opportunities and overcome tremendous challenges in advancing our historic institution. By establishing The College of Winston-Salem State University<http://www.wssu.edu/casbe/default.aspx>, we continue in this tradition by critically and creatively responding to a rapidly changing higher educational environment. To be sure, the challenges facing Winston-Salem State University are not unique to higher education in general or to Historically Black Colleges and Universities in particular. Shrinking financial resources for student aid and institutional operations, demands for more public accountability and accessibility, dramatically changing enrollment patterns, increasing competitive pressures across all sectors of higher education, and charged public conversations on the role, function, and future of the uniquely American diversity of higher educational institutions have created a daunting array of strategic challenges confronting higher education. These challenges have forced all of us in higher education to reexamine our core mission in positioning our institutions to not only meet these challenges but to thrive well into the long future. The distinctive response by Winston-Salem State University to these challenges has been to reaffirm a central aspect of our identity as a premier public historically black institution - Winston-Salem State University as a comprehensive university that offers innovative undergraduate and signature graduate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, and health sciences grounded in the liberal arts tradition. And at the center stands a new structure - the College of Arts, Sciences, Business and Education, also known as The College of Winston-Salem State University. The College is a result of a realignment of the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business and Economics, and School of Education and Human Performance. The establishment of The College is consistent with our institutional priorities and aspirations detailed in our comprehensive strategic plan, "Achieving Academic Distinction: The Plan for Student Success," our funding, and enrollment size. The College promises to enhance our academic programs by creating unique cross-disciplinary teaching and research collaborations and strengthening academic assessment and advising to better support student success. The establishment of The College will enable us to reinvest in existing academic programs and bring greater integration of the liberal arts and professional programs thus creating a distinctive learning environment for students. The College highlights Winston-Salem State University's unique identity as an institution where the liberal arts are integrated with professional programs in business, education, and the health sciences thus creating a distinctive comprehensive liberal arts university. Going forward, the leadership team in The College will continue to assess the necessary investments needed to fully realize the tremendous opportunities of this strategic change. Faculty will continue to renew academic programs to reinforce and give intellectual expression to our distinctive institutional identity. Our research and teaching centers and initiatives will continue reexamining their missions while exploring new research opportunities so that they may serve as hubs of innovation and collaboration that provide students with meaningful research experiences in addressing critical issues confronting society and advancing the frontiers of knowledge. In 1892, Simon G. Atkins charted a new path in American higher education by establishing Slater Industrial Academy. Today, we continue that journey with the establishment of The College of Winston-Salem State University. In so doing, we reaffirm the best of our heritage while moving forward to meet the challenges of a new century. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/2014meeting-form.html for the October 26-28, 2014 HBCU Library Alliance 6th Membership Meeting in Atlanta GA!