General Information

Fayetteville State University (FSU), a public comprehensive, historically black university, offers robust and innovative degree programs rooted in the liberal arts tradition. The university advances knowledge through the integration of teaching, learning, research, and public service. FSU strives to meet the educational, career, and personal aspirations of its students from rural, military, and other diverse backgrounds so that they are equipped with academic and practical knowledge to serve local, state, national, and global communities as enlightened citizens, globally astute leaders, and engaged solution creators.

We accomplish our mission through:

Vision Statement

Fayetteville State University, the second oldest public university in North Carolina and a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina System, will be the regional university of choice for students from rural, military, and other diverse backgrounds who are poised to become visionary leaders who transform communities, states and nations.

Core Values

Integrity: Commitment to transparency.

Flexible and Adaptable: Producing career and life ready global citizens.

Shared Governance: Engaging all members of the university community in decision making.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Working collaboratively and effectively in a global society.

Collaboration and Partnerships: Strengthening relationships among alumni, community, and other stakeholders.

Innovative: Creatively pursuing excellence in organizational endeavors.

Culturally Connected: Preserving the university’s HBCU legacy and pride.

Administration

Board of Trustees

Mr. Glenn B. Adams (Chair)

Dr. Warren G. McDonald

Ms. Val Applewhite

Mr. John McFadyen

Mr. Stuart Augustine

Mr. Frederick Nelson, Jr.

Mr. R. Jonathan Charleston

Dr. Brandon Phillips (Vice Chair)

Mr. John Douglas English

Mr. Gregory Pinnix

Ms. Sydney Harris (Ex Officio)

Dr. Kimberly Jeffries Leonard (Secretary)

Administrative Officers

Name Degrees Title
Darrell T. Allison B.S., J.D. Chancellor
Samantha Hargrove B.A., M.A. Chief of Staff
Monica Terrell Leach B.S., M.Ed., Ph.D. Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Juanette Council B.A., M.S., Ph.D. Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Greg Lovins B.S., M.B.A. Interim Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance
Hector M. Molina B.S., Ph.D. Vice Chancellor for Information Technology
Wanda D. Lessane Jenkins B.B.A., M.B.A., J.D. University Legal Counsel
Afua O. Arhin B.S.N., M.S.N., Ph.D. Dean, College of Health, Science, and Technology
Sharon E. Williams B.S., MSW, Ph.D. Interim Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Ulysses Taylor B.S., M.B.A., J.D. Dean, Broadwell College of Business and Economics
Chandrika Johnson B.S., M.P.H., Ph.D. Interim Dean, College of Education

History

In 1867, seven black men - Matthew N. Leary, Jr., A. J. Chesnutt, Robert Simmons, George Grainger, Jr., Thomas Lomax, Nelson Carter, and David A. Bryant - paid $136 for two lots on Gillespie Street and converted themselves into a self-perpetuating Board of Trustees to maintain this property permanently as a site for the education of black children in Fayetteville. General Oliver O. Howard of the Freedman’s Bureau, erected a building on this site, and the institution became known as the Howard School. Robert Harris was selected as the principal.

By a legislative act of 1877, the North Carolina General Assembly provided for the establishment of a Normal School for the education of black teachers. The Howard School was chosen as the most promising because of its successful record during the previous ten years under the leadership of Robert Harris. Its name was changed to the State Colored Normal School and Harris remained as principal until his death in 1880.

Charles W. Chesnutt was principal from 1880 to 1883. He emphasized foreign languages, social graces, and intellectual development as keys to success. He resigned to pursue a literary career and indeed became one of the leading black American writers of fiction between 1887 and 1930.

Ezekiel E. Smith became the third principal in 1883 and would serve three different terms in this leadership position. His first term as principal lasted from 1883-1888. He expanded the curriculum to better prepare teachers for the public grammar schools. In 1888 George Williams became the principal and introduced a Speaker’s Series. Smith returned in 1895 after serving as an ambassador in Liberia. In 1898, he left to serve in the Spanish American War. Reverend Leonard E. Fairley served as acting principal until Smith returned in 1899.

Between 1899 and 1933, Dr. E.E. Smith’s vision for excellence in teaching would lay the framework for the Normal School to become a college. By the time he retired in 1933, the school had grown from three rooms in a small frame structure to a physical plant of ten buildings on a fifty-acre tract of land. Black and white citizens contributed funds along with Dr. Smith, F. D. Williston, E. N. Williams, J. G. Smith and Dr. P. N. Melchor, to purchase the initial forty acres of land. With the erection of the Aycock Building by the state in 1908, the school began its permanent residency on Murchison Road. Smith’s title was changed from principal to president in 1927. The Newbold School, a practice school for teachers, was erected on the campus in 1930. Dr. E.E. Smith’s ideas about teacher training set the pace for teacher education throughout the state. His years of service covered a span of fifty years-1883 to 1933.

Dr. James Ward Seabrook became the president in 1933. Under his presidency the school became Fayetteville State Teachers College, thereafter being authorized to grant the Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education. Cultural activities, student organizations, and significant physical expansion contributed to the complete transformation from a normal school to a college. The college received both state and regional accreditation in 1947.

Dr. Rudolph Jones succeeded Dr. Seabrook in 1956. During his administration, the curriculum was expanded to include majors in secondary education and programs leading to degrees outside the teaching field. The name of the school was changed to Fayetteville State College in 1963. FSC students were active participants in the Civil Rights Movement of the sixties and helped to bring about integration in Fayetteville. Also, under the leadership of Dr. Jones, six additions were made to the physical plant to accommodate a rapidly expanding enrollment.

Dr. Charles A. Lyons, Jr. was appointed president in 1969 and the institution acquired its present name. By a legislative act in 1972, Fayetteville State University became a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina System, and Dr. Lyons became its first Chancellor. During his tenure, the curriculum was expanded to include a variety of both baccalaureate and master’s level programs. The Fort Bragg-Pope AFB Extension Center, in conjunction with the Weekend and Evening College, was established in order to provide military personnel and other full-time working people with the opportunity to further their education. The general academic structure took its present configuration in 1985 when the university became a Comprehensive Level I Institution. In addition to expanding program offerings and services, eight buildings were added to the physical plant during this period.

On January 1, 1988, Dr. Lloyd V. Hackley became the eighth Chief Executive Officer of the university. In his seven years as Chancellor, the university expanded its master’s level program offerings to include biology, business administration, education, English, history, mathematics, psychology, and sociology, and FSU’s first doctoral program in Educational Leadership was established. Baccalaureate program offerings were also increased to include 36 disciplines in the arts and sciences, business and economics, and education. Hackley strengthened FSU’s community outreach to at-risk children in the public schools and established numerous scholarship and tutoring/mentoring programs to encourage more young people to aspire to academic excellence and a college education. FSU’s first major public Capital Campaign was also completed, which enabled the university to increase the number of privately funded scholarships. The student population doubled in numbers and in diversity during his administration. The addition of the ultra-modern School of Business and Economics Building and the Health and Physical Education Building underscored Dr. Hackley’s commitment to FSU’s continued expansion and growth. On December 31, 1994, Dr. Hackley left his post to become President of the North Carolina Department of Community Colleges, the first African-American to lead the state’s system of 59 community colleges.

Dr. Donna J. Benson, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs of the University of North Carolina served as Interim Chancellor from January 1, 1995 to November 15, 1995. Capital improvements included renovation of dormitories and completion of the Distance Learning Center in the Communications Building. In 1995 Dr. Willis B. McLeod, a 1964 graduate of Fayetteville State University, became the ninth Chief Executive Officer of FSU and the first alumnus to serve as Chancellor. Among the initiatives he instituted were the “Freshman Year Initiative” (or F.Y.I.), a program designed to enhance students’ educational outcomes; new outreach efforts aimed at forging stronger community ties; and formed a regional partnership of public school, community college, and university leaders which focused on strengthening the educational pipeline from pre-school to post-graduate studies. Renovation and improvement of campus facilities were achieved, including all air-conditioned buildings. A strong cultural and fine arts series and fourteen CIAA championships bolstered Bronco Pride.

Dr. T. J. Bryan assumed the position of Chancellor on July 1, 2003. As the tenth chief executive officer of the university, Dr. Bryan was the first African-American woman selected to lead a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina. Dr. Bryan developed new academic programs, obtained specialized accreditation for several programs, strengthened student recruitment and support programs, and improved buildings and grounds. Under her leadership, a four-year nursing program and an Honors Program were established.

In 2007, Dr. Lloyd V. Hackley returned as Interim Chancellor. He launched projects to carry out the initiatives of UNC Tomorrow, placed FSU on a sound course for fiscal solvency, and introduced a number of organizational changes for greater efficiency of operations.

Dr. James A. Anderson was named the eleventh Chief Executive Officer of Fayetteville State University on March 7, 2008. Under Chancellor Anderson’s leadership, the university established a five year strategic plan for growth, expanded academic program offerings, added global education and study abroad, and increased certification and accreditation of academic programs. The university expanded partnerships with universities, corporations, and the military. Outreach included service learning, a community computer center, a Veteran Center, the Early High School College, the Center for Defense and Homeland Security, and many collaborative cultural activities with community agencies.

Dr. Peggy Valentine served as Interim Chancellor of Fayetteville State University from August 7, 2019 to early 2021. She worked to prepare students from rural, military, and diverse backgrounds for high demand careers of the 21st century and beyond. In line with the university’s vision, she helped to address health disparities, social justice, and improve the overall quality of life in disenfranchised communities. Additionally, Dr. Valentine’s dedication to FSU as a university of choice was augmented by its highly committed and scholarly faculty and staff, and cutting-edge academic programs.

On March 15, 2021, Darrell T. Allison took the helm as the twelfth Chancellor of Fayetteville State University. Chancellor Allison’s vision for moving the institution forward includes advancing FSU’s work in educating military-affiliated students and investing additional resources into the Office of Career Services with the goal of preparing students for future career opportunities. Chancellor Allison is passionate about ensuring that FSU remains one of the most affordable universities in North Carolina while simultaneously fostering a culture of active listening, collaboration, and mutual respect amongst administration, faculty, staff, and especially students.

Administration of the University of North Carolina

The Board of Governors

Randy Ramsey, Chair
Wendy Floyd Murphy, Vice Chair
Pearl Burris-Floyd, Secretary

W. Louis Bissette, Jr., Emeritus (2019-2023) Anna Spangler Nelson (2019-2023)
Kellie Hunt Blue (2021-2025) Sonja Phillips Nichols (2021-2025)
Kirk J. Bradley (2021-2025) Raymond Palma (2021-2022: ex officio)
C. Philip Byers (2019-2023) Art Pope (2021-2025)
Jimmy D. Clark (2021-2025) David Powers (2019-2023)
Carolyn Coward (2021-2025) Lee H. Roberts (2021-2025)
N. Leo Daughtry (2021-2025) Temple Sloan (2019-2023)
Joel Ford (2019-2023) Michael Williford (2019-2023)
John Fraley (2021-2025)
Thomas C. Goolsby (2019-2023)
Reginald Ronald Holley (2021-2025)
James L. Holmes, Jr. (2019-2023)
Mark Holton (2019-2023)
Terry Hutchens (2019-2023)
J. Alex Mitchell (2019-2023)

History of the University of North Carolina

In North Carolina, all the public educational institutions that grant baccalaureate degrees are part of the University of North Carolina. Fayetteville State University is one of the 16 constituent institutions of the multi-campus state university.

The University of North Carolina, chartered by the N.C. General Assembly in 1789, was the first public university in the United States to open its doors and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century. The first class was admitted in Chapel Hill in 1795. For the next 136 years, the only campus of the University of North Carolina was at Chapel Hill.

In 1877, the N.C. General Assembly began sponsoring additional institutions of higher education, diverse in origin and purpose. Five were historically black institutions, and another was founded to educate American Indians. Several were created to prepare teachers for the public schools. Others had a technological emphasis. One is a training school for performing artists.

In 1931, the N.C. General Assembly redefined the University of North Carolina to include three state-supported institutions: the campus at Chapel Hill (now the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), North Carolina State College (now North Carolina State University at Raleigh), and Woman’s College (now the University of North Carolina at Greensboro). The new multi-campus University operated with one board of trustees and one president. By 1969, three additional campuses had joined the University through legislative action: the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

In 1971, the General Assembly passed legislation bringing into the University of North Carolina the state’s ten remaining public senior institutions, each of which had until then been legally separate: Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, North Carolina Central University, the North Carolina School of the Arts, Pembroke State University, Western Carolina University, and Winston-Salem State University. This action created the current 16-campus University. (In 1985, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, a residential high school for gifted students, was declared an affiliated school of the University; and in 1996 Pembroke State University was renamed The University of North Carolina at Pembroke through legislative action.)

The UNC Board of Governors is the policy-making body legally charged with the general determination, control, supervision, management, and governance of all affairs of the constituent institutions. It elects the president, who administers the University. The 32 voting members of the Board of Governors are elected by the General Assembly for four-year terms. Former board chairmen and board members who are former governors of North Carolina may continue to serve for limited periods as non-voting members emeriti. The president of the UNC Association of Student Governments, or that student’s designee, is also a non-voting member.

Each of the 16 constituent institutions is headed by a chancellor, who is chosen by the Board of Governors on the president’s nomination and is responsible to the president. Each institution has a board of trustees, consisting of eight members elected by the Board of Governors, four appointed by the governor, and the president of the student body, who serves ex-officio. (The NC School of the Arts has two additional ex-officio members.) Each board of trustees holds extensive powers over academic and other operations of its institution on delegation from the Board of Governors.

Institutional Memberships and Accreditations

The university holds institutional membership in the following agencies and professional organizations:

The Adult Education Association, U.S.A.

American Association for Counseling and Development

The American Association for Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)

The American Association of Colleges and Schools for Teacher Education (AACTE)

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)

American Chemical Society (ACS)

The American Council on Education (ACE)

Association for Continuing and Higher Education (ACHE)

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)

Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)

Council of Graduate Departments of Psychology

Forensic Science Education Program Accreditation Commission (FEPAC)

International Police Executive Symposium

The National Alliance of Business

National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO)

National Association for Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA)

The National Association of Business Teacher Education

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

The North Carolina Association of Colleges and Universities

North Carolina Day Care Association

The Servicemen’s Opportunity College (SOC)

The Southern Conference of Graduate Schools (SCGS)

The university has achieved program accreditation, certification, and/or program approval from the following professional organizations:

Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)

Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS)

American Chemical Society (ACS)

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)

Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)

Forensic Science Education Program Accreditation Commission (FEPAC)

International Fire Science Accreditation Council (IFSAC)

National Association for Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)

The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)

North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBN)

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI)

National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)

The Southern Association of Colleges and Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)

United States Geospatial Foundation (USGIF)

Centers and Programs

Bronco One Stop

The Bronco One Stop is a centralized student services center that is conveniently located in the Charles W. Chesnutt Library. The Bronco One Stop provides support for students to successfully navigate campus services. The Bronco One Stop provides guidance with the college application process, support with accessing academic records, and assistance with financial aid, including inquiries about payments and accounts. Academic advisors provide assistance with class registration, degree planning, tutoring, and navigation of university resources. For more information, visit https://www.uncfsu.edu/academics/bronco-one-stop.

Career Services

The Office of Career Services is located in the Rudolph Jones Student Center Rooms 227 and 223. The office provides support and assistance to current students and recent alumni of the university in their preparation for securing meaningful employment. Career Services offers scheduled appointments, walk-in hours, seminars, workshops, job fairs, employer information sessions, and classroom presentations. Career resources and information regarding careers, internships, the job search process, company literature, as well as graduate schools and fellowship programs are available in person and online. Handshake, our career management data base, allows current students and alumni to research employers, search/apply for available jobs and internships, and communicate with their Career Coaches about resumes, cover letters, interviews, and other career-related topics through an online portal. All students are expected to start the career services process in their freshman year and continue through graduation.

Job Location and Development Program

The Job Location and Development Program, located within the Office of Career Services, assists currently enrolled students with off-campus part-time job opportunities. The program affords opportunities for students to learn skills while developing work habits and values that will benefit them throughout their careers.

Experiential Education

Experiential Education includes both internships and cooperative education (CO-OP). Experiential education is a unique plan of education which integrates a student’s academic and career interests with productive work experiences in cooperating employer organizations. Through this interaction, students enhance their education and improve their personal and professional development. The academic advisor, internship coordinator, and the employing supervisor all share in the intellectual and personal development of the student. The experiential education experience enhances the self-awareness and direction of students by allowing them to develop practical skills and gain exposure to work environments beyond the university.

To ensure proper credit, students must complete all paperwork and approval processes prior to registering for these opportunities. Approval includes the internship coordinator, academic advisor, department chair, and dean.

Center for Defense and Homeland Security

The Center for Defense and Homeland Security was founded in 2010 and became fully operational in 2013. We are located within 10 miles of Ft. Bragg, the largest U.S. Army installation in the world and home of the elite Military Special Operations Forces. We partner with local, state, and federal agencies to leverage our research capabilities to develop innovative solutions to prepare the next generation of leaders within the STEM, cybersecurity, national security, and emergency management disciplines.

Center for Economic Education and Financial Literacy

The Center for Economic Education and Financial Literacy is a non-profit and non-partisan institutional entity committed to promoting and imparting economic education primarily in southeastern North Carolina. The center is affiliated with The North Carolina Council of Economic Education and the National Council of Economic Education.

The objectives of the center are fivefold:

  1. To improve on- and off campus teaching of economics, with particular emphasis on pre-service and in-service teacher training;
  2. To consult with local schools, educational agencies, and community groups on matters relating to curriculum content, materials, and strategies;
  3. To conduct research in economic education and disseminate updated information on economic issues in the community;
  4. To mobilize community interest and support by developing cooperative working relationships with other groups committed to economic education;
  5. To develop and distribute appropriate materials useful in the economic education effort.

Center for Enterprise Resource Planning and Advanced Analytics (CERPAA)

As the mission of the CERPAA is clearly aligned with the educational and outreach goals of Fayetteville State University, CERPAA has three functions: training, consulting, and research. The training provided by the center aims to enable FSU to create a competitive advantage for those seeking employment and/or career advancement in corporations that demand a professional workforce with documented skills in the areas of Business Analytics, Data Analytics, Enterprise Resource Planning, Cloud Systems, Disruptive technologies, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Supply Chain Management. The consulting and research services offered by the CERPAA support the operations, analytics, decision-making, and digital transformation needs of local and regional firms, the US Military, and federal and state corporations. Collectively, the research, training, networking, and certification opportunities offered by the center will strengthen our ties to the business community and contribute to regional economic and workforce transformation.

College Access Programs

The Office of College Access Programs mission is to encourage and assist youth who are traditionally under-represented in post-secondary education with preparation for, entry into, and completion of a post-secondary education. The office provides a broad range of high-quality college preparatory services to middle and high school students, their parents, and educators in the Sandhills region.

Continuing Education and Summer School

The Office of Continuing Education and Summer School extends the teaching, consultative, and research resources of Fayetteville State University into the local community. These resources, in concert with all other appropriate resources, are molded into an organized effort to meet the unique educational needs of individuals within the adult population who have either completed or interrupted their formal education, and to assist people in the area to identify and develop new, expanded, or improved approaches to the solution of community problems.

All extended learning activities at Fayetteville State University are categorized as Continuing Education Units (CEU)/Teacher Renewal Credit (TRC), academic credit, or non-credit. Such activities are designed to serve individuals needing further professional/career development; various forms of public affairs education; personal enrichment and cultural development; and skills training to meet the needs of professions or careers. Most non-credit continuing education activities are related to community service and include special programs affecting community-wide problems.

Consistent with the educational standards of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the University of North Carolina, all continuing education activities sponsored or co-sponsored by Fayetteville State University are organized under responsible and capable direction and are subject to systematic evaluation. For further information call (910) 672-1228.

The summer school program at Fayetteville State University is organized primarily for students desiring to make progress toward fulfilling requirements for undergraduate and graduate degrees. The curricula provided during the summer sessions are equivalent to those offered during fall and spring terms. Course offerings, both online and face-to-face, are determined by departments and schedules published during the fall semester.

Curriculum Learning Resource Laboratory

Located in the Charles Waddell Chesnutt Library, the Curriculum Learning Resource Laboratory is designed to provide educational resources and equipment for pre-service and in service teachers, and faculty. The collections include state adopted textbooks, kits, films, transparencies, North Carolina state competencies, and audio-visual aids. For further information call 910-672-1391.

Distance Learning Center

The mission of the Distance Learning Center is to provide opportunities to faculty, staff, students, and external agencies in Southeastern North Carolina to participate in interactive classes and teleconferences via the North Carolina Information Highway (NCIH) and North Carolina Research Educational Network (NC-REN). Located in the Telecommunications Center, the Distance Learning Center offers convenient and cost-effective interactive access to a broad range of quality educational programming. Through the Center the university can acquire complete telecourses, short courses, audio-visual resources, training programs, and live teleconferences. These programs can be used in a variety of ways to increase distance learning opportunities, enrich classroom instruction, update faculty and administrators, expand community service, and enhance professional and career education. For further information call 910-672-1888.

Early Childhood Learning Center

The Fayetteville State University Early Childhood Learning Center, which serves children from three years through five years of age, is under the direction of the School of Education. It was established in the Fall of 1970 to provide early childhood education majors an opportunity to become familiar with young children and their characteristics, and to enable the translation of theoretical concepts into practical application. In addition to being a center for the training of early childhood personnel, the Early Childhood Learning Center also provides a learning environment that will help young children develop to their maximum potential physically, intellectually, socially, and emotionally.

The Early Childhood Learning Center serves not only the university, but the Fayetteville community as well, through its acceptance of children of either sex, children from any ethnic or religious orientation, and children with mildly handicapping physical and mental conditions.

The Cumberland County Department of Social Service Day Care unit refers as many of its Day Care applicants as space permits. The Developmental Evaluation Center refers children to the Center on an individual basis. The Early Childhood Learning Center holds the State of North Carolina, Department of Revenue Privilege License; State of North Carolina - Child Day Care “A” License; Level Two Certificate of Approval (Federal) from the Department of Human Resources - State of North Carolina Division of Social Service for Day Care of Children; and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Kindergarten/Early Childhood Division Certification. For further information call 910-672-1281.

Educational Opportunity Centers Program

The Educational Opportunity Centers Program (EOC) is funded by the U.S. Department of Education for the purpose of providing assistance to adults who want to pursue a college degree. The services are offered to adults residing in Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Robeson and Sampson Counties in North Carolina. EOC helps students choose a college, complete admissions applications, complete financial aid applications, choose a career, complete scholarship searches, and resolve loan defaults.

Extension Campus – Fort Bragg

The mission of the Fort Bragg Campus is to provide excellent education for all Fort Bragg military personnel, their dependents, Department of Defense (DOD) civilians, and citizens of the surrounding communities. Services conducted at the center include, but are not limited to, recruiting, admission, advising, degree programs, 8-week course offerings, and registration. In keeping with the current DOD Memorandum of Understanding, the Fort Bragg Campus provides a one-stop hub where military affiliated students can receive an education. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Director of the Fort Bragg Center through email (military@uncfsu.edu) or mail (Box 70156, Fort Bragg, North Carolina 28307-5000).

Undergraduate Programs Offered on Fort Bragg:

Graduate Programs Offered on Fort Bragg: