Chancellor Allison Celebrates One Year at FSU
posted by Jacqueline Leibman | March 22, 2022 | In NewsOn Tuesday March 15, the campus community received an email from the Office of the Chancellor marking Chancellor Allison’s first anniversary at Fayetteville State University.
The email highlights the chancellor’s accomplishments since starting the position, including acquiring the largest state budget allocation in over 35 years of $164 million back in November of last year. According to the email, the money was used in part to fund “new capital construction projects on campus repairs and renovations.”
In addition to repairs on campus, the university also acquired the 30,000 square foot retail space, Bronco Square, 100% debt-free. One unit has already been designated as the Entrepreneur Innovation HUB for Fayetteville and Cumberland Country small business. With a $282,000 investment from PNC, the FSU Entrepreneurship Lab (E-Lab) was “established to develop entrepreneurs and change agents of tomorrow.”
Chancellor Allison has been a strong advocate for military-affiliated students spearheading FSU to be “ranked the strongest among all 100 HBCUs in the nation for serving military-connected students.” FSU was the first UNC System university to receive the Military Order of the Purple Heart, a designation in “recognition of FSU’s history of supporting veterans and their families.”
Chancellor Allison was also named the William Pearson Tolley Champion for Veterans in Higher Education award winner by Student Veterans of America. In February, the university announced tuition-free scholarships for military-connected students beginning fall 2022.
However, when his appointment was announced by the UNC Board of Governors over Interim Chancellor Dr. Peggy Valentine, not everyone was pleased.
The FSU Faculty Senate—comprised of faculty and graduate students—originally declared the Chancellor search “failed” citing concerns from “the media and the FSU National Alumni Association” who “raised a serious allegation about the chancellor search process, namely that Mr. Allison was not recommended by the search committee.”
There was even a Change.org petition to have his appointment reversed that garnered over 2,600 signatures.
Despite a sensationalized beginning, Chancellor Allison has stayed true to the University’s motto—Res Non Verba (Deeds not Words). The email emphasizes several more achievements since Chancellor Allison took office, including successfully raising $2 million since March 2021.
Senior communication and media studies major, Ulysses Crawford II, has had several opportunities to interact with the chancellor as the Student Director of Esports, Studio Manager for Bronco TV and Head RA for Renaissance Hall: “I believe that the Chancellor has done some good work during his tenure here, I feel there are some other areas that need more focus but I understand that there are other things on that have been on the agenda and he has to answer to a board.”
“I really appreciate his efforts to get to know the student body and sincerely hear our needs,” Crawford said, “It lets us know that he truly sees us and hears us.”
“I am incredibly proud and honored to have the opportunity to serve as chancellor of Fayetteville State University,” said Chancellor Allison, reminiscing on the words he spoke on his first day on the job, “Now, just one year later, I can truly say my sentiments remain steadfast.”
Photo of Chancellor Darrell Allison courtesy of FSU.
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