Chancellor Anthony Graham shares his vision for the upcoming academic year

Dear WSSU Community,

I am honored to serve as the Chancellor during the 2023-24 academic year. I realize the responsibility before us to execute the audacious vision of our founder, Dr. Simon Green Atkins, who created an institution where every student would meet the challenges of the day equipped with an education designed to prepare the “head, hand, and heart.”

Almost 131 years later, Winston-Salem State University thrives as an institution that significantly impacts the state, region, and nation. Our students enter WSSU with talents that we nurture, cultivate, and sharpen. When they depart WSSU, we significantly influence their social and economic mobility, and they deliver on their promise to impact the communities where they live and society writ large.

In September 2022, we unveiled WSSU 2030 Unleash the Genius. With this new strategic plan, we agreed as a campus community to elevate the university from “good to great” and then from “great to excellent.” We committed to realizing the vision of Dr. Simon Green Atkins, where we provide our students with the highest quality education that rivals the intellectual and social experience of any Ivy League institution. To that end, we will remain focused on student success, and we will approach our work with a growth mindset that advances the mission of the university.

As we enter the 2023-24 academic year, I ask you to remember this message: “Excellence is never an accident; it is the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, skillful execution, and the vision to see obstacles as opportunities.” The university’s leadership and I look forward to working alongside you to actualize our institutional values and to achieve the bold goals articulated in our strategic plan.

Sincerely,
Anthony Graham, Ph.D.
Interim Chancellor