Campus Life

Winston-Salem State University is pleased to announce that Dr. Michael K. “Kenny” Holt has been appointed as the founding Dean of the College of Business and Entrepreneurship.

Winston-Salem State University has been named the only university in North Carolina – public or private – to earn the distinguished designation of Opportunity College by the Carnegie Classifications of Higher Education and the American Council on Education (ACE).

Winston-Salem State University students in the inaugural NASCAR Campus Lab Program cohort is gearing up for their first on-campus event, “Race You to the Yard: A NASCAR Experience,” on March 26, from noon to 2 p.m., on the WSSU campus in the Breezeway.

WSSU is excited to host Grammy-winning hip-hop artist Rapsody as a guest speaker for its annual Women’s History Month celebration, “Ladies First: Women on the Rise,” on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at 7 p.m. in Dillard Auditorium.

Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is working to broaden awareness about the wide range of cancers affecting individuals worldwide. As part of this effort, the university will host its third annual two-day cancer awareness event, “Rams: Thriving Together Stronger than Ever,” on March 20-21.

Winston-Salem State University is set to host a series of impactful events throughout March, bringing together students, faculty, staff, and the community for discussions, performances, and educational initiatives.

Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) will host legendary hip-hop artist and producer Pete Rock as the featured guest speaker for its annual Black History Month celebration. The event, titled “The Miseducation of…”, will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 13, in Dillard Auditorium on the WSSU campus.

Winston-Salem State University hosted a ribbon cutting and grand opening of its new Allegacy Federal Credit Union Student Resource Center on Jan. 23, addressing food insecurity and enabling a lifeline of extended support for student success.

Winston-Salem State University students will have access to more food and clothing resources thanks to the generosity of Allegacy Federal Credit Union. Allegacy donated $120,000 to WSSU in 2023 to repurpose a former game room on the campus into a new Student Resource Center.

Winston-Salem State University received nearly half a million dollars to launch a new initiative focused on fostering a safe and supportive environment while addressing and preventing domestic violence. The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women, awarded a $499,976 grant to RamsSafe.

As I reflect on my first months as Chancellor of Winston-Salem State University, I am inspired by the incredible accomplishments of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Homecoming was a highlight of my time here. It was incredible to watch generations of the Ramily come together to celebrate all that is wonderful about WSSU.

This year’s homecoming was not only marked by excitement, merriment, pomp and circumstance, but it was also a testament to the generosity of alumni. One of the highlights of homecoming weekend was the announcement of this year’s alumni giving, which was a total of $287,963.97.

The Winston-Salem State University A.H. Ray Wellness Center has been accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). Accreditation distinguishes the WSSU student health center from many other outpatient facilities.

Chancellor Bonita Brown and Winston-Salem State University invite you to WSSU's Forever Red Homecoming 2024. This is the moment to celebrate our pride, traditions and everything that makes being a Ram special. While we want you to enjoy the festivities, it’s important to stay aware and safe. WSSU Police and Public Safety, along with local law enforcement, fire departments and EMS, are working to make this homecoming the safest yet

There is a new Winston-Salem State University homecoming event this year designed to benefit students in the military program. The WSSU Military Affairs Association (MAA) will host a dance on Friday, Nov. 8, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the WSSU Thompson Center, Room 207.

Winston-Salem State University earned impressive rankings in the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2025. WSSU was recognized among top public colleges and universities, best HBCUs, social mobility and the nursing program. The most significant achievement is WSSU’s surge ahead by 40 spots in the national universities ranking.

Winston-Salem State University officially became a StormReady campus during a Recognition Ceremony on Sept. 17. Nick Petro, warning coordination meteorologist of the National Weather Service (NWS), Raleigh office, read the official letter and designation during the program and presented it to Jason Stogner, director of the WSSU Office of Emergency Management.

Cam Witherspoon, a golfer for Winston-Salem State University, is featured on the Greensboro Six mural that was unveiled at the Gillespie Golf Course in Greensboro Aug. 6.

This class was unique as it was the class that felt the disruptions of the global pandemic as students transitioned from high school graduates to college freshmen. Their high school graduations were mostly likely in person and college orientations were shackled by social distancing.

The Center for Innovative and Transformative Instruction (CITI) recognized its Class of 2024 Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) Credentialed Educators and micro-credential completers. The pinning ceremony was held May 14 at the Bermuda Run Country Club.

The Class of Spring 2024 celebrated commencement on Friday, May 10. Witnessing the excitement and sense of accomplishment radiating from our graduates was truly inspiring. We invite you to read these profiles and to browse through our Spring 2024 Commencement photo album.

Several students from Winston-Salem State University’s Sport Management program walked across the stage at commencement on May 10, 2024. Here are some success stories of these impressive scholars. 

Winston-Salem State University offers an excellent Sport Management program that prepares our students for dynamic careers in the sports industry. WSSU is the first and only HBCU to receive accreditation from the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA).

Winston-Salem State University is committed to helping our students Unleash Their Genius and succeed in all areas of their lives.  On May 10, 2024, WSSU will honor our spring graduating class.  Here's a glimpse of where a few students from the Class of Spring 2024 are headed. 

Winston-Salem State University football wide receiver RJ Mobley has been selected to the Chicago Bears minicamp. Mobley, who played two seasons with the Rams, played in every game the last two seasons.

Winston-Salem State University’s Office of Integrated Marketing Communications was named among the top in the nation in the 2023 Collegiate Advertising Awards Program.

Winston-Salem State University is the first campus to support the ELETE Experience, Inc. program, which aims to increase healthy dining and entrepreneurial mentorship opportunities for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

On Monday, April 1 Winston-Salem State University kicks off Scholarship Week 2024: A Gallery of Genius. WSSU students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend biggest academic event of the year that shines a spotlight on how scholars from all disciplines Unleash their Genius.

Join us for the second annual Cancer Awareness Event.  Thursday, March 21 will feature a panel discussion on the different types of cancer.  The panelists will feature representatives from the local healthcare community. The following day, Friday, March 22 enjoy a variety of interactive events taking place at WSSU's practice field.

The Winston-Salem State University Foundation Inc. has named Dr. Alfredo I. Aguilar as its chief operating officer. He is the first person to assume this role with the foundation. Aguilar, who began his duties on March 1, has worked in finance and operations during the span of his 23-year career for four major organizations.

The American Council on Education (ACE) announced that Dr. Mel Johnson-Norwood, vice chancellor and associate provost of Student Affairs at Winston-Salem State University, has been named an ACE Fellow for academic year 2024-25.

As we honor Black History Month, we commemorate Winston-Salem State University’s long and distinguished list of firsts and its contributions to the transformative milestones of the collective African American journey.

Winston-Salem State University is taking steps to ensure that students learn how to use artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly and ethically. More than 200 students are studying various ways to develop and use AI in courses such as art, world films, statistics, chemistry, English, business ethics, and exercise science.

Winston-Salem State University student Vinsha Torain placed second in the PNC North Carolina HBCU Pitch Competition. The second annual competition was held in early February at the International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro.

As we honor Black History Month, we commemorate Winston-Salem State University’s long and distinguished list of firsts and its contributions to the transformative milestones of the collective African American journey.

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of the passing of a beloved figure in the history of our institution, Dr. Cleon F. Thompson, our former Chancellor. Dr. Thompson served as the university's leader from 1985 to 1995.

Winston-Salem State University’s Department of Physical Therapy is looking for participants for a study titled: “Evaluation of segmental lumbar spinal motion and physiological responses following common spinal mobilization techniques.”

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi will install its 361st chapter at Winston-Salem University this month. Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society recognizing academic excellence.

Technology provider CollegeNET ranks Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) No. 2 in the United States for being a driver of social mobility for its students. Social mobility, as defined by CollegeNET, involves delivering a high-quality college education at an affordable price to create opportunities for students to move from one socioeconomic class to another.

Ask Virgil Bryant what he likes about motorsports racing and without hesitation he starts to rattle off: it’s the smell of the fuel, the revving of the engines, the squealing of the tires, the drivers – everything. Equally important, he said it was the most fun he had in years when he attended his first NASCAR race.

Briana Tshiona was a member of the Epsilon Tau Sigma Honor Society for Allied Health while at WSSU.

Not only is Wilson now leading the WSSU Campus Activities Board (CAB) as president, but his college experience has landed him at the White House – not once, but twice – and next year he will be headed to California to pitch a product concept to NASA.

The Delta Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. presents a $1,300 check to Samaritan Ministries for its annual Penny Campaign.  The funds were raised during the fraternity's 27th Annual Homeless Awareness Week held on the campus of Winston-Salem State University.

N.C. Governor Roy Cooper visited Winston-Salem State University recently to discuss diversity in education. The visit on Nov. 17 was the final stop on the DRIVE Task Force’s statewide tour. DRIVE stands for Developing a Representative and Inclusive Vision for Education.

In February 2023 the Winston-Salem State University Chancellor’s Executive Staff issued a request for proposals for faculty and staff to create programs designed to improve undergraduate student success outcomes focused explicitly on student retention, student engagement, student belonging, and student debt load.

Oscar Ball III, Winston-Salem State University Class of 2009, is the creator of the 4th Quarter Scholarship Fundraiser. The event is a basketball game between current WSSU students and alumni and is held on the Sunday after each homecoming at the C.E. Gaines Center.

Members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated along with Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) students will brave the elements on Friday, Nov. 17, to shed light on the issue of homelessness in the community.

The NBA today announced that the Virginia Union University Panthers (VUU) and Winston-Salem State University Rams (WSSU) men's basketball programs have been selected to compete in the 2024 NBA HBCU Classic presented by ATT. 

Healthcare Management’s Global Understanding Class will be collecting items for gift bags through Nov. 15 to be presented to the homeless population. The bags will be delivered to the Samaritan Ministry on Nov. 17.

WSSU’s Forever Red Homecoming is the time to celebrate Winston-Salem State University’s spirit and respect some of our most beloved traditions. By celebrating all the wonderful things about being a Ram, it is advised to be cautious while enjoying the festivities of WSSU Homecoming.

The couple, Prince David and Nancy Patterson Jernigan, both members of the WSSU Class of ’73, served and retired from extensive careers in public education; have raised tens of thousands of dollars for their alma mater over a span of 40 years; and most recently, established the Prince David and Nancy Patterson Jernigan Endowed Scholarship Fund.

Winston-Salem State University is ranked as one of the Best Colleges in America for the seventh year in a row by Money magazine.

Winston-Salem State University was ranked by Washington Monthly magazine as the No. 1 HBCU in the Southeast for “Best Bang for the Buck” for the 2023-24 academic year. The ranking is based on how well schools help non-wealthy students earn high-quality marketable degrees for affordable prices.

Winston-Salem State University will host its first esports competitive event this month to further expose students to the growing gaming industry. WSSU Campus Clash will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30, at the University Recreation Game Room and Salon on campus.

Winston-Salem State University student David Wilson has been named a White House HBCU Scholar for 2023. He is among 102 undergraduate and graduate students from 29 states and countries who were selected for their accomplishments in academics, leadership and community engagement.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Hossein Khalili as the Senior Associate Dean for the School of Health Sciences. Dr. Khalili is an internationally recognized scholar, expert, and leader in the field of interprofessional education. He has more than 25 years of experience in healthcare, 15 of which are in higher education. 

Winston-Salem State University has become the first university in the country to partner with Spentys to use 3D printing technology to produce high-quality, economic orthotic splints and introduce that technology into its occupational therapy curriculum.

I am especially pleased to welcome Dr. LaToya McNeill Wiley back to WSSU. Effective August 3, 2023, Dr. Wiley will serve as the Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor for Financial Planning and Budget.