Campus Life

Just last fall, Simpson, the WSSU mathematics chair, began the 2025-26 academic year with the smallest possible freshman class. Zero. She finished the school year with 13 first-year students.

When Winston-Salem State University held Spring 2026 Commencement Exercises last month, Hill’s artwork adorned the inside of diploma covers graduates received as they walked across the stage. And several of her paintings were on display at Diggs Art Gallery the week before graduation.

Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is proudly hosting its inaugural Spring Day of Giving April 7 to 8 and invites alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents and friends to support scholarships, programs and initiatives across campus.

The WSSU Lady Rams came oh, so close Monday in their bid to upset No. 1 seed Indiana University of Pennsylvania and earn a berth in the Elite Eight, losing 65-64 after IUP hit a 3-pointer to seal the deal.

The WSSU Lady Rams won their first-ever NCAA DII game Friday by defeating the Glenville State University Pioneers 88-71 in a wire-to-wire victory.

WSSU has received a $20,000 grant from CVS Health to support its Rams Helping Rams Food Pantry and Career Closet.

WSSU has expanded its technology support to fully include Macs, iPads and iPhones, making WSSU the first HBCU in North Carolina to offer secure, campus-wide Apple device access using regular university username and password.

Winston-Salem State University’s four-year graduation rate for male students increased by 10 percentage points year over year, a notable gain that outpaces national trends and reflects the impact of intentional, coordinated student success strategies.

WSSU has received a $1 million investment from Adobe Inc. to expand digital equity, leadership development and student success across campus.

Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is celebrating a milestone achievement as the Hairston-Brown Legacy Endowed Scholarship has officially exceeded its initial $50,000 fundraising goal, reaching nearly $70,000 in gifts.

Bonita J. Brown was formally installed Sept. 19, 2025, as Winston-Salem State University’s 14th chancellor, becoming the first permanent female top administrator in the school’s 132-year history.

WSSU will make history this weekend when it installs its 14th and first permanent female chancellor Bonita J. Brown, J.D. The two-day event will feature a formal installation ceremony, Day of Service and celebration gala and concert.

WSSU officially opened its Nurse’s Nook with a ribbon cutting on August 27 on the second floor of the F.L. Atkins Building. It is designed to serve as a hub of academic support and success for students in the Division of Nursing.

The countdown to “Forever Red” has begun, and Winston-Salem State University’s “Forever Red Homecoming” website is now live, serving as the official one-stop hub for all things homecoming.

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.