Winston-Salem State University chancellor to retire after eight years in role
Elwood Robinson, the chancellor of Winston-Salem State University since 2015, will retire this summer after a nearly 40-year career in higher education, he announced in a message to the university on Monday.
Robinson’s retirement will be effective June 30. Anthony Graham, WSSU’s provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, will succeed Robinson as the university’s interim chancellor on July 1.
UNC System President Peter Hans appointed Graham to the interim chancellor role, the system said in a news release Monday.
“Robinson will work closely with Graham throughout the spring semester to transition leadership,” the system’s release said.
A search for the university’s next chancellor will begin later this year, the release said.
Robinson has been chancellor since 2014
Robinson, WSSU’s 13th chancellor, is a native of Ivanhoe with an academic background in psychology. He has worked in higher education for nearly four decades, first joining the faculty at N.C. Central University in Durham — his alma mater — in 1984.
In 2006, he became the founding dean of NCCU’s College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, holding that position until he left North Carolina in 2012 to become the provost and vice president of Cambridge College in Massachusetts.
Robinson was named WSSU chancellor in September 2014 by the UNC Board of Governors. He assumed the role on Jan. 1, 2015.
During his tenure as chancellor, WSSU’s “endowment grew to more than $100 million and the university completed $145 million in capital projects, including major renovations, two new residence halls and a new science building,” the system’s release said Monday.
“Chancellor Robinson has provided steady leadership for Winston-Salem State, including noteworthy achievements such as a new center for entrepreneurship, a record $30 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, and strong rankings in economic and social mobility for the university’s graduates,” Hans said in the release. “I know all Rams join me in thanking him for his dedicated service to the campus and the state.”
In his message to the university Monday, Robinson highlighted additional achievements at WSSU under his leadership, including enrolling the university’s largest graduate student population ever, completing the university’s 10-year re-accreditation process “with flying colors” during the COVID-19 pandemic and launching a new strategic plan to take the university “to new heights by 2030.”
The launch of the strategic plan, in particular, made for the “perfect intersection of time and opportunity to retire,” Robinson said in his message.
“There are far more accomplishments I could name, but these stand out to me,” he said. “For this success I say thank you to everyone from the bottom of my heart.”
WSSU provost to serve as interim chancellor
Robinson will devote the remainder of his tenure to Graham’s transition to the interim chancellor role, he said.
“I am dedicated to ensuring he will be successful, and I am confident the trajectory of Winston-Salem State University will continue to be realized under his leadership,” Robinson said.
Graham, a native of Kinston, has been WSSU’s top academic officer since 2018, overseeing “the academic mission of the university” and developing the university’s annual budget, among other duties.
Graham holds a bachelor’s degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and master’s and doctoral degrees from UNC-Greensboro. He began his career as a high school teacher before becoming a professor and department chair at N.C. A&T State University in Greensboro.
His research focuses “primarily on the experiences of Black males in K-12 public schools and ways in which classroom teachers and community leaders can transform their environments to promote cultural, academic, and professional identities for these youth,” a university release said when he was appointed as provost.
Immediately prior to becoming provost at WSSU, Graham was the dean of N.C. A&T’s College of Education.
“Dr. Graham is a respected educator and seasoned academic leader whose research has focused on student success,” Hans said in the system’s release. “I know he has the commitment and skills to lead Winston-Salem State through a smooth transition.”
The search and election process for university chancellors is outlined in UNC System policy and “requires the participation, involvement, and collaboration” of the university’s board of trustees, a chancellor search committee, the UNC System president and the Board of Governors.
This story was originally published January 9, 2023 at 4:08 PM with the headline "Winston-Salem State University chancellor to retire after eight years in role."
