N.C. A&T Again Surpasses UNC System Strategic Plan Goals

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Dec. 23, 2020) – In line with its own ongoing commitment to preeminence, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is again exceeding goals outlined in the University of North Carolina System’s strategic plan for 2017-2022.

“Higher Expectations: The Strategic Plan for the University of North Carolina” outlines priorities for its 17 constituent campuses to focus on access, student success, affordability and efficiency, economic impact and diversity.

“There is a collective effort by all academic units, campus partners and stakeholders – including housing and student affairs – to eclipse our undergraduate achievement targets. We all work together toward the common goal of student success,” said Regina Williams Davis, Ph.D., assistant vice provost for student success and academic support.

N.C. A&T excelled in its first report out following year one of the strategic plan. Now following the third year of the system’s strategic plan, A&T is once again surpassing its targets, most prominently in exceeding its priority goal for its five-year graduation rate from the 2015 cohort of students by 8.2% – reaching 51.3%, versus its 43.1% goal.

“We renewed our focus on student achievement, taking a proactive approach with our department chairs to reach out to our students who are eligible to graduate and provide them with the academic resources they need to complete their degrees,” said Davis.

For academic year 2019-20, A&T saw 1,113 low-income students complete bachelor’s degrees – 56 more than the goal of 1,057. The university also increased its overall undergraduate degree efficiency, including transfer students, to 20% from its goal of 17.9% – higher than the goal for the system overall. In addition, the sum of all critical workforce degrees awarded in STEM and nursing disciplines amounted to 953 graduates – 110 more than the 843 goal.

A&T surpassed its improvement goals for enrollment with 4,975 low-income student enrollments in fall 2019 versus its goal of 4,904, as well as 2,638 rural student enrollments in fall 2020 versus its goal of 2,379. In academic year 2019-20, the university saw 511 rural students complete their bachelor’s degree – 25 more than the 486 goal.

“These increases speak to the rising academic profile of our incoming classes of students,” said Davis.

Additionally, A&T exceeded its sustainment goal in achievement gaps in overall degree efficiency among male students for the 2019-20 academic year at 17.9% – 2.3% higher than the 15.6% goal.

“We have steadily and consistently increased our goal percentages in this area with a lot of intentionality,” said Davis. “We have especially concentrated on the mentoring of male students, including the mentoring of freshman and sophomore male students by male juniors and seniors, which has paid dividends.”

A&T faculty generated nearly $60 million in contracts and grants for fiscal year 2020, with funding and operational dynamics brought about by the coronavirus pandemic causing the university to fall short of its nearly $65.2 priority goal for research productivity.

Each of A&T’s goals in the UNC System’s “Higher Expectations” plan aligns with “Preeminence: Taking the Momentum to 2023,” the university’s strategic plan updated in 2018.

“This year has been challenging for so many people, including the members of our A&T community, in so many ways,” said Davis. “But we have risen to those challenges, as Aggies Do, to exemplify the spirit of Aggie Pride in striving for academic excellence and scholastic achievement.”