N.C. A&T Alumni Times

As part of its ongoing commitment to preeminence, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has exceeded all of the goals outlined in the University of North Carolina System’s strategic plan, including several “stretch goals” not due until 2021.

The UNC System’s strategic plan for 2017-2022, “Higher Expectations,” laid out a roadmap of priorities for the 17 system campuses to focus on access, student success, affordability and efficiency, economic impact and diversity.

North Carolina A&T surpassed all its goals within the plan, including benchmarks for low-income and rural enrollments. Perhaps most prominently, N.C. A&T had goals to enroll 4,775 low-income students and 2,299 rural students in 2017-18, but exceeded its five-year goals by enrolling 5,152 low-income students and 2,514 rural students. The former total exceeded a 2021 goal of 5,048, and the latter a 2021 goal of 2,422.

A&T also beat its first-year goals of graduating 943 low-income students and 440 rural students, with 1,008 low-income students and 470 rural students.

“A&T’s enrollment management process is strongly focused and enables us to achieve strategic goals around the kinds of students we seek to attract and enroll,” said Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Beryl McEwen. “Identifying specific goals in areas of strong importance to our university, to the UNC System and to the state overall helps us to point our resources in the right direction to achieve them. We look forward to continuing our impressive growth in these and other key areas in the next five years and beyond.”

A&T’s own strategic plan was updated last year. “Preeminence: Taking the Momentum to 2023” includes multiple targets aligned with the UNC System’s “Higher Expectations” plan, including five-year graduation rates, diversity goals and more.

Like the UNC System, A&T has topped not only its first-year goal for students graduating in five years but exceeded its five-year goal.

A&T also exceeded five-year goals in achievement gaps in overall degree efficiency among male students and low-income student completion. Other variables measured include “critical workforce,” where the university graduated 844 students in STEM and nursing disciplines, and research productivity, in which A&T faculty generated nearly $64.3 million in contracts and grants in fiscal year 2017.