Under Thompson’s guidance, the nursing program was revitalized (see story on page 14), emphasis on undergraduate research was heightened, library resources were substantially expanded, and collaborations were established with corporations, universities and other institutions in the U.S. and abroad. Degree programs were expanded to include physical therapy, sports management, middle grades education, therapeutic recreation and management information systems.
Student enrollment 2,845 From 1985 to 1995, the student body grew from 2,425 to 2,845, an increase of 17.4 percent. Composite SAT scores for entering freshmen increased from 612 to 801. There was an 80.4 percent increase in the graduation rates from May 1986 to May 1994. At the time of Thompson’s retirement in 1995, the new student services center was named for him.
A New Millennium As the 20th century came to a close and the new millennium began, WSSU was under the leadership of Alvin J. Schexnider from 1996-2000 and Harold L. Martin until 2006. It was a decade of exceptional growth in the number of students served, programs offered and national recognition received. Highlights included establishment of six master’s programs, an evening MBA program, and groundbreaking for a new $70 million, 160,000-square-foot facility in the Piedmont Triad Research Park to house a biotechnology collaboration with Wake Forest University. In 1999, WSSU was recognized in the “America’s Best Colleges” issue of U.S. News and World Report as a leading public liberal-arts college in the Southern Region. The publication has continued its recognition of WSSU in the Top Public Southern Comprehensive Colleges–Bachelor’s Category. From 2000 to 2006, enrollment nearly doubled (from 2,796 to 5,556), freshman SAT scores climbed by nearly 70 points, and the campus underwent a dramatic physical transformation made possible in part by a $45-million investment from the 2000 Higher Education Bond Program.
Campus renovations included construction of WSSU’s clock tower on the pedestrian mall.
Closing ceremonies for the centennial year were held Sunday, December 6, 1992, and included burial of a time capsule on the north side of Blair Hall on ground which was a part of the site of the first brick building on the campus. The inscription provides for the time capsule to be opened in 2042.
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