RaVonda Dalton-Rann to retire from WSSU
Dalton-Rann
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
Number of freshman accepted increases 30%
At the Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) Board of Trustees meeting, a variety of news was announced.
RaVonda Dalton-Rann, executive assistant to the chancellor and university secretary, was honored for her 15 years of service. Dalton-Rann is set to retire later this year.
Dalton-Rann has supported five chief administrators. In this position, she manages the operations of the Office of the Chancellor and serves as liaison to the university Board of Trustees.
She has been employed as a college administrator, television promotion officer, school teacher and researcher and has served on several non-profit boards.
WSSU also announced that the number of incoming freshman accepted into the university has increased by 30 percent since last fall.
During a Board of Trustees meeting on Friday, March 18, Provost Brenda Allen said 2,549 high school seniors have been accepted for the fall 2016 semester, compared to 1,968 accepted during the 2015 fall semester.
Allen mentioned the increase in acceptance may be because the university has decided to pursue more students who have maintained a high grade point average (GPA) instead of putting emphasis on standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT.
She said GPA shows students have learned study habits that are beneficial at the college level. “We have really looked closely at the data and we are trying to go after students who are showing great potential through their work in high school,” said Allen. “ The thing we know about GPA is that it is the best predictor of success in college.”
According to university records, the average GPA of students accepted for the fall 2016 term is 3.43 compared to 3.41 during the same time last year.
Last year, WSSU had a freshman enrollment of 887, the most in the schools’ 124-year history. Allen said this fall the university is set to enroll 900 first-year students. Allen noted anything beyond 900 is more than they can provide for, considering the number of students already enrolled at the university.
WSSU currently has an undergraduate enrollment of about 5,150.
“Going into the fall, we are in really good shape,” said Allen. “Our freshman enrollment will come in at or about our target, and that is always a plus.”
The Chronicle will have more information on RaVonda Dalton-Rann in an upcoming issue of the paper.
