WS Chronicle

JESS SCHNUR 

THE CHRONICLE 

Get to Know Chancellor Brown 

For the first time since its founding in 1892, Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) welcomed a woman as its permanent 14th chancellor. Bonita Brown comes from a family of WSSU graduates and has spent nearly her entire life on campus.  

Growing up on a farm in Davidson County, Brown had always been drawn to education through her mother’s work as a teacher and fostered a love of reading from a young age. She was also always active in her church, attending youth trips and singing for the choir. Brown had always held a passion when it came to singing, and she sang in an a cappella grown known as Witnessing Christ Through Songs. “We had CDs – that’s how old we are,” said Brown in an interview with The Chronicle. “We had CDs and tapes, and we would travel all over the country. We sang at almost every event. I think the most memorable one was when BB and CC winners were here at the Coliseum, we got to open for them. Music is my thing. That’s my escape.” 

As the “smart girl” in all her classes, Brown would go on to study law at Wake Forest University, a skillset that she finds brings her success in her current role as chancellor.  

“Going to [university] with those people who were afforded more opportunities than I had been afforded, I was able to navigate that, often being the ‘only’ in a class. But I grew up being the ‘only’ from elementary almost to high school,” Brown told The Chronicle. “But all those experiences shaped me, taught me how to stand up for myself. It showed me inequities. It showed me that there were a lot of people who were good in their hearts and who understood that. I am a person who cares about people. I want everybody to thrive. I want everybody to do well. I was that child that would stand up for the child that was being bullied. I’d be like, ‘no, we’re not doing that.’ I didn’t like people being treated unfairly. So, I think that’s what led me kind of to law school, that justice, that understanding what the rules were, how to play by those rules.” 

WSSU Strives to Extend Academic Excellence to Everyone 

WSSU has remained committed to giving back to the Winston-Salem community, whether it be through services throughout the city or helping to make higher education more accessible across the board.  

“[WSSU’s] vision is that we are this region’s comprehensive HBCU University: that’s who we are. Meaning, we serve the entire region,” said Brown. “So that means we should be out doing community service. That also means we should be receiving support from every aspect of this community. That means we’re refining our degree offerings and that we are the beacon of hope for those who might not be thinking about school or might not have even thought that they could go to school or just need to reskill. So, we need to provide those opportunities, which may be we need to operate a little differently. Is that offering evening night courses? Is that more online? Is that going to corporations and having classes there, or being at the local YMCA offering services? So, I’m challenging my team to think about those kinds of things.” 

At WSSU, 70% of its student body are Pell-eligible, making it the largest population of Pell-eligible students than any other school in the UNC system. Amidst a nationwide struggle for federal funding, coupled with inflation pervading the costs of room and board and meal plans for colleges across the country, Chancellor Brown acknowledges the struggles that many prospective students are currently facing when it comes to the cost of higher education. However, according to Brown, WSSU is “doubling down” on finding funding opportunities for school-sponsored scholarships, in addition to an internal analysis to cut university costs and lower the price tag for many students looking to enroll.  

One of the unique ways to support scholarships is Brown’s engagement with local corporations to help foster the next generation of dedicated workers. “You need staff and employees. You should help us develop your workforce. And so, as we’re talking to our corporate partners, we’re pitching a lot of ideas to them, inclusive of scholarships. And we just think that’s fair,” said Brown. “You need a product, we can help you develop a product, but we need your help. And so, they’re being open to that. They’re gonna partner with us for scholarships, internship opportunities, and a lot of things.” 

So far, the university has seen this strategy reap what it has sown, as the school recently received $2 million from the Bedford Falls Foundation to help support scholarships for the school’s nursing program, amidst the state’s ongoing shortage of nurses. 

Last year, WSSU also received a Completion Grant from the state to help supplement students who could not graduate due to outstanding payments. “Some students just need $1,000. Some just needed $1,500. To me, that’s a low cost for the state to pay to get to a graduated, educated workforce,” said Brown. While these completion grants have not yet been implemented into the upcoming budget, Brown and her team are continuously conversing with legislators to advocate for the impact these funds have on students and their futures. 

Transparency, according to Brown, is key. WSSU financial packages break down the values of costs and aid, so that students understand what they will be paying – which, Brown hopes, will be as little as possible. “People ask me what keeps me up at night. It is those very questions you were asking [about financing higher education],” said Brown. “We don’t want funding to be a barrier. I think that’s the greatest injustice that there is to someone is to be blocked from education because of funding.” 

Whether it be the innovative academic programs, such as the Mobile Health Unit and the Intergenerational Center, broadening civic horizons through international programs, to the excitement that buzzes on a game day for the Rams, the students of WSSU are what inspires Brown to continue her hard work in her role as chancellor. 

Facing a Unique Future for Education 

With the uncertain charter laid before higher education, especially with the rise of AI automation, Brown dives into these challenges head-on. 

AI, asserted Brown, cannot replace the leadership and interpersonal skills from a four-year education, but it can help alleviate processes on the back end to help faculty provide the best academic experience possible for its students.  

Despite what may lie ahead on the horizon for higher education while navigating the current sociopolitical climate, Brown empowers the students of WSSU to never forget the value in their work. 

“My encouragement to the campus and to my faculty and staff and to the students is we have to continue doing what we do best. We’ve been educating people since 1892. I think we can stand firm on that foundation. I think we can be proud of the work that we’ve done. I also think we can be on the cutting edge and leading this whole education and what it looks like and feels like to the next level,” said Brown.  

“So don’t get discouraged. Don’t give up hope. Let’s do what we do best. And let’s educate the next generation of Rams.”