Page 6 - Alcorn - The University Magazine: Spring, 2018

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A Brave Rising
Reflecting on the Rankins Years 2014 - 2018
Alcornites are familiar with the saying, “To whom much is given, much is required.” No truer statement can be made about the career and work of our brave leader. The phrase became a living truth on Friday, March 23, 2018, when the Board of
Trustees of Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning announced its appointment of Alcorn State University President Alfred Rankins Jr. as Commissioner of Higher Education effective July 1. The appointment represents the first for an African-American in Mississippi history and for Alcorn.
Dr. Rankins was given much responsibility when he was named president of Alcorn. Now much more will be required of him and the Alcorn community. One thing we know is that he is ready for the challenge. His experiences and successes at Alcorn will serve him well in leading the state’s higher education system.
As we prepare for the next transition, the Alcorn family can look back with pride and affection at the many accomplishments achieved together under the leadership of our nineteenth president over the past four years.
President Rankins returned to his alma mater in March 2014 as a seasoned higher education executive and only the fifth alumnus to serve as president of the institution. At the time of his appointment, the Alcorn family was certain of one thing. We needed a leader to not only stabilize but also guide the university forward. Rankins answered the call and has met or exceeded expectations.
Since taking the reins of America’s oldest historically black land- grant university, Dr. Rankins has made every year special in its own way. What each year has in common is that each saw positive change and a strengthened stability that has prepared the university for a bright future.
As a comprehensive HBCU land-grant university with a sustained national reputation, Alcorn is in a stronger position to not only continue its progress but rise higher.
Reflecting on his tenure as the institution’s executive officer, Rankins beams with pride in the advances made and is confident in Alcorn’s move toward a flourishing future.
“We have made great strides over the past four years. When I came back to lead the campus as president, my goal was to make Alcorn into a model university, not just a model HBCU,” said Rankins.
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“I am deeply humbled by the collaborative efforts and work of our faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends that have led to our considerable achievements of the past four years. Together, we have accomplished so much – and more important work remains.”
At the forefront of his leadership strategy, Rankins launched FACES – a multifaceted, student-focused service model that actively engaged members of the Braves’ faculty, staff and student leaders around facilities advancement, academic excellence, customer service, enrollment growth and student success.
From developing new academic programs in education, health sciences, social sciences and business, to transforming the student academic profile and opening a National Policy Research Center, to constructing the largest video scoreboard on an HBCU campus, the face of the university has changed for the better. These memorable examples of our many recent accomplishments illustrate Alcorn’s abiding commitment to transforming the lives of our students and strengthening the communities we live in.
Alcorn and Rankins’ ascent has been a shared transformative experience that has also seen the rise of fellow Braves throughout the university family.
The stories and examples of progress in the following pages highlight the successes realized by Alcorn during an abbreviated but critical period of her history. More importantly, they underscore the university’s ability to maintain and accelerate our growth trajectory in the years ahead.
When one Brave rises, we all rise. We are all Braves rising, and we rejoice in the rise of our own. We celebrate a Brave’s rising.