Jan. 17, 2007
COMPLETE GAME NOTES
WINSTON-SALEM, NC -- Quick Hits...The Rams (1-19) return to action on Thursday evening as they face the Spartans of Norfolk State University as WSSU looks to try and earn their first multi-game win streak of the season. WSSU is coming off of a win, their second total victory of the season, on January 7, 2007 over Ferrum College. The Rams' 77-56 win improved WSSU to 2-18 on the season overall and snapped a 15-game losing streak, the Rams' longest such losing streak since the 1991-92 season.
Setting The Scene...The Rams enter into tonight's contest with a 2-18 record overall. Winston-Salem State University just snapped a 15-game losing streak as they followed up their first win of the season (over Anderson (SC) University by the score of 67-44 on November 14, 2006) with 15 consecutive losses to Auburn (95-62), Georgia State (94-87), Coppin State (81-65), Georgia Southern (70-41 and 59-49), Lipscomb (62-46), Notre Dame (90-45), the University of South Florida (63-43), Akron (79-67), Georgetown (76-32), #11/#12 Kansas (94-43), UAB (84-53), Towson (80-59), Georgia Tech (97-46) and most recently to Morgan State (53-50) to drop to 1-18 overall before snapping the losing skid with a 21-point (77-56) victory over Ferrum College that came in the Rams' most recent action.
Looking At The Past Schedule...The Rams will be playing in their 21st game overall and their 17th contest away from home. The Rams opened the season with three games, all losses, in Fresno, California and followed it up with a home game on November 14. Following WSSU's win over Anderson (SC) on November 14, WSSU traveled to Auburn, AL where they played their fourth game away from home, losing 95-62 (November 17). They then traveled to Atlanta, GA where they dropped a 94-87 decision to the Panthers of Georgia State University at the GSU Sports Arena on November 19 before losing a game at Coppin State University on November 21 by the score of 81-65. The Rams' then fell 70-41 at Georgia Southern University on November 25 and added losses at Lipscomb and Notre Dame before falling to Georgia Southern and South Florida at home. The Rams then went out on the road and dropped a 79-67 decision to Akron and a 76-32 decision to Georgetown before falling in defeat in on of their most lopsided contests of the season by 51 points (94-43) to #11/#12 Kansas in Lawrence, KS before falling at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham, Alabama on December 21 (84-53). WSSU then opened up yet another road trip on December 29 when they fell in defeat at Towson in Towson, Maryland by the score of 80-59. WSSU followed the loss to the Tigers with their most lopsided loss of the season when they fell to the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech by the score of 97-46 at Alexander Memorial Coliseum in Atlanta, Georgia. WSSU then followed the loss to the Yellow Jackets up with their closest contest of the season, a 53-50 loss to Morgan State. Following the loss to the Bears, the Rams returned home and snapped a 15-game losing streak as they defeated Division III foe Ferrum College by the score of 77-56. The Rams have played more road contests than most Division I teams have played total games thus far in 2006-07 as WSSU has played 14 road contests (posting an 0-14 record) and two contests at neutral sites (posting an 0-2 record) for an overall record of 0-16 away from home.
What's On Tap...The Rams are returning to the road, a place where they have yet to win this season. WSSU has posted an 0-14 record in true road games and has posted an 0-2 record at neutral sites as the Rams dropped both neutral site contests in the Traveler's Basketball Classic hosted by Fresno State University in Fresno, California in the season's opening weekend. WSSU's closest road contest was a three-point loss to Morgan State University (53-50) that came on January 5, 2007.
Last Action...The Rams' last action came on January 7, 2007 as WSSU earned their second victory of the season and snapped a 15-game losing skid with a 77-56 victory over Ferrum College at the C.E. Gaines Center in Winston-Salem, NC. Winston-Salem State received 12 points from Curtis Hines and Darius Floyd, and Brian Fisher chipped in with 11 points as the Rams earned their second win of the season, a 21-point drubbing of the Panthers, a Division III opponent.
Up Next...The Rams will return home to face another NCAA Division I Independent as they host the Bison of North Dakota State University. The Bison, like the Rams, have recently made the move to the NCAA Division I level, and identical to the Rams, will spend this season as an NCAA Division I Independent before joining a conference next season. The Bison will pose a very stiff threat to the Rams as they are coming off of a 2005-06 season in which they posted a 16-12 record, a mark which included an impressive road victory over the nationally-ranked Wisconsin Badgers. The contest will mark the first game of a home-and-home series with the Rams as WSSU travels to Fargo, North Dakota on February 21 to face the Bison on their home court.
Following The Game Against NSU...Following the Rams' match-up with the Spartans of Norfolk State University, WSSU will return home to a place that almost seems foreign to them...the C.E. Gaines Center in Winston-Salem, NC. WSSU will play only their fifth home game of the season as they return to a court that they have played on only four other times. The Rams will have only 44 hours from the completion of the contest versus Norfolk State University before tipping off against the Bison. Included in that 44 hour time period will be a five-hour bus ride from Norfolk, Virginia back to Winston-Salem, NC immediately following the game versus the Spartans.
It Had Been A Decade...The Rams just snapped a 15 consecutive game losing streak that saw them lose 18 of their first 19 contests. The Rams' 15-game losing streak was the most consecutive losses for WSSU since a similar 15-game skid that occurred during the 1991-92 season, a season in which the Rams finished the year with a 6-20 record.
How Long Has It Been?...The Rams last losing season came in 1995-96 when Winston-Salem State University posted a 7-18 overall record. Since then WSSU had recorded ten consecutive winning seasons. Following the Rams' loss to UAB on December 23, 2006 the Rams were assured of their first losing season in over a decade.
On The Radio...Thursday's game versus Norfolk State University will not be carried on the radio. The Rams will return to the airwaves when they broadcast Saturday's non-conference contest versus the Bison of North Dakota State University from the C.E. Gaines Center as the game will be broadcast on WSNC Radio 90.5 FM with Maurice "Big Mo" Stanfield calling the play-by-play and LA Batchelor providing color. The broadcast will also be available on the Internet at www.WSSU.edu.
On Television...The game between the Rams and the Spartans is not televised. However, the Rams' game versus Kansas was the second of three scheduled games that the Rams play on television. The Rams and the Hoyas of Georgetown played on MASN, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network with Jason Knapp on the play-by-play and Mark Tillmon providing color commentary. The Rams returned to television versus Kansas on December 19, 2006 as they appeared on ESPN Plus and Jayhawk TV with Dave Armstrong and Paul Splittorff calling the action. WSSU will appear on Jefferson Pilot sports when they face the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest on February 6, 2006. Thus far this season the Rams have posted an 0-2 record in televised contests.
Live Audio/Live Stats...The WSSU Department of Athletics will provide a real-time live statistics broadcast of the game between the Rams and the Spartans at www.WSSURAMS.com by accessing the men's basketball schedule link and accessing the GAMETRACKER function.
The Polls...Neither the Rams nor the Spartans are ranked. The Rams have faced a pair of opponents this season that are currently ranked in the national polls in the Kansas Jayhawks (currently ranked #5/#5) and the Fighting Irish of the University of Notre Dame (currently ranked #20/#20). The first ranking indicates the Associated Press poll, the second indicates the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.
Collins Versus The Spartans...The Rams' Bobby Collins who is in his first season as the head coach at Winston-Salem State has faced the Spartans of Norfolk State 10 times during his coaching career. Collins has posted an even record versus NSU as he sports a 5-5 mark all-time versus Norfolk State University. Collins won the most recent meeting with NSU as he earned a 73-56 win over the Spartans in the second round of the 2006 MEAC Tournament. Collins has won only two of the last five head-to-head meetings with NSU as the Spartans swept Collins in the 2005-06 regular season and split a pair of contests with the Collins-led Pirates of Hampton during the 2004-05 season.
The Series...Norfolk State leads the head-to-head series 32-12 overall. The Rams are in the second year of a five-year transition to the NCAA Division I level from Division II where they posted 49 winning seasons and won the 1967 National Championship. WSSU has not faced the Spartans since the 1996-97 season when Norfolk State earned a 71-68 win over the Rams at the C.E. Gaines Center in Winston-Salem, NC. The Rams have dropped six consecutive contests to NSU and have not defeated the Spartans since earning an 81-67 win over Norfolk State during the 1990-91 season.
The Coaches...WSSU is led by Bobby Collins who is in his first year as the head coach of the Rams. He is entering into his fifth season as a Division I head coach and has posted a 67-75 overall record as he led Hampton University to a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament last season. He has posted a 2-18 overall record at WSSU with his wins coming in a 67-44 decision over the Anderson University Trojans and a 77-56 victory over the Ferrum College Panthers. The Spartans are led by Dwight Freeman who is in his fifth year as Norfolk State's head coach. Freeman has posted a record of 57-74 at NSU and a career mark of 103-139 over the course of eight total seasons. The two coaches have posted 5-5 records versus one another over the course of their coaching careers. Collins won the most recent head-to-head match-up as he earned a 73-56 win over NSU and Freeman in last year's MEAC Tournament.
The Century Club...Senior guard/forward Curtis Hines appeared in his 100th game as a Rams when he played versus Akron on December 9, 2006. He celebrated cracking the century mark with a 20-point performance, including going 5-of-7 from behind the three-point arch.
A Look At The Spartans...Thursday's contest will be the 16th game of the season for the Spartans this season as Norfolk State has posted a 5-10 record thus far in 2006-07. Norfolk State is getting hot at the right time as they have earned victories in four of their last five contests and are riding a three-game win streak. The Spartans are 3-1 at home this season, are 2-7 on the road and are 0-2 at neutral sites. Norfolk State is also 5-1 in the MEAC thus far this season.
A Look At Norfolk State University...Norfolk State University is an institution of higher education that is located in Norfolk, Virginia. A member of the NCAA Division I's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Norfolk State boasts an enrollment of 6,100 students. The Spartans' colors are green and gold and they play their home contests in Echols Hall, a venue with a capacity of 7,000 persons. Dr. Carolyn Winstead Meyers serves as NSU's President with Marty L. Miller serving as the University's Director of Athletics.
Three In Common...The Rams and Spartans have faced three common opponents this season in Coppin State, Morgan State, and the University of South Florida (USF). The Rams dropped all three decisions and the Spartans have posted a record of 2-1 to those opponents having lost only to USF.
A Tribute To Coach "Big House" Gaines...Since the unfortunate passing of legendary WSSU coach Clarence E. "Big House" Gaines nearly 20 months ago, the Rams have continued to adorn the name-plate on the back of all of their uniforms with his name. C.E. "Big House" Gaines still ranks as the fifth winningest coach in NCAA history and remains the winningest African American coach in NCAA history. He put Winston-Salem State University on the map and as such, the team pays tribute to him by adorning their jerseys with his namesake.
O-Fer In The Harbor Town...The Rams are currently 0-2 this season when playing in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. The Rams lost an 81-56 decision to the Eagles of Coppin State in Baltimore, Maryland on November 21, 2006 and lost their most recent contest, a 53-50 decision to Morgan State University on January 7, 2006.
A November Record...The Rams played 10 games during the month of November, turning in a 1-9 record. Until this season Winston-Salem State University had never played 10 games during the first month of the season. WSSU had played nine games in the month of November three times in history but had never played 10 games like they did this season. Of those ten games, nine came on the road.
14 Conferences Down...The months of November, December, and January saw the Rams play teams from 14 different conferences. The Rams faced the: Western Athletic Conference (WAC) when they played Fresno State, Big West when they played UC-Irvine, the Sun Belt when they played South Alabama, the Carolinas-Virginias Athletic Conference (NCAA Division II) when they played Anderson, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) when they played Auburn, the Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA) when they played Georgia State and Towson, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) when they played Coppin State and Morgan State, the Atlantic Sun (A-Sun) when they played Lipscomb, and the Big East when they played Notre Dame, the University of South Florida, and Georgetown. The Rams added their 11th conference played when they faced the Akron Zips of the Mid-American Conference and added their 12th conference faced at Kansas as they faced the big 12 for the first, and only, time this season. The Rams then added Conference USA in their loss to UAB as WSSU faced their 13th conference of 2006-07 before adding their 14th conference of the season with a loss at Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) member Georgia Tech.
One Conference To Go...The Rams have faced 14 different conferences thus far in 2006-07 and will face one additional conference this season. In the upcoming weeks the Rams will face the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) again when they face Wake Forest (January 3 and February 6), and will revisit the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference when they face Florida A&M, and Bethune-Cookman (January 27 and 29 respectively). However, the Rams' last unique conference that they will face is the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) when they face Alabama A&M (February 12) giving the Rams a total of 15 different conferences faced this season.
Home, Sweet Home?...The Rams have played four games at home and have posted a .500 record in those contests en route to a 2-2 mark in homes games. The Rams defeated Anderson (SC) and Ferrum (VA) and lost contests to Georgia Southern and the University of South Florida. WSSU looks to move that record to 3-2 on Saturday when they face North Dakota State University at the C.E. Gaines Center.
Road Weary...The Rams have yet to win a game played on the road this season. WSSU has dropped 16 contests away from the C.E. Gaines Center. WSSU has posted an 0-14 record on the road and an 0-2 record at neutral sites.
No Rest For The Wicked...It gets no easier for the Rams as they follow up a road contest at Norfolk State (Jan. 18) with a home game versus North Dakota State (Jan. 20) and then three straight road contests as they travel to Daytona Beach, Florida to face Bethune-Cookman College on January 27; Tallahassee, Florida to face Florida A&M on January 29; and travel across town to face the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest on February 6, 2007 in the Twin-City Classic.
Must Score More Than 59...The Rams need to hit the 60-point mark if they want to earn a win. WSSU has posted an 0-14 record when they score 59 or less points during the 2006-07 season.
Chilly December...The Rams are not sad to see the month of December pass them by. Winston-Salem State posted an 0-7 record in the final month of 2006 as they dropped all seven games they played.
Winless When They Score First...The Rams are winless and have posted an 0-11 record when their opponents score the first points of the game. WSSU has posted a 2-7 record when they tally the contest's first points.
Field Goal Defense Keys Wins...The Rams are allowing their opponents to shoot nearly 51% from the field this season and the results show it. WSSU has posted an 0-13 record this season when they allow their opponents to hit more than half of their shots.
Rebounding Deficit...The Rams are being out-rebounded by nearly nine boards per game in 2006-07 and WSSU has posted an 0-17 record when opponents out-rebound them. WSSU is 2-1 when they out-rebound their opponents.
Look Good, Feel Good? Maybe Not...The Rams fashion choices may have no correlation between their winning and losing as WSSU has posted an 0-10 record while wearing their red jerseys, and 0-6 record while wearing their black jerseys and a 2-2 record while wearing their white jerseys.
Wednesday's Second Time...The contest versus Georgia Tech on December 7, 2007 marked only the second time that the Rams have played on a Wednesday. WSSU has posted an 0-2 record in 2006-07 when playing on a Wednesday.
Lewis Gets Starting Three-Peat...Greg Lewis started his first career game for the Rams versus the Bulls of the University of South Florida. Unfortunately, Lewis fouled out of the contest after recording only seven minutes of playing time while scoring no points. He logged his second career start versus Akron where he played 11 minutes, scoring four points and picking up a pair of personal fouls and followed it up with his third career, and third consecutive, start at Georgetown University where he logged 15 minutes, missed both his shots from the field and collected three personal fouls.
On The Receiving End...The Rams were again on the receiving end of another team record as the University of South Florida's McHugh Mattis recorded the Bulls' second-ever triple double as he tallied 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots while playing all 40 minutes in the game against the Rams on December 7, 2006.
Wonge Scoreless No More...Darrell Wonge, who turned in three consecutive scoreless games in the month of December, broke his scoreless drought as he tallied 14 points versus Akron. Wonge posted a five-of-eight shooting night and hit three of his four three-point field goal attempts.
Only 20%...The Rams shot a chilly 20.4% from the field versus the Hoyas of Georgetown on December 16 as WSSU hit only 10 of their 49 field goal attempts. The Rams have shot less than 40% in 17 of 20 games this season and have posted a loss in all 17 of those games.
Frequent Flier Miles...The Rams will travel over 25,000 miles round trip this season as they play 23 road games this year. The Rams will travel by plane to visit 12 opponents and will travel by charter bus for the remaining 11 opponents.
Unique Opponents...The Rams will face 27 unique opponents during the 2006-07 season. The Rams will play only the Georgia Southern Eagles and the North Dakota State Bison more than once during their first year as a Division I team.
Trailing At The Half...The Rams have led at halftime five times this season and have posted a 2-3 record when doing so. WSSU has trailed at the half 15 times and WSSU has posted losses in all 15 of those contests.
Have To Hold `Em Under 30%...The Rams' pair of wins of the 2006-07 season came when they held their opponents to under 35% shooting from the field. When opponents shoot 40% or better from the field the Rams are a collective 0-17 on the season.
Margin Is High...The Rams have lost 12 games by 17 points or more. WSSU has had only one contest decided by less than 10 points. That close contest came in a 53-50 loss at Morgan State University on January 5 2007.
Don't Bet On Black...The Rams have played 14 games away from home (non-neutral site games). However, WSSU has lost six of those games while wearing their alternate black jersey and lost 10 games wearing their road red jersey (the other two losses coming in a neutral-site game away from home when they wore their home white jersey).
Transition Year Two...The Rams are currently in the second year of a five-year transition from the Division II level to the highest level of competition in Division I. The Rams are an independent team this season but will join the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2007-08. The Rams will become a full-fledged Division I member that is eligible for all NCAA championships in the 2010-11 season.
12th MEAC Member...On July 20, 2006, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced that it will expand its membership to 12 members next year, as the league voted to admit Winston-Salem State University into the league beginning in 2007-08. "We are elated to welcome Winston-Salem into the MEAC family", said Commissioner Dennis Thomas. "Obviously we think that WSSU is an outstanding academic institution with an excellent athletics program." Winston-Salem State University is currently in the second year of its reclassification from Division II to NCAA Division I status. WSSU will begin a full MEAC schedule in all sports beginning in 2007-08. However they will not be eligible for MEAC Championship play until the 2010 football season. The addition of WSSU marks the first expansion for the MEAC since 1997, when Norfolk State University became the 11th member of the conference.
Tough Tests...The Rams have one of the most difficult schedules in the nation. They face 15 different conferences and will face 27 unique opponents. The Rams face #11/#12 Kansas (December 19), previously-ranked, and vote-getter Georgetown (December 16) and vote-getter Georgia Tech (January 3) this season. WSSU faces four teams that made the 2006 NCAA Tournament (Georgetown, Kansas, South Alabama, and Alabama-Birmingham) and five teams that made the NIT (Wake Forest, Lipscomb, Georgia Southern, Notre Dame and Akron).
It's In The Game...With their transition to the Division I level, the Rams have been included in the latest installment of Take 2 Interactive's NCAA 2K7 video game for X-Box, X-Box 360 and Sony Playstation 2. The Rams are rated a 68 overall and are ranked higher overall than all but two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference teams.
A New Era; A Proud History...The Rams are entering into a new era at WSSU as they are heading into the Division I ranks. However, the Rams have a history of basketball excellence as they have recorded 49 winning seasons including 10 consecutive winning years. The Rams have posted 23 20-win seasons and a 30-win season in 1967 when they won the NCAA Championship with a 31-1 record.
1000-Plus Wins All-Time...Winston-Salem State University has posted an all-time record of 1051-614 for a winning percentage of 63.1%. Legendary coach Clarence E. "Big House" Gaines won 828 games at WSSU during his career which still places him fifth on the NCAA's all-time win list (behind Bobby Knight of Indiana and now Texas Tech, Dean Smith of North Carolina, Adolph Rupp of Kentucky, and Jim Phelan of Mount Saint Mary's).
California Love?...The Rams are not thrilled with their early-season road trip to California. The Rams are now saddled with an overall all-time mark of 0-2 versus teams from the State of California, and head coach Bobby Collins is now 0-4 all-time versus California schools.
First In Shooting...The Rams were first in the CIAA in shooting percentage last season as they hit 47.6% of their shots. WSSU shot 50% or better from the field in 11 of their last 15 games in 2005-06 and posted an 11-4 mark over that stretch. This season the Rams have yet to crack the 50% shooting barrier in any game.
Turnover Differential...The Rams ranked first in the CIAA in turnover margin as they turned in a plus (+) 3.04 turnover ratio last season. This season the Rams are committing eight-tenths of a turnover more per game than they force.
Injury Update...Heading into the 14th week of the 2006-07 season, the Rams are again healthy with no players on the injury chart. All 14 active roster members will be at head coach Bobby Collins' disposal for Sunday's game.
Jamal Durham Up To His Old Tricks...WSSU sophomore forward Jamal Durham is continuing the 2006-07 season right where he left off last season, a season that saw him earn CIAA All-Rookie honors. Durham heads into this week's action averaging 7.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per contest.
The Last Time WSSU Scored 100...The last time that the Rams scored 100 points was on December 2, 2005 versus Knoxville College. The Rams earned the 103-80 win in Winston-Salem, NC at the CE Gaines Center. In that game WSSU had seven players score in double-figures as Alleggrie Guinn tallied 20 points to lead the Rams.
The Last Time WSSU Gave Up 100...The last time that the Rams gave up 100 points to an opponent was on February 14, 1998 (Valentine's Day) at Capel Arena in Fayetteville, NC. The Rams lost that contest, broadcast live on television on MBC Networks, in triple-overtime, to Fayetteville State University by the score of 112-104 (3OT).
The Last Time WSSU Held An Opponent To Under 30% FG Shooting...The last time that the Rams held an opponent to less than 30% shooting from the field was on November 14, 2006 when they held the Trojans of Anderson University (SC) to a 28.6.0% shooting percentage as the Trojans converted only 14 of 49 field goal attempts. The contest was a 67-44 win for WSSU at the C.E. Gaines Center in Winston-Salem, NC. It also served as Bobby Collins first win as head coach at WSSU.
Deep Bench...Despite being young, the Rams, and head coach Bobby Collins have a deep bench. Through 20 games of the 2006-07 season, Winston-Salem State University has eight players on the roster who have appeared in all 20 games. The Rams also have 10 players who have started at least one contest.
The Last Time WSSU Had Two Players Record Double-Doubles In The Same Game...Was on December 1, 2001 at Catawba College in Salisbury, NC when Marcus Best, WSSU's all-time leader in steals (346), scored 19 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Devonaire Deas, a transfer from Florida State University, chipped in with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
The Last Time WSSU Had A Player Record An Assist/Points Double-Double...Was on January 31, 2006 as Alleggrie Guinn scored 26 points and added 10 assists in WSSU's 82-75 loss to the Broncos of Fayetteville State University at the LJVM Coliseum Annex.
The Last Time That A WSSU Player Led The Rams In Points/Rebounds/Assists...Was on December 7, 2004 at Mars-Hill College when Alleggrie Guinn recorded 25 points, six rebounds, and four assists in WSSU's 83-80 win. He also led the Rams in steals in that same contest with four.
The Last Time WSSU Defeated A Ranked Team...Was on February 11, 2006 in Charlotte, NC as the Rams handed the 23rd-ranked (NCAA Division II) Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith University an 81-57 defeat at Brayboy Gymnasium. The Rams have defeated at least one ranked team each season for four consecutive seasons (the Rams were a Division II team for 61 years with the 2006-07 season marking their first year as a Division I program).
A Look At The University...Winston-Salem State University was founded as the Slater Industrial Academy on September 28, 1892. It began in a one-room frame structure with 25 pupils and one teacher. In 1895, the school was recognized by the state of North Carolina, and in 1897, it was chartered by the Slater Industrial and State Normal School.
From the beginning, the school has insisted upon the vital importance of elementary school teachers in building an improved citizenship. Emphasis has, therefore, constantly been placed upon the quality and quantity of training for these teachers. In 1925, the General Assembly of North Carolina recognized the school's leadership in this field and granted the school a new charter, extending its curriculum above high school. The school changed its name to Winston-Salem Teachers College and empowered it, under the authority of the State Board of Education, to confer appropriate degrees. Winston-Salem Teachers College thus became the first Negro institution in the nation to grant degrees for teaching in the elementary grades.
The Nursing School was established in 1953, awarding graduates the degree of Bachelor of Science. The basic nursing program covers four years of study with equal emphasis on academic and professional education.
In 1957, the North Carolina General Assembly revised the charter of the college and authorized the expansion of the curriculum to include secondary education and any other specific types of training as directed and determined by the State Board of Higher Education.
The North Carolina General Assembly of 1963 authorized the changing of Winston-Teachers College to Winston-Salem State College. A statute designing Winston-Salem Teachers College as Winston-Salem State University received legislative approval in 1969. On October 30, 1971, the General Assembly reorganized higher education in North Carolina, and on July 1, 1972, Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) became one of 16 constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina, subject to the control of the Board of Governors.
Winston-Salem State University is located on 110 acres in Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, North Carolina, a city of 185,470 residents. This thriving Twin City is part of the Piedmont Triad, which encompasses the neighboring cities of Greensboro and High Point. The Triad is one of the most heavily populated and fastest growing metropolitan areas between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, GA (U.S. Census Statistical Information).
Winston-Salem State University rapidly is changing its "well-kept secret" status. The University has been ranked by U.S. News and World Report's "Best Colleges and Universities" publication as one of the best public liberal arts colleges in the south for the last five years. WSSU is perhaps best defined by part of the University's mission statement which reads: "Excellent academic programs with a strong liberal arts foundation will be offered within a learning culture which exemplifies excellence in teaching and scholarship; emphasizes faculty-student interaction; promotes lifelong learning; and prepares individuals for leadership and service in the global society."
The present day Winston-Salem State University has come a long way from its humble beginnings as Slater Industrial Academy in 1892; WSSU now enrolls over 5,557 students, offers bachelor's degrees in over 40 majors, master's degrees in seven degree programs, and employs nearly 250 full-time faculty and 350 staff members. It is accredited by the Commission on College of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. WSSU has a diverse student population with increasing enrollment of non-traditional and part-time students.
On March 5, 1998 the University's "Strategic Framework for Change" was unveiled to the Board of Trustees and the Winston-Salem community. The document provides the context for transforming today's Winston-Salem State University into one of the region's finest public undergraduate institutions. Nursing at Winston-Salem State University offers a global health curriculum and international student and faculty exchange. Gottenburg's University in Sweden, the Nightingale Institute at King's College in London, the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland, Waterford Regional Technical College in Southern Ireland, and WSSU are all partners in this exciting venture.
The pass rate for Winston-Salem State University nursing graduates on the state board examination is above 90 percent, one of the highest in the state of North Carolina and the highest among historically black colleges and universities nationally.
In the 90's, Fortune 500 corporations increasingly recruited business, economics, and accounting graduates. Recently, the University's student chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants was recognized in the national competition at the Association's annual meeting. Winston-Salem State University is no longer a hidden jewel or "Best Kept Secret." The word is out about WSSU.
WSSU are all partners in this exciting venture.
The pass rate for Winston-Salem State University nursing graduates on the state board examination is above 90 percent, one of the highest in the state of North Carolina and the highest among historically black colleges and universities nationally.
In the 90's, Fortune 500 corporations increasingly recruited business, economics, and accounting graduates. Recently, the University's student chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants was recognized in the national competition at the Association's annual meeting. Winston-Salem State University is no longer a hidden jewel or "Best Kept Secret." The word is out about WSSU.
