While much of my presidential tenure occurred during a period of great turmoil and uncertainty amidst a global pandemic, our institutional commitment to our students never wavered and our students never allowed a pandemic to derail them in the pursuit of their college education. We, like every institution of higher learning, faced the pandemic with creativity and resolve supported by the generosity of federal and philanthropic support. At Wilberforce, we remained focused and intentional in our goal of becoming a high-performing university which occupies a competitive position among our peers while providing a high quality academic and student engagement experience for every student enrolled. We, like our peers, imagine a vital and sustainable future in the 21st century and beyond as an institution unafraid of risk-taking and innovation fully attuned and responsive to the shifting social, cultural and industry demands for an educated workforce.
The departure of one president and the arrival of another is an important moment in the history of any college or university. For Wilberforce, given the most recent history of presidential transition, this is a significant inflection point especially as we communicate to our constituent groups the thoughtfulness and intentionality of this presidential transition. Wilberforce exists at this limen; a threshold of interrogation, strategic thinking, action, and innovation regarding who we are as a 21st century university and what we might be capable of and committed to becoming.
The record of our accomplishments, notably, over 50% reduction in the University’s overall debt, removal from probation by our accrediting body, forgiveness of student debt for the Classes of 2020 and 2021, establishing strategic partnerships with Premier Health, Cincinnati Reds and Ohio State University and re-establishing the University band, chorus, baseball, and golf, form the foundation upon which successive administrations might build a stronger Wilberforce. And the Employee Retention Credit project that began in January 2023 is complete. Thanks to the work done by the Office of Business and Finance and the Office of Administration and Human Resources. The credit calculation for 2021 is $1,888,341 (minus a 12% fee). The calculation for 2020 will be completed by May 23, 2023, and is anticipated to be one-third of 2021.
I am most proud of this solid foundation of progress that I am able to bequeath to my successor. We have worked hard to position Wilberforce University for its next level of ascendency. As I have proudly noted, resilience is part of the institutional DNA of Wilberforce University and we choose to use these historic circumstances as an urgent call to contemporary action to continue our work of institutional renewal and transformation under the leadership of the 23rd President, Dr. Vann Newkirk, Sr.
Dr. Elfred Anthony Pinkard is the retired 22nd President of Wilberforce University.
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