THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 15, 1996 TAG: 9606150325
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY MASON PETERS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: 86 lines
Nobody promised Professor Mickey Burnim a rose garden when he came to Elizabeth City State University as interim chancellor 10 months ago, and for a while he wondered if he'd have to settle for just the thorns.
But Friday, some changes were made.
In the solemn setting of a meeting of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, in Chapel Hill, Burnim was unanimously elected chancellor of ECSU.
For the slim, goateed, 47-year-old teacher-economist, it was the culmination of a remarkable university career that requires a 12-page curriculum vitae to describe.
``I firmly believe that Mickey Burnim is the right person to lead Elizabeth City State University into the next century,'' said UNC President C.D. Spangler Jr., when he put Burnim's name in nomination at the regular June meeting of the board.
``His broad experience and dedicated commitment to scholarship and public service will be forceful and effective for ECSU and the northeastern region of our state,'' Spangler added.
Stanley Green, a Raleigh banker who is chairman of ECSU's Board of Trustees, described the work of a search committee that winnowed a list of chancellor candidates. Finally, only Burnim and Dr. Carl Carpenter, a former interim chancellor at the University of South Carolina in Orangeburg, remained in the running.
Carpenter was eliminated this month.
After Burnim was chosen Friday, he was escorted into the Board of Governors' meeting room and informed of his selection. The governors gave him a standing ovation.
Burnim became the eighth leader of ECSU, a traditionally black school that is part of the UNC system.
Spangler sent Burnim to ECSU in September 1995 as an interim chancellor to replace Jimmy R. Jenkins Jr., who had unexpectedly resigned as chancellor and returned to the faculty as a biology instructor.
In recent years, a certain amount of stress marked the administration of ECSU. Tensions arose between town and gown when a vocal group of white citizens complained that ECSU - and Jenkins - deliberately sought to minimize white influence at the university.
And over the years, white townsfolk have sought to change the name and function of ECSU and make it a new, wholly integrated ``University of North Carolina at Elizabeth City.''
When Burnim became interim chancellor last year, he gracefully but firmly took the helm and left no doubt that he would be tough but fair. He has privately demanded that some faculty members work harder and be more sensitive to the needs of students.
In remarks Friday after his election by the UNC Board of Governors, Burnim hinted that he felt the present African-American orientation of ECSU works well in practice.
``It has been my privilege to serve as interim chancellor at ECSU, and that experience has given me a deep appreciation for the warmth of the people . . . the rich history and legacy of Elizabeth City State University . . . and the vast potential which it has for further serving the citizens of North Carolina,'' he said.
Burnim endeared himself to students when he announced upon arrival at ECSU that he would usually be absent when his son was playing varsity football at the University of Virginia. Adrian Burnim, the football player, has recently transferred to ECSU. Burnim and his wife, the former LaVera Levels, also have a daughter, Cinnamon, who is a journalist in Washington, D.C.
The Texas-born Burnim won his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Wisconsin in 1977. He has been on the faculty of several universities and most recently was vice chancellor for academic affairs and an economics professor at N.C. Central University in Durham.
These were his closing remarks to the UNC Board of Governors:
``You are well aware that (ECSU) has some problems and challenges.
``I prefer to view them as opportunities, and we will continue our aggressive pursuit of qualitative improvements in management as well as (in) academic areas.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
Mickey Burnim
Eighth leader of Elizabeth City State University
Age: 47
Currently: vice chancellor, ECSU
Most recently: Economics professor and vice chancellor for
academic affairs, N.C. Central University, Durham.
Education: Doctorate in economics, University of Wisconsin, 1977.
Born: Texas
Family: Wife, the former LaVera Levels; daughter, Cinnamon; son,
Adrian. by CNB