
DATE: Thursday, July 10, 1997               TAG: 9707090157

SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN             PAGE: 06   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: COVER STORY 

SOURCE: BY DAWSON MILLS, CORRESPONDENT 

DATELINE: MURFREESBORO, N.C.                LENGTH:  176 lines

A VISION FOR LEARNING

NEXT YEAR, Chowan College, located on 289 acres in the heart of Murfreesboro, will celebrate its sesquicentennial, having been founded in 1848.

But the past is not of paramount importance. It is the future.

In March, Chowan, a four-year Baptist-supported college, installed its 21st president, Dr. Stanley G. Lott, who will guide the institution's course into the 21st century.

Lott is no stranger to the campus.

In 1989, while serving with a college-accrediting agency, he visited Chowan and came to know former Chowan President Bruce E. Whitaker, who led the college for 32 years.

``The institution,'' says Lott, ``is not totally new to me. I have a great appreciation for the history of the college.

``It's been a difficult history, located in an isolated, rural area of northeast North Carolina, an economically depressed area. The college has scrambled and scraped to come up with resources.''

Lott describes what he refers to as ``two happy surprises'' that greeted him upon his arrival on campus one year ago.

``I have discovered that Chowan is an institution of much greater and exciting potential than I had envisioned,'' says Lott. ``The other happy surprise is that it has an absolutely gorgeous campus.

``Chowan has adequate physical space,'' he continues, ``although it lacks two buildings. We need an upscale, up-to-date student center, as 84 percent of our students are residential. And we need a center for performing and visual arts.

``They are an indispensable part of a liberal arts education. We have a strong art department, and the music department has potential, although we lack a theater-drama program.''

Chowan is one of only two four-year institutions, and the only private one, located in the northeast corner of the state, Lott points out. The other is Elizabeth City State University, a public institution. He hopes to capitalize upon Chowan's unique geographical position.

``We are trying to highlight, and keep focused on, the role of the institution in the area of the state where it is located,'' he say.

``I think we can improve conditions in this part of the state. It's ambitious, but we can benefit the community, and the community can benefit us.''

Lott learned last fall that members of the Northeast North Carolina Economic Development Commission were having to travel to Raleigh for computer training.

He obtained funds through a line of credit and installed 25 computers in what had been a telemarketing room to create a regional training center.

``Now the Northeast North Carolina Economic Development Commission can come to Murfreesboro for training for members at least once a month,'' says Lott.

He also added resources to the technical staff for marketing the center, which he would like to see utilized at least three days per week.

Teachers in North Carolina, he points out, are under a mandate to develop and demonstrate computer competency.

``We have become,'' says Lott, ``an important source of computer training for northeast North Carolina.''

He adds that there has also been an aggressive push in the area of computer technology. Chowan already has a fiber-optic network. Faculty members have computers on their desks, linked by a campus-wide network.

Technology has been integrated into the

instruction process, and Lott and others are currently working with the English department to set up a lab to teach English composition exclusively on computers.

``The new technology,'' he says, ``is revitalizing the pedagogy and content of education. It is changing what we teach and how we teach it.''

Lott also describes another campus-wide initiative that, like computers, cuts across all disciplines and departments at the college.

``The faculty adopted a program of ethics across the curriculum,'' says Lott. ``We looked at today's ethical vacuum: young people adrift, a lack of ethical principles in business, individuals and politics.

``We felt a church-related institution should give some awareness of the importance of ethical values.''

The program addresses the quality of life of its students and those around them. Its objectives are two-fold.

The first is to infuse the general educational core curriculum with ethical values and integrate ethics into all courses.

The second calls for every major to include ethical concerns - whether in a course or units of a number of courses, or in some similar fashion, with a capstone course at the end of the four-year period tying together major ethical issues.

As an adjunct, Chowan is establishing a summer institute on the study of ethics.

The institute will present speakers, workshops, colloquia and seminars. A new position is being added for a director of the institute, who will be responsible for program development.

The target date to have it up and running is summer, 1998.

``It needs to be done,'' says Lott. ``It will give us a new kind of visibility and image. It's a full plate, but if we can do these things well, we can become significant and not have to worry about survival.

``You can focus on survival or on being significant,'' he continues. ``Being significant is much more important. If you become significant, survival is not an issue.''

Lott is also proud of the athletic program at Chowan, an NCAA Division III non-scholarship institution.

``I wouldn't want to leave out the athletic program, which is an important aspect of Chowan,'' says Lott. ``Some consider it non-essential, but it has been strong over the years.

``We have a very highly developed athletic program that helps with recruitment, name recognition and identity.

``For recruiting purposes, 241 of our 750 students were athletes. The students are strong, and the coaches are committed to their academic success.''

Lott clearly sees his role as that of a coach or, perhaps, a team player.

``I don't believe a new president brings a vision to an institution,'' he says. ``I see my role as a catalyst, a facilitator, an enabler, to help others form a strong consensus.

``The vision for the future is constantly evolving, shared and fluid, and continually refined. We need to seek ways to respond to our rapidly changing environment. To be insensitive to the environment is to invite disaster.

``The faculty makes all of this work,'' he continues. ``Some have been here since the late '60s, but 50 percent have come since 1990.

``We are increasing their academic qualifications. Fifty percent have terminal degrees and we're aiming at 75 percent. They are hard-working and are doing an excellent job. I am deeply grateful for their commitment.''

The school was originally Chowan Baptist Female Institute, a four-year college for women. It became Chowan College in 1910.

In 1931, it began admitting men, and in 1937 became a two-year institution. It closed in 1943, reopening its doors as a coed, two-year institution in 1949, supported by the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.

It again became a four-year college in 1992.

Before coming to Chowan, Lott was vice president for academic affairs at Louisiana College in Pineville, La., for 16 years.

Prior to that, he was a professor of sociology and religion at Tift College, a Baptist college for women in Forsyth, Ga., for 13 years.

Lott earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from Louisiana College and a bachelor of divinity and doctor of theology degrees from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

He also received a doctor of education degree in higher education from the University of Georgia and has done postgraduate work at the University of Georgia and Carnegie-Mellon University.

He is married to the former Johnnye Jo Foshee. They have three adult children and three grandchildren.

``It is virtually impossible to be unique. Being distinctive is more important.''says Lott. ILLUSTRATION: Photos including black and white cover by DAWSON MILLS

Dr. Stanley G. Lott

A view of the Chowan College campus. President Stanley G. Lott says

the school needs a student center and a center for performing and

visual arts.

Graphic

PAST PRESIDENTS

1848-1997 Archibald McDowell 1848-1849

Martin Rudolph Forey1849-1854

William Hooper 1854-1862

Archibald McDowell1862-1881

John Bruce Brewer 1881-1896

William Oscar Petty 1896-1897