Dear Campus Echo,
Upon reading the latest issue of the NCCU's Campus Echo, I must admit that I was truly at a loss for words at the article entitled "CLA dean search draws fire." The article in various ways slanders Dr. Carlton Wilson, current dean of the College of Liberal Arts and former chair of the department of history. As a former student of Dr. Wilson I felt insulted, as the article challenged his "fundraising experience [and] scholarly credentials." Dr. Wilson has taught, as the article notes, for over 30 years and within that time he has greatly added to the historiography of the African diaspora, both from his analysis of the studying African diaspora and from his work on the black experience in Britain. The article fails to mention this in the letter, which forces me to ask the question is this the NCCU we all know?
The institution I know and love is one that fosters truth and service. The truth and service of Dr. Wilson cannot be argued, unless as done in the Campus Echo, it is overlooked for the sake of a story. Beyond adding to the historiography of the African diaspora, Dr. Wilson had changed the lives of countless students both within the department and out. In his courses he brings Europe alive in a way which adds a breath of fresh air to the subject. Indeed one the determining factors in my studying of Europe came about because of the many courses which I took under Dr. Wilson.
The article fails to take any note of his teaching skills and the impact he has had on students. Rather the article alleges that he is simply unqualified for the job. I wonder, if his thirty years of teaching and scholarship do not present him as a qualified dean then what does? This again forces me to ask the question, is this the NCCU we all know? Beyond chairing the department of history, this past years Dr. Wilson set as chair for the ASALH conference which was held this year in Raleigh, N.C.
Further Dr. Wilson also was a member of various committees which across the campus such as graduation and convocation. Further Dr. Wilson organized student volunteers for the SNCC conference in 2010, which was held on the campus of Shaw University exposing students to their own history. This is a primary example of how his teaching reaches beyond the classroom. As would be expected the article failed to mention any of the statements from the latter. Rather the article chose to create controversy and taint the reputation of Dr. Wilson.
The Campus Echo has not only done Dr. Wilson a great disservice but it also discredited the motto of "Truth and Service" which we love to use with such great zeal. Dr. Wilson had served the University in honorable fashion and in no way does he deserve to be caught in middle of duplicitous phrasing from the search committee or from the Echo. Upon reading the article countless times I have concluded that the Echo has attempted to paint Dr. Wilson as a villain of some sort.
However in reality the lack of analysis into who Dr. Wilson is as a scholar, teacher and mentor, has placed the Echo in the sphere of being the villain who simply leeches upon gossip for the sake of readers.
Thus I wonder is this the NCCU we all know?
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