Students attending Alabama State University’s Fall Convocation on Sept. 21, 2023, received some good news as President Quinton T. Ross Jr., Ed.D., announced that the university is in the process of breaking ground in the future for a new residence hall during his annual state-of-the-university address.
“It is my hope, working alongside with the board of trustees, and with members of my cabinet, we will break ground sometime in the near future on a brand new dormitory on this campus.”
Students received the news with a great roar of applause.
After conducting virtual convocations for the past four years, the university hosted its first in-person convocation since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Students, faculty and staff gathered in the Dunn-Oliver Acadome to witness the event that had been stifled by the global rife. This in-person assembly allowed the university to connect physically with the university community.
This is Ross’ sixth year as president of the university, and for half of his tenure, he had to deal with a pandemic that ravaged the world, but according to Ross, the university survived and thrived.
“These past six years, we have achieved great fiscal stability, allowing us to give our faculty and staff well-deserved raises,” Ross said. Ross went on to say that the faculty and staff would receive a 3% raise in January. “So in this time that we’ve been together, we had a total of 11% raises given just within the past few years.”
Ross continued by thanking the contributions of the faculty and staff. He also complimented the performances of the choir and the band. He emphasized how important it is for the university community to reflect on what has been accomplished.
“Convocations give us an opportunity to get together and particularly to welcome our new freshman and the new academic year,” Ross said. “And it gives us an opportunity to update you on the major accomplishments of the university and things to come. But oftentimes, we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, and we fail to stop and reflect on what was and what is. Where we’ve been and where we are now.”
He continued.
“For example, many of our new students who have arrived here at Alabama State University probably have already forgotten all it took for them to get here. You went through four years of high school and a lot of things to make it as a freshman, but sometimes that is put into the back of our minds. The employees here, even myself, can’t remember the first day we started here, we don’t ever stop to reflect on where we were then and where we are now.”
Ross went on to draw attention to the achievements of students such as the choir performing in Carnegie Hall in New York City and the band’s new instruments and uniforms.
The convocation was accompanied by many performances by the university talent, such as the choir performing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” accompanied by The Mighty Marching Hornets.
Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness, Strategic Initiatives and Transformation Tanjula Petty, Ed.D., gave the occasion, while Miss Alabama State University Kayla Edwards also gave greetings on behalf of her and the class queens.
After the impassioned performance came to its conclusion, Ross had a few words to impart.
“We continue to work and do what we can to move the needle and under the guise of communiversity, the engagement in our marketing and communication efforts have increased significantly over the last year with the increase in global and national endeavors of the university,” Ross said. “I have been able to utilize my position as the key spokesperson of the university to help aid in the efforts of fostering strategic relationships to increase the brand and exposure of the university.”
Many students who attended the convocation were pleased with the state of the university address and found it refreshing to be in-person after so many convocations were hindered by the pandemic.
“It was really great,” said junior Ashonti Shaw, who was attending the convocation for the second time after attending the last in-person convocation. “It was nice to see. I loved listening to the choir the most. I just wanted to see what it was gonna be like this time around. I didn’t have to go for class or anything, I just wanted to go just because.”
For sophomore Kensely Simmons, the best part of the convocation was hearing from university representatives.
“We don’t really get to see all of them in one place together on campus,” Simmons said. “So it was nice to see that.”
Sophomore McKinley Hacker attended last year’s virtual convocation but found that she enjoyed the in-person ceremony much more.
“It was a lot more interactive and easier to watch,” Hacker said. “Especially seeing the theater kids and band out, it was just a lot more interesting and able to capture our interest more.”
In the future, President Ross wants the university community to continuously improve and seek excellence in all things.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that we will go to great heights,” Ross said. “We will continue to reach that pinnacle of excellence as long as we work together as faculty, staff, student body, the community and alumni. But we have to work together to continue to move ASU 150 years forward. And besides, we are the Alabama State University, where history is made, so God bless you, and God bless Alabama State University.”