ASU’s Art Dunning urges community to embrace consolidation changes

ALBANY — On Jan.1, the consolidation of Albany State University and Darton State College became official, and ASU President Art Dunning has embarked on a path of change to build a new Albany State.

“As the president of the newly consolidated Albany State University, I am responsible for leading this new institution in a way that makes it nimble and agile enough to get in front of this accelerated change,” Dunning wrote in an Op-Ed piece in The Herald earlier this month.” Not only is this the expectation of our graduates and their families, but the survival and vitality of Southwest Georgia depends of us getting this right.”

To help facilitate those changes, Dunning brought in Tau Kadhi as provost and vice president of academic affairs.

“When one does that (consolidation) you are always going to have people say, ‘We do things this way’ and others say, ‘We do things this way.’ It’s easy when they overlap,” Kadhi said. “When there’s a situation where there is no overlap, you have to create a better situation. It’s almost the rebuilding of an entire new university. You just have to be objective, and I know I am because I showed up here as a guy saying this is what I have seen from six institutions, and I know best practices. I’m not married to the Hatfields or McCoys.

“I’m looking at how we can make this situation the best it can possibly be.”

As expected, the transition to one institution has at times been rocky.

In August of last year, citing falling enrollment, managers at both Albany State and Darton announced layoffs. ASU reduced 80 positions, 48 of which were filled. Darton eliminated 30 positions, none of which were filled.

To help boost ASU’s enrollment numbers, Dunning says he plans to visit high schools across the state and possibly offer $500 scholarships to top students who attend in the fall.

Kadhi added that the university will also make a stronger push for Move On When Ready students and strengthen ties with the Commodore Conyers College and Career Academy, which is set to open with its first cohort group in August.

“We’ve been very involved in the college and career academy, at least since I’ve been here,” Kadhi said. “We are making sure whatever pathway they choose, our pathway will be readily available to help those students matriculate.”

In a statement released by the university, officials wrote, “We have improved our financial aid processes to ensure students aren’t accumulating a large amount of debt. Our own audits identified historical issues with the administration of federal financial aid. We take our responsibilities in managing these funds seriously and have made changes to ensure compliance.”

Time and again, Dunning has stressed the importance of the community coming together to embrace change.

“Albany State University can no longer be ‘your father’s college education.’ It is in the process of becoming a 21st-century institution of higher education that is meeting the current and future needs of the community and the work force in Southwest Georgia and beyond,” Dunning wrote. “Negative rumors and resistance to necessary change will only harm the growth and development of Albany State University, which directly impacts economic development in the region. Let’s put aside our past grievances for the good of ‘One Thriving Albany.’”