Equal Opportunity: Darrell Allison

When Darrell Allison first arrived at Fayetteville State University (FSU) in 2021, he saw a college with a number of unique challenges – but also saw that it was full of untapped potential.

"FSU is the second-oldest public university in the University of North Carolina (UNC) system, which for me says that it’s an institution with staying power," he tells The CEO Magazine.

A member of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the university was founded in 1867 and serves one of the most economically challenged student populations in North Carolina. When Allison stepped into the role of Chancellor and CEO, he was already aware of the magnitude of the task.

"Eighty percent of our students hail from Tier-1 and Tier-2 counties, which are the lowest wealth counties in the state," he explains. "When I arrived here in 2021, we had the lowest retention and graduation rate in the state."

Allison knew the university needed a Chancellor willing to advocate aggressively to unlock the necessary dollars it desperately required to reverse the trend.

"With strategic focus and with the right team in place, we could improve but we needed to act urgently," he recalls.

Within his first two years, Allison was able to secure more than US$200 million in capital funding from the state. Add to that philanthropic support, research and grants, and that figure has swelled to more than US$500 million.

Allison’s impact is being celebrated as he marks his fifth anniversary as Chancellor and CEO. Retention rates, alongside the four-year graduation rate, are among the highest of the 16 public universities in the UNC system. The institution is also enjoying record enrollment of 7,600 students, up from around 5,700 when he joined.

A unique location

Key to these numbers has been understanding the unique population of Fayetteville, particularly the 52,000 military personnel who live at Fort Bragg, a little over 10 miles away.

"It’s all about location, location, location," he says. "FSU is fortunate to be the closest public university to the largest military installation in the nation."

How to serve this large community has been one of Allison’s core focuses.

"We’re one of the few institutions in the nation that offers all of our military four years tuition-free. That’s not just active duty or veterans, but reservists and spouses, too," he says.

Such has been the uptake that the university has seen a 30 percent increase in military enrollment since 2022; today, military personnel make up 34 percent of the student body.

However, Allison has also been quick to recognize that quality education has to be delivered where it is needed.

"If you’re deployed, we don’t want you to stop your studies, we want you to keep going," he says.

Online offerings have been built out to accommodate their deployments and transitions to civilian life. Furthermore, the university remains open for summer school for all students to stay on track to graduate in four years.

"At most universities, military still has to fit around a two-semester calendar," he points out. "We consider it a third semester – and we take care of the costs because we understand that college debt is the kind of debt that never leaves you."

Underlying it all is a drive to provide the best conditions for FSU students.

"If our students are going to begin something, we want them to finish and we’re working hard to create pathways to success," he says.

A game-changer

As an institution with the highest number of students coming from impoverished areas in the state, Allison understands what a four-year degree means to that student from a financial standpoint.

"We know that it won’t only benefit them and their families, but also families to come," he says. "It’s a game-changer not only for their families, but their communities as well."

Thankfully, FSU has the broad shoulders needed to play that significant role in the economic mobility of its students. It’s a role that is aided by being part of the UNC system, which includes one of the top ranked public schools in the country, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

"We’re fortunate to be part of a system that’s not only very highly thought of in North Carolina, but nationally as well," Allison adds.

It means that students from Tier-1 and Tier-2 counties can still acquire a UNC system degree. As one of four institutions in the state to be part of the NC Promise Tuition Plan, in-state tuition is capped at US$500 per semester, while out-of-state students pay US$3,500. The NC Promise plan was created by the North Carolina General Assembly to provide affordability options for North Carolinians, while also reducing student debt.

While he's always aware of the financial pressures students face, economics is never far from Allison’s thoughts in his own role, either – and he is an advocate for universities becoming stronger engines for economic development. He has been behind the creation of the Fayetteville-Cumberland Regional Entrepreneur & Business Hub, a strategic partnership between the university and the city of Fayetteville and Cumberland County.

As that US$200 million of capital funding is spent on new residential and educational spaces – many due to be completed this fall – the hub has generated US$150 million in government contracts for local businesses: painters, carpenters and bricklayers who are building the new facilities.

"We’ve been able to create jobs and expand those small to medium-size businesses in the greater Cumberland area," he says.

Allison’s impact and influence has spread far beyond the FSU campus, but the students remain at the forefront of his mind.

"From day one, my focus has been on creating opportunity, removing barriers and building bridges for students to get from A to B so that, as a result of their time at FSU, they’re able to compete and succeed in every area in life," he concludes.