UNC System board names a former member as new leader of Fayetteville State University
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A former member of the UNC System Board of Governors was named Thursday as the 12th chancellor of historically Black Fayetteville State University.
Darrell Allison, who served on the board from 2017-2020, is currently the vice president of governmental affairs and state teams at the American Federation For Children, where he was an advocate for school choice programs.
“He’s proven his ability to work easily with policymakers across the political spectrum, bringing people together around shared goals to benefit students,” UNC System President Peter Hans said.
The Board of Governors elected Allison as chancellor at its meeting Thursday, based on Hans’ nomination, after the FSU trustees selected Allison as a finalist.
He will begin his new role on March 15, replacing interim Chancellor Peggy Valentine, who was appointed in July 2019. Valentine previously served as dean of the School of Health Sciences at Winston-Salem State University.
At a news conference on FSU’s campus Thursday, Allison described the personal impact the UNC System, by way of N.C. Central University in Durham, has had on him and his family.
Allison grew up in Kannapolis, where his parents worked in a local textile mill. They couldn’t afford to send their three kids to college. But Allison and his siblings earned full scholarships at HBCUs in the UNC System, changing the trajectory of their lives.
“When I talk about the UNC System ... I know what it’s done for me, my family, my brother and sister in terms of launching us to heights and experiences,” Allison said.
Allison earned his bachelor’s degree at NCCU and a law degree from UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Law.
Elevating HBCUs on BOG
Allison was one of three voting Black members of the board before he abruptly resigned in September, leaving a spot open for more diversity on the board.
“I have worked alongside Darrell for many years now, and he is not only a person of great ability but one of true character,” board Chair Randy Ramsey said in a statement. “He is deeply committed to higher education and to the citizens of North Carolina. He brings to this position a broad understanding of Fayetteville State University’s strategic role and impact in the region.”
Allison has been a strong advocate for the role that historically Black colleges and universities play in North Carolina, Hans said. He was critical in helping establish and lead the board’s committee on historically minority-serving institutions (HMSI) and the system’s racial equity task force.
Allison recently partnered with UNC-Chapel Hill’s NC Policy Collaboratory, which gave historically minority-serving institutions $6 million for COVID-19 programming and research.
While on the board, Allison was also part of the group charged with finding a solution to the UNC-Chapel Hill Silent Sam Confederate statue. But the controversial $2.5 million deal was struck in secrecy and those board members tasked with accomplishing it did not meet or negotiate the deal directly.
Advocate for school choice
As a senior staff member at the American Federation For Children, Allison has led advocacy programs and raised money for the organization. The national group works to expand school choice programs and was once led by U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, The News & Observer previously reported.
When asked about that role as an advocate for school choice at the K-12 level, Allison shifted the attention away from the politics of that term and toward the people it impacts.
“I’m not fighting for schools per say, I’m fighting for students,” Allison said.
He said his track record shows he was advocating for the families who lived in ZIP codes and areas of deep poverty. He worked to offer them tools to educate their children in addition to the public school system, he said, noting that his own daughters are in public schools.
Allison said he’s still working on his vision for FSU, but said it will incorporate the visions of people in the campus community. He plans to engage with students, employees and alumni about the school’s strengths and weaknesses.
“I am most interested in listening, learning and leading,” Allison said.
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Controversy over Allison’s selection
At the press conference, Allison was asked about how he resigned from the Board of Governors to throw his hat in the ring. He said he followed protocol and when he knew he was leaning toward applying, he immediately stepped down.
He said he felt strongly that he could do the job, but it was a risk leaving the board because “there was no guarantee” that he would be named chancellor.
Allison and search committee chair Stuart Augustine were challenged about the search process and a suggestion that Allison was hand-picked by Hans and added to the trustees’ list at the last minute. Augustine started to explain the process that included about 60 candidates, but was cut off because that information is confidential.
Allison was then asked about how he plans to deal with the perception that he was chosen by the system president and not the university search committee. He said he understands this is “somewhat unprecedented” to have a former BOG member named chancellor, but argued it was on his terms.
He explained that the chancellor selection process was changed in the fall, giving the system president more influence in who is elected. However, that policy change did not apply to this search because it was already underway.
“This was a thorough process and there was no selecting of Darrell and placing of Darrell in this search from the UNC System or board or whomever,” Allison said.
This story was originally published February 18, 2021 at 1:33 PM with the headline "UNC System board names a former member as new leader of Fayetteville State University."
