"I did not come here to rest. I did not come here to retire. I came here to work," Nelms said on his first day on N.C. Central's campus.
Nelms took over for James Ammons, who left June 15 to serve as chancellor of his alma mater, Florida A&M University.
Nelms met with students, faculty and community leaders on the N.C. Central campus Wednesday and received a pledge of support from the community in his goal to raise standards.
"We need this kind of commitment in order propel this institution to new levels of excellence and responsiveness," Nelms said.
Moving to N.C. Central is a kind of a homecoming for him after he studied at a historically black university in Arkansas 39 years ago, Nelms said.
Nelms, 60, most recently served as the vice-president for Institutional Development and Student Affairs at Indiana University.
The UNC Board of Governors chose Nelms for his understanding of a university's role in the community, as well as his leadership and fund-raising skills, said Crissie Thigpen, chair of the search committee.
Nelms turned down positions at Tennessee State University, Grambling State University and Florida A&M University in favor of N.C. Central, said Thigpen.
A native of Crawfordsville, Ark., Nelms majored in agronomy and chemistry at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, graduating in 1968. He earned a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs in 1971and a doctoral degree in higher education administration in 1977 from Indiana University.
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