Nelms Pushing for Higher Standards at NCCU

“Unless graduation is your destination, you shouldn’t be here,” Nelms said.

Beginning next fall, N.C. Central will increase its undergraduate admissions requirements for students, he said. Entering freshmen will have to have a 2.3 grade-point average, a SAT score of at least 720 and an ACT composite of 14.

Nelms unveiled a initiative for faculty and staff to provide better customer service, with the goal of improving student retention and graduation rates. The entire campus will undergo training provided by the human resources department, starting this fall.

“The primary goal is to improve the levels of efficiency, effectiveness and responsiveness throughout the institution,” he said.

He also pledged to restore the aesthetics of the university and institute a clean streets program by having departments “adopt a block.”